Seeing the correct canter lead

samsaria

New Member
Dec 30, 2005
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Ireland
I feel a bit daft asking this but anyway - in the footfall in canter, I am looking for the lead leg.

On my lovely new horse I really struggle to see this quickly! - his legs seem to be a whirr and it's more a case that i *feel* the wrong leg rather than *see* it. But of course for jumping a track thats not OK, so, - my question! - when i glance down, the front leg that lands second (immediately after the first) is the leading leg, correct? As in, the non-leading leg lands first and the leading leg (which reaches further) is the second, is that right???

I really struggled to phrase all that, hope it makes sense! :)
 
Can you get anyone to video you ride?
When you get really used to his canter on the correct leg, when he goes on the wrong one it will feel really uncomfortable...
x
 
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you can usually tell better from looking at the shoulders rather than the actual legs. The shoulder thats stretching further is the leg the horse is leading with.

tricky to see at first! :)
 
Not really, no. My horse struggles to strike off on the right lead and I need to bring him back quicker than I am currently managing. At the mo i would be riding circular and think *hmm it feels wrong* rather than instantly glancing down and seeing it.

For some reason I can see it on other horses, but not my own. That's why i was asking about the footfalls, because that's very clear to me when i'm on his back.

Thanks

Sj - thanks for replying. Is the shoulder stretching further the second one, or first though? I do look at the shoulder! Can you elaborate?
 
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On my lovely new horse I really struggle to see this quickly! - his legs seem to be a whirr and it's more a case that i *feel* the wrong leg rather than *see* it.

Surely it's better the be able to feel it than to see it? Then you don't need to look down (which is bad riding practice whether you're jumping or on the flat). I can tell if I'm on the right leg by looking down, but I can never feel it. My instructor is always telling me off!
 
if the horse was cantering to the right on the correct lead, then the right shoulder would appear to be stretching further than the left shoulder, you would be looking at the shoulder blades movement to see this.
 
Joosie, yes i'm glad i can feel it, but I don't feel it quick enough.

Sometimes my YO will shout "wrong leg come back to trot" and i'll go two more strides and feel it, oh yes, bumpy, wrong leg.

I definitely need to see it/feel it quicker.

I also notice everyone when others are jumping they quickly glance down to check the horses leg is correct. I can't do this quick enough!

I know i need lots and lots of practice to see it. Tips to see it are great - i'll watch the shoulderblades tonight SJ, as you describe.
 
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As an fyi - i went online and kindof answered my question :cool:

If you watch this vid, the canter is in slow-mo, see the way the front set, if you watch them in a one-two, one-two count, the leading leg is the second one to land each time.

Thats what i was trying to ask, sorry if i was unclear!

I think this guy is so cool by the way, he's a hero :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY2G7palTI8
 
sj and joosie
Just wanted to say i watched carefully last night to see the shoulder movement and hope i'll just get quicker at reading it, thanks for the help!
 
For me, I can feel that my horse is not on the correct lead. Its terrribly uncomfortable to sit. Look at the shoulder if anything not the leg. Almost like in the trot, to post when the shoulder is back you should be up but canter is a bit different. The lead leg is the one to look at obvioulsy.
 
I feel a bit daft asking this but anyway - in the footfall in canter, I am looking for the lead leg.

On my lovely new horse I really struggle to see this quickly! - his legs seem to be a whirr and it's more a case that i *feel* the wrong leg rather than *see* it. But of course for jumping a track thats not OK, so, - my question! - when i glance down, the front leg that lands second (immediately after the first) is the leading leg, correct? As in, the non-leading leg lands first and the leading leg (which reaches further) is the second, is that right???

I really struggled to phrase all that, hope it makes sense! :)

close your eyes for a few strides, This will increase your body feedback. The wrong lead will feel rough. the correct lead will feel like the horse is bending inwards. if you open up yours hands as well the feeling will be much stronger. remember this is an exercise only. our eyes are powerful inhibitors of feeling and correct posture. blind riders always sit up and feel better
 
If you are riding in a circle it should be the inside leg that steps the furthest and the outside leg follows. This makes the bend easier for them.

Actually, i think it's the other way round when on the correct leg -

the non-leading leg lands first (the outside) then the inside leg (stretching further) lands immediately after.

I watched lots of vids, and if you see in the link i posted earlier it makes sense. I guess its just another way of seeing the correct lead - I seem to be able to spot it this way.

Now that said I may be interpreting it wrong, but on the correct lead, the leading leg/shoulder moves immediately after the first leg (nonleading).

I can always feel it on the bend, but want to get quicker at establishing it/seeing it, before we even get to the bend...
 
As far as I know, the lead leg is NOT the one to strike first. It's the one that reaches furthest forward, which should be on the inside, if you're travelling in a circle/round the school.

Can't say it affects me much, as Merlyn always takes off on the correct lead, and feels horrible to canter if by any chance he's not :)
 
on the left rein ie doing a circle anticlockwise the footfall is outside rear hind, inside rear and outside front together then inside front. If you lean over and look at their front feet you should see the inside front leg reaching further than the outside. If its the other way then you are on the wrong lead.
 
Katherine, ditz, yep, thats it exactly :)

Funny, I find it easier to spot now this way.

Now i've to really work on the fact that my horse doesn't like to go on the correct leg on the left rein. A habit i guess as he is able to do it - so we're doing lots of small circles (can't use the corners of the school anymore, he pre-emts the canter transition!)

We're working on it!
 
Surely it's better the be able to feel it than to see it? Then you don't need to look down (which is bad riding practice whether you're jumping or on the flat). I can tell if I'm on the right leg by looking down, but I can never feel it. My instructor is always telling me off!

exactly what i was going to say! it is far better to feel the wrong leg and generally easier to feel that the back end is wrong than looking down at the front legs/shoulders. unless your horse has a super counter canter (i've witnessed one very recently ;)) then it is better to feel the wrong leg. i can feel when my horse is going to pick up the wrong canter and being back to trot on the transition as i've worked on it for so long. generally the bend will feel wrong.
 
I have only been cantering a short while, but my thoughts on detecting the lead are that the horse must be leaning towards the lead leg since it hits the ground further forward than the other front leg. I can detect the lean, though I can't see the leg.
 
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