Posted 2017-04-29 3:54 PM Subject: One Lead Horses?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
I recently bought a lightly started colt, he's 4 and has decent conformation. He's sound, had teeth done. I've had a problem with him picking up his right lead. Even when lunging circles to the right, he's in his left lead. No matter what I do when I'm on him, he's in his right lead. I've seen him out in his pen running circles to the right and in the correct lead. What could the problem be? And how can I fix it? TIA
Posted 2017-04-29 4:15 PM Subject: RE: One Lead Horses?
A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972 Location: Texas
You'll just need to teach him. When I have one like that, I don't even lope them in their favored lead - always in the one they don't like to pick up. With time and persistence, he will learn and you can go back to loping both ways.
Posted 2017-04-29 4:28 PM Subject: RE: One Lead Horses?
It Goes On
Posts: 2262 Location: Muskogee, OK
Likely just a colt thing- especially if you've ruled lameness and such out.
What I've found helps the most with these colts is reaaaalllly over emphasize taking their head to the outside of the circle and pushing them up under themselves with that outside leg behind the cinch. And I mean REALLY over emphasize. It's going to feel awkward as heck but take that head way to the outside, even more than you think you should.... Make it uncomfortable for them to lope on that wrong lead....and then AS SOON as he figures it out and picks up the one you want, reward him by taking that pressure off.
They usually pick it up pretty quick and soon you won't have to take that head way to the outside.
Posted 2017-04-29 5:42 PM Subject: RE: One Lead Horses?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 682 Location: Northwest
I had a horse a few years ago that was very one leaded. She had only been ranched on and didn't have a whole lot of fine tuning. I bought a DVD by Clinton Anderson that's all about lead changes. I did his exercises with her and they really worked. You might check it out (I'm not usually a CA fan but I did really benefit from this DVD).
One Lead Horses?
