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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 622
 
Location: Paducah, Ky | Going from your first to second barrel what tricks do you use to get that switch in leads especially that hind lead. They will all nearly switch up front. When your starting a horse do you just ignore it untill they are a little more formiliar with the pattern? Do you try to nip it in the bud? What tricks have you used? Some times I worry that I pick on my young horses and catching that back lead is something I think I fixate on, am I wrong to do so? Any outside advice is welcome! Oh also I work for an equine vet and chiropractor so all my horses are seen regularly and treated for anything they need... Just thought I would add that disclaimer because I am aware that being out or sore can cause one to not want to pick up a lead. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
 
| On a young one, I simply either stop and pick up the correct lead, or break to a trot and change it. I prefer to stop, but on some horses, that whoa is counter-productive. I break down to a walk or trot when doing slow work around the barrels alot anyways.
If I'm loping, I finish my 1st barrel turn, stop, pick up the lead and move on to 2nd. I don't like stopping in the middle of the pen. If we are high loping and they don't switch, I will break to a trot and make them switch.
I am NOT at all good at teaching flying lead changes!
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | I have one that I am working on getting to switch right out of first. He almost always holds that lead until he is at the 2nd barrel so then of course he switches and drops in to turn. I would also love some tips on helping correct this. It slows us down between 1 and 2 because I feel he is pushing with that inside shoulder the whole way across the pen and I end up "fighting" to get him over and picked up and then I end up pulling his nose to the outside a bit in the heat of a run because of adrenaline and just not trusting him enough. I think if I can get him switching right out of first that will fix a lot of those issues. I will be able to trust him to get in deep into his turn instead of anticipating that drop. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | I do figure 8s and in the middle is where my focus is. I trot through a few times asking them to stop in the middle (where the red dot is) so they expect it. After the stop I ask for the correct lead from the stop. lope the whole circle and stop when I'm back to the red. pick up my new correct lead and stop. do that a few times and when I feel like they "get it" then I will change my body during the lope and change how my feet ask for the NEW correct lead. (if that makes any sense IDK) I like this exercise because I can make it as big and lazy as I want without pressure added. when they get it, overjoyed praise all the way through.
Once they get it on the figure 8, the skills are pretty transferable as long as you are asking the same way.
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 Veteran
Posts: 164
| stop about 1/3 away from 1st, 2/3 away from 2nd. Do trans. to other lead lope from stop. Do this over and over again. Also, once you add speed, most horses pick up their leads automatically. |
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 Special Somebody
Posts: 3951
Location: Finally horseback again.... | Usually I dont have an issue on lead changes because most of mine are broke like reiners and take lead changes easily. But I have one now that is getting started and when you ask for a lead change she feels like she is falling on her face and scrambling,
We have went back to basics, push the outside hip in and tip the nose a bit to the inside as well as concentrating on keeping her back rounded and driving her hind end up under her.
Is it a pain in the butt, yep, and I hate to get on her but teaching a lead change is necessary and it is time consuming and frustrating. Some horses can do it naturally, others just takes practice.
Most can learn to pick it up doing simple changes by breaking down into a trot and picking up the correct one. i also do alot of hip control excerises.
Edited by Canchasr1 2014-09-18 4:50 PM
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  Fact Checker
Posts: 16575
Location: Displaced Iowegian | I have always worked my horses in a straight line. From a standstill take the right lead, lope for several strides; stop and take the left lead for several strides; stop and take the right lead, etc, etc…..this teaches the horse to take his “Lead Cues” from you and your placement of your hands, seat, legs and feet etc……Once they get that down, then work the figure eights……If they can't complete the flying lead changes in the figure 8, go back to the basics. |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| I be sure my young horses are comfortable doing a flying lead change doing a figure 8... I won't let mine go any faster than a trot until they have the flying lead change down.... It makes for bad habits that are harder to break than teaching them right from the start. |
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