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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
 
| How do you guys get your barrel horses to swap leads while loping or running? Thanks in advance. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Do you mean in between barrels? If so, I lope in the correct lead to each barrel, slow down and trot around them. Then overfinish 1st and trot 1/3 of the way to 2nd before asking for the new lead. Same with 2nd-3rd. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
| Yes, but mostly in general. My horse will naturally swap when I push her. However, I can not cue her for it in general. I have tried figure eights or stuff like that but she will
lope on the wrong lead. I'm just not sure what to do. |
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Veteran
Posts: 233
| You've got to control your horse's bend through their body. Ask for the change with your seat when the back feet come off the ground. It's basically the same way you change the bend in the middle of a figure 8, assuming you are riding nice round circles with correct bend.
Edited by hannahbug 2017-05-24 7:27 PM
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
 
| This is what we do. You must que the exact same way every time. Every time I post this most the people tell I am doing it wrong but again. This is what WE do. Tip the horse's nose inthe direction you want them to pick up the lead. Left lead tip to left, etc. kick with the same foot. Left lead, left foot. If they do not pick up the correct lead stop and start again. This is not something that the learn in one lesson. My horse is 14. I raised him from a baby. When I ride at the house, we drill on picking up leads and other basics. When I go to clinics people comment on how broke my horse is like Dr Adams the reining horse man who works at Joseys and RE Josey. He will get drilled on this as long I own him. Trainer says my 4 year old needs plenty of riding to reinforce basics. She will get plenty at my house because I hate to practice barrels. Sorry so long |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 883
Location: Southern Indiana | streakysox - 2017-05-24 7:45 PM
This is what we do. You must que the exact same way every time. Every time I post this most the people tell I am doing it wrong but again. This is what WE do. Tip the horse's nose inthe direction you want them to pick up the lead. Left lead tip to left, etc. kick with the same foot. Left lead, left foot. If they do not pick up the correct lead stop and start again. This is not something that the learn in one lesson. My horse is 14. I raised him from a baby. When I ride at the house, we drill on picking up leads and other basics. When I go to clinics people comment on how broke my horse is like Dr Adams the reining horse man who works at Joseys and RE Josey. He will get drilled on this as long I own him. Trainer says my 4 year old needs plenty of riding to reinforce basics. She will get plenty at my house because I hate to practice barrels. Sorry so long
This ^^^ work figure 8s. As you complete you first circle let them straighten out then tip the nose and use inside leg as you start your circle in the other direction. If they don't break down on their own, break them to a trot and cue with inside leg to lope. They should at least learn to change direction, break down and then pick up the lead. I don't go as far as getting a flying lead change, but I've witnessed them in videos doing it between the first and second.
Streakysox you are correct...you must cue on the inside, not with the outside. Cueing from the outside causes them to have to straiten their body and loose position. |
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 Saint Stacey
| Honestly it's mainly about being broke. If a horse is very well broke, can pick up a lope and get the lead asked for every time from a walk, lead changes come fairly easily then.
A lead change comes from behind. You can ask anyway you want as long as you are consistent in the way you ask. I've never taught them in a circle. It's too easy to use the circle as a crutch to throw them into. I've always taught them on a straight after I get them deadly leaded and two tracking at all gates. Get them to that point and then just ask. I over eggerate lifting my seat and ask hard with the leg to start out. Then once the figure it out, you can lighten the cue.
I had a showing background prior to running barrels. I loved western riding so lead changes were always my favorite. I honestly don't really worry about them in a barrel horse. The main thing on all drills or transistions is to keep the horses body upright and balanced. People get lazy and let the horse start leaning or dropping the shoulder and that's when you have problems.
ETA- I've always used the outside leg. Mainly because when you show, it's always the outside so the judge can't see the cue on rail classes. You basically push away and lift the direction you are wanting to go. So if you are going right to left, you basically go more right by lifting the right tein, pushing with the left foot, release and lift the left rein and push with the right foot to get the change to left. Sidekick was trained with the nose tipped to the lead you want and that same leg so he was arched in the same frame as the direction you were going. I rode him as he was trained. When my daughter was 8, a friend gave us her western riding horse that was a World Show placer numerous times. He didn't care how you asked. If he felt you squeeze and a cone was close by, he'd swap leads every time. Inside, outside, it didn't matter.
