We favor Right/Clockwise movement

[sally]

My horse and I work well when we are moving clockwise in
arena, at the trot and picking up the right lead in canter.

Circling counter clockwise at trot, and picking up left lead, we do not
do so good. Sometimes very difficult to start a canter inthis
direction. i know I must start tightening up my body when I
realize Im not getting what I wanted, which I am sure adds
to the horses problem.

I know horses can favor one side over another, but I am sure
this is my own body problem. I am right handed and very strongly favor my right side, so now that I think about it, myabe I am inadvertantly driving him away,when my right leg is outside,
rather than asking for forward movement. Maybe my left leg, being the weaker one, is giving him a more readable signal,
as he is a very light guy.

Hmm. Anyone else have this issue?
thanks.sally

[Lucy J]

My young horse hates going on the right rein, but this is as she is unfit and unbalanced. I feel it is important to 'even up' each side and therefore work her on the lunge on the right rein to try and loosen her up a bit. You should always do more work on the 'bad' rein than the good one.

Good Luck.

[ros]

Sorry Lucy, but I've got to disagree there although I know it's a common theory - I believe you should work a horse evenly on both "bad" and "good" sides, otherwise you're in danger of creating a different imbalance, or even causing resistance problems by overworking him on the side which he finds less easy and which is less well developed.

Sally - I think most people, like horses, have a good and a bad side. Being aware of it is the start of the cure! You'd be amazed how much we do that's one-sided in our daily lives when we take a long hard look.

[sally]

thanks. i think it probably is a combination;he is easier to bend
on the right. but i am going to try hard to get equal leg pressure.....i ll see what happens...im sure i do favor going right
because we go so much better!s.

[Piaffe]

I heard a rumour that most horses were 'left handed', like humans can be left or right handed - which is why the majority of horses prefer to work on the left rein! Don't know how true this is, but it does seem to make sense!

Totally agree with Ros - you should work your horse on both reins. When lunging, I tend to work my horse first on his favourite rein, then a short time on the opposite, then back to his favourite and then to the opposite rein - building up the work on his least favourite rein gradually.