Posted 2015-03-30 9:00 PM Subject: What point do you teach lead changes
Elite Veteran
Posts: 631 Location: Somewhere in N.C.
I have a young horse I am bringing along and the only thing we are having trouble with are changing leads between the 1st and 2nd barrel. At what point do you teach your horse to change leads or do you let them figure it out on their own.
Posted 2015-03-30 10:10 PM Subject: RE: What point do you teach lead changes
Go For It!
Location: Texas
I don't stress over lead changes... I will do simple lead changes - drop to a trot and pick up correct lead. A horse has to speed up a bit to change leads correctly. I don't necessarily want them speeding up when I first start them on barrels, so I break down to a trot and then pick up the lead and lope to and around the next barrel. I have never had one that didn't figure out the lead changes once I started adding speed. If you don't know how to teach lead changes correctly, you can really stress out a high strung horse. I prefer to pick the fights that really matter, and I just don't feel like flying lead changes are one of them. JMO.
Posted 2015-03-30 10:34 PM Subject: RE: What point do you teach lead changes
I AM being nice
Posts: 4396 Location: MD
grinandbareit - 2015-03-30 10:10 PM
I don't stress over lead changes... I will do simple lead changes - drop to a trot and pick up correct lead. A horse has to speed up a bit to change leads correctly. I don't necessarily want them speeding up when I first start them on barrels, so I break down to a trot and then pick up the lead and lope to and around the next barrel. I have never had one that didn't figure out the lead changes once I started adding speed. If you don't know how to teach lead changes correctly, you can really stress out a high strung horse. I prefer to pick the fights that really matter, and I just don't feel like flying lead changes are one of them. JMO.
Posted 2015-03-31 5:39 AM Subject: RE: What point do you teach lead changes
Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315 Location: East Tennessee but who knows?!
If you give them a specific place to change that helps. It seems like they are more consistent learning to change coming off of first rather than asking them to change "somewhere" between 1s t & 2nd. As far as teAching flying lead changes, counter-canter to canter is easiest.
What point do you teach lead changes
