Teaching a horse to pick up the desired lead at the canter is a necessary part of his education. Many of the training problems that people approach me with concern leads, so hopefully what follows will take the mystery out of the process.

What is a Lead?
A lead is the sequence in which the horse’s feet hit the ground at the canter. For example, if the horse is on the left lead, his left front leg is the last to strike the ground. To the observer, it appears that his left fore and hind legs are reaching farther forward.

Why is it important?
Cantering on the lead to the inside of a circle is more balanced to the horse and is more comfortable for the rider. Unless otherwise specified, it is a given that at a horse show or in a riding lesson your horse canters on the inside lead. Not to do so is a major faux pas, eliminating you from a ribbon in competition, and gaining you a scolding from your instructor!

What do I do?
To aid your horse in cantering on the correct lead you must position his body correctly. I simplify this for a student by having her imagine her horse standing over a pole with his front feet to one side (let’s say left to position him for the right lead) and his hind feet on the other. The rider’s left leg, used behind the girth, pushes her horse’s hind end to the inside of the circle, while her right leg used at the girth prevents the front end from falling to the inside. The reins used slightly to the left, aid in holding the horse’s front end to the left of that imaginary pole.

Troubleshooting
If your horse resists picking up the lead you request, go back and look for a missing link in his education. Before I ever attempt to canter a horse for the first time I build in hip control with turns on the forehand, shoulder control with leg yields and turns on the haunches, and basic collection. If your horse picks up the wrong lead, he has likely deviated from the angled position you requested by falling to the inside with his shoulder or "fish-tailing" to the outside with his hips. This angled position decreases as the horse becomes more experienced until it is barely noticeable.

What is counter canter?
A counter canter is a movement in which the horse canters on the outside lead. For example, the horse canters clockwise while travelling on the left lead.

Why is it important?
Counter cantering is an exercise that improves the balance and co-ordination of the horse. Because it is unnatural for the horse to travel on the outside lead the rider must be sure to position his body correctly and it is one of my favorite skill developing exercises. It also helps a rider distinguish her horse’s lead by feel. Horses that I train never learn their leads in relation to the direction of travel, but rather according to their body (and my leg) position.

Troubleshooting
Problems in maintaining a counter canter stem from allowing the horse to deviate from the position described above, and losing impulsion or bounce in his stride, allowing him to break into a trot. I have my students envision cantering on a curve composed of straight lines, like a stop sign. If they can maintain a collected canter with the front end on the outside, they can usually maintain the counter canter.

What is a flying change?
In a flying change a horse switches leads in the air without breaking gait.

Why is it important?
A flying change is a "high school" movement, requiring additional skill. In competition over fences, equitation patterns and in the western riding class, the flying change is a necessary component.

What do I do?
I teach horses to change leads from a counter canter to a true canter rather than changing direction across the middle of the arena. If my horse is on the right lead my legs are "scissored" so that my left leg is back and holds his hips to the right, and my right leg forward is keeping his shoulders to the left. Simply put, I will allow my horse’s body to straighten, push him slightly off that straight line to the right, and then scissor my legs the opposite way, pushing his haunches to the left and his shoulders to the right.

Troubleshooting
Cross cantering, or being on one lead in front while another behind is caused when the rider allows her horse’s back to fishtail out, or front end to cut in. If the rider tries to "help" her horse by throwing her upper body in the direction of the new lead rather than staying centered, she will unbalance her horse. If she tries to go too slow, the horse will drop down to a trot rather than changing in the air. Most unsuccessful attempts result because the building blocks of body control aren’t solidly in place – so do your homework!

Lindsay Grice