Edited by SKM 2017-05-25 7:04 AM
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 The One
Posts: 7997
Location: South Georgia | Outside leg to move the hip in, inside rein to tip nose in = body put into position to pick up the lead you want. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | horsegirl - 2017-05-26 7:53 AM
Outside leg to move the hip in, inside rein to tip nose in = body put into position to pick up the lead you want.
This. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | You have to TRAIN your horse to pick up the lead you ask for.
Ask the same every time. If you want the left lead, the horse must start off with their right hind foot. That is why you are going to use your right leg (back a little) to push their hind end over. That "forces" them to get the right hind under their body.
Also Pay attention to the shoulder. If they aren't in the right place, you won't get your lead. Make sure they are UP. You can use your left leg to help keep the shoulders out of the way (if asking for a left lead as mentioned above). In an ideal world, the nose should also be tipped to the left but for me, I don't care as much about their nose as long as the rest of their body is in place.
I never use the "kiss" sound with my horses unless (1) I am asking for a lope or (2) a flying lead change. I am very specific and consistent on that so they know when they hear that kiss, that that's what I want. I use a "cluck" sound for a trot. And a "shhhh" sound for hustle on the barrels.
I would highly suggest you take up take a few lessons with a reining trainer and learn a bit about body control and leads. It's all about having a trained horse with body control that is BROKE. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 382
| She can pick up the correct lead from a walk. I use my leg to push her hip over, but sometimes she will not swap to the left for the second barrel. I will work on the suggested, and will spend some time with my relative that interned in CA with reining horses. Thank you! |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol. |
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Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | aqhabarrelchic1 - 2017-05-27 7:20 PM
you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol.
I'm not trying to be rude but I'm really scratching my head over your comment. Barrel horses actually need to be extremely well broke to do well at their job. If you're just running in a local playday you might be right. The OP was asking for help on how to get her horse to switch leads through training. If you're not going to actually contribute to the discussion, don't waste your time or ours. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | aqhabarrelchic1 - 2017-05-27 9:20 PM you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol.
Wait What, are you being serious  ?!!! What do you mean that leads dont make a difference in a barrel horse? How do you except a barrel horse to run barrels if they dont know their leads? And what do you mean by saying shes a barrel horse not a western rider? This is about the strangest answer I have ever heard on this board.  |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| aqhabarrelchic1 - 2017-05-27 9:20 PM
you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol.
I think I understand what you're saying, maybe it just needed to be worded a little differently! Of course our horses need to be broke, they need to know their leads and how to do a flying lead change, etc. But how many of you actually cue your horse for the lead change during a run? We do the slow work and patterning to teach our horses how to perform at speed so that we don't have to micro-manage them.
As far as working in lead changes, you've already gotten great advice. The only thing I would add is that I like to start out with a simple lead change in the beginning to prepare the horse so it understands what you're asking. Break to a trot and make the change, and when they understand what they're going to be asked to do, you can begin asking for the flying lead change. If they don't get it, break to a trot, change the lead, and try again. |
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Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| Omg. Barrel racers stating they change leads with the inside leg.... It drives me nuts. In what discipline have you EVER heard of them picking up a lead with the inside leg? NONE. And to say it is picked up with the outside leg in showing on the rail so the judge can't see the cue ia ridiculous! In reining, dressage, jumping, and pleasure (including horsemanship patterns which is off the rail) it is all done with the outside leg to push the hip over because that is where a lead starts.... The hind inside leg. You may bump the shoulder up and move it out of the way before you ask for a lead change or lead departure but the lead truly comes from the hind leg of the hip you pushed in. To understand why is to under how a horse moves and the mechanics of their body... |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| BarrelRacing4Christ - 2017-05-28 8:20 PM
aqhabarrelchic1 - 2017-05-27 7:20 PM
you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol.
I'm not trying to be rude but I'm really scratching my head over your comment. Barrel horses actually need to be extremely well broke to do well at their job. If you're just running in a local playday you might be right. The OP was asking for help on how to get her horse to switch leads through training. If you're not going to actually contribute to the discussion, don't waste your time or ours.
So your going to set a horse up and cue them to change leads in between barrels?
I never said leads are not important... |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| Southtxponygirl - 2017-05-28 8:46 PM
aqhabarrelchic1 - 2017-05-27 9:20 PM you could put a lead change on her but that wont help you much, shes a barrel horse not a western rider lol.. you don't need that many buttons... though my barrel horses can go into a western riding class if I wanted to lol.
Wait What, are you being serious ?!!! What do you mean that leads dont make a difference in a barrel horse? How do you except a barrel horse to run barrels if they dont know their leads? And what do you mean by saying shes a barrel horse not a western rider? This is about the strangest answer I have ever heard on this board.
Do you know what a western rider is? YouTube it...
I never said leads aren't needed! teaching a barrel horse how to do flying lead changes isn't really a needed thing. your not going to cue for it in a run are you? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1062
Location: Probably On the Road to the Next Barrel Race! | WetSaddleBlankets - 2017-05-28 1:37 PM
Omg. Barrel racers stating they change leads with the inside leg.... It drives me nuts. In what discipline have you EVER heard of them picking up a lead with the inside leg? NONE. And to say it is picked up with the outside leg in showing on the rail so the judge can't see the cue ia ridiculous! In reining, dressage, jumping, and pleasure (including horsemanship patterns which is off the rail) it is all done with the outside leg to push the hip over because that is where a lead starts.... The hind inside leg. You may bump the shoulder up and move it out of the way before you ask for a lead change or lead departure but the lead truly comes from the hind leg of the hip you pushed in. To understand why is to under how a horse moves and the mechanics of their body...
you are absolutely correct. I'm no whiz at teaching a young horse to catch a lead, I've no patience for it. Luckily, my husband does. But we've studied under some great horseman and women...without exception, they teach cueing with the outside foot, and for the reasons explained here...it's body mechanics, and, over time, it DOES work. Good luck to you! I might add...the one horse I was lucky enough to go pro on didn't know squat about lead changes. He was just simply athletic enough to run in on the wrong lead then swap as he entered the turn. Won lots of rodeos on him lol! |
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Born not Made
Posts: 2931
Location: North Dakota | barrelracer63046304 - 2017-05-27 8:46 PM She can pick up the correct lead from a walk. I use my leg to push her hip over, but sometimes she will not swap to the left for the second barrel. I will work on the suggested, and will spend some time with my relative that interned in CA with reining horses. Thank you! It really depends on where your horse is on its training. At some point, you just have to let some horses "figure it out" when they are ready. But if some aren't that far enough along, then you need to break them to a trot and switch leads for them so they are on the correct lead. (Usually is not realistic to ask for a flying lead change .... because I would say most barrel horses are not trained enough to do a proper flying lead change on cue, but not that you would need to either.)
So if your horse still needs guidance, then break her down to a walk or trot after the first barrel, and pick up the correct lead.
Edited by r_beau 2017-05-30 2:58 PM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| barrelracer63046304 - 2017-05-27 8:46 PM
She can pick up the correct lead from a walk. I use my leg to push her hip over, but sometimes she will not swap to the left for the second barrel. I will work on the suggested, and will spend some time with my relative that interned in CA with reining horses. Thank you!
All of mine are well broke and pick up their leads when cued. All have good simple changes. As far as the pattern goes - create a good, balanced horse. In slow work break down and pick up the new lead between 1 and 2. If the new lead cannot be established within 2 strides keep working on it, you're not balanced enough yet. NEVER turn the second barrel on the wrong lead. After a while you should barely need to ask for them to break down and pick up the new lead, they should be anticipating that. The truly athletic smart ones may even be swapping on their own by now. They'll figure it out. There is far too little time and far too much going on to actually cue for a change during a run. |
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Veteran
Posts: 220
Location: Conroe, TX 77304 | the one horse I was lucky enough to go pro on didn't know squat about lead changes. He was just simply athletic enough to run in on the wrong lead then swap as he entered the turn. Won lots of rodeos on him lol!
Thank you, maybe I will just go on with it and forget trying to make sure he is on the right lead. |
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Lead Changes