Help with learning leads

[keana]

My lazy green horse had a hard time cantering so I worked on walk/ trot a lot hoping to build her up and have done very little cantering with her at all.

Also I'm not confident in teaching leads nor have a good eye for them .

She is not lazy any more and willing so now on to canter work.

So she took to cantering with out compliant but was not her relaxed self in the trot becuase we had done some work getting her used to the barrels in the arena and she thinks they are spooky. but I thought she did not get her correct lead so when I was sure I took her back down to a trot but she did not look correct I belive she picked up a disunted canter.

She was able to pick up her left lead at the end, I'm not sure if this was hard for her becuase she has trouble with that lead or she was not relaxed.

I'm not that great with telling leads so I hope I got them correct in the video.

Could someone take a look and tell me if I labeled them right?

If she does have more trouble picking up her left lead should I work her more in her left lead to build that side up?

I had the side reins about a inch shorter on the inside both ways but I think I need to tighten them a bit more as they where flopping on the outside.

I'm going to take my time today and get her nice and relaxed before I ask for canter and see if that helps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YLdY3OAFNc

Thanks everyone.

[Gucci Cowgirl]

I only watched the first part of the video, but yes, you labeled it correctly, she was on her right lead going to the left.

If you know she is on the incorrect lead, don't let her canter around and around so many times without asking her to come back to the trot and try it again. She doesn't know she's made a mistake!

Also, try to make the circle a little smaller at first, it will help her get her leads properly if she is bent a little more on a smaller circle.

what can help too is making her come in on a 15 m circle, then letting her "yield" back out, in trot, then when she gets far enough out, ask for the canter. Usually you can fix lead problems by preparing with a leg yield.

[keana]

I will not let her canter on next time, this was her first time so I was just happy she was cantering so I let her do three loops before pulling her up. but I wanted her to know canter was the correct answer, now when she canters I will be sure to work on her leads.

She did the same thing today but I pulled her up after a stride or two, then she gave me a disunited one so I pulled her up again and she got it correct.

I will try what you said next time Thanks :)

[Leena]

I never put side reins on a green horse, especially longeing because I feel they need their neck to balance. But this is my opinion.

Agree with Gucci, don't let the horse go on the wrong lead, don't let them cross canter. I would do a lot of transitions to help your horse to use his hinds, a lot of change of direction and a smaller circles as well to improve bending.

It will come with time, little by little. Just be patient and good luck !

[keana]

Ok Thanks Leena :)

[merrygoround]

I only watched the first part of the video, but yes, you labeled it correctly, she was on her right lead going to the left.

If you know she is on the incorrect lead, don't let her canter around and around so many times without asking her to come back to the trot and try it again. She doesn't know she's made a mistake!

Also, try to make the circle a little smaller at first, it will help her get her leads properly if she is bent a little more on a smaller circle.

what can help too is making her come in on a 15 m circle, then letting her "yield" back out, in trot, then when she gets far enough out, ask for the canter. Usually you can fix lead problems by preparing with a leg yield.

I agree here. Particularly starting on a smaller circle, maybe not as small as 15, and pushing her out simultaneously.

However, I disagree that side reins as stated by another poster are a problem..These appear to be well set, and not too tight.

[kmp2707]

Another note on the side reins: I would try to adjust them to the same length at this stage. By making the inside rein shorter, it is freeing up the outside shoulder, hence the horse may take the outside lead because he is off balance (especially on such a large circle).

[rugbygirl]

Are you only concerned about ground work right now?

I have found with my mare (she did not canter at all...one of those driving horses who got punished for breaking the trot) that circles were really tough at first. It was much easier, leads-wise, to ride her around the entire arena and ask for the canter in the corners, just before the long side. Then you have the entire long straightaway to either transition down to trot and ask for the right lead, or if they are on the correct lead, they have an easier time staying balance going straighter rather than more bent. They also stay more relaxed.


My horse is also much weaker at the canter on the right rein. Her right shoulder was far more developed than the left, and she has some flexibility issues on that side. A lot of riding work has helped her even out, we work more to the right than to the left, until the right feels as comfortable/correct as the left.

[purplnurpl]

this was a confusing thread if the reader didn't watch the video.
I went back and watched AFTER I had read all of the responses and like others I thought you were actaully riding the horse.

Side reins are fine. Just make sure if you are using them they are actually doing something.
Looks like your mare is just knocking around with her head up and not really working with the equipment.
Sometimes horses don't go great in conventional side reins with a dougnut and need some other equipment such as a european neck stretcher or a vienna rein (my fav).

It's almost impossible to teach someone leads over the computer. And it seems as though you have trouble noticing leads while she is lunging? Is that what you asked about?
Not only did she canter on the incorrect lead but one of the times she was cross cantering.
another big No. No.

Have you ridden her already? How did that go?

Really, in all honesty. Help from a trainer and coach is needed to properly get the right groove started.
So much is lost or gained in the first few months-year of a horse's training.

A good trainer can be such as asset. Even if only used for a month or so.

[keana]

Another note on the side reins: I would try to adjust them to the same length at this stage. By making the inside rein shorter, it is freeing up the outside shoulder, hence the horse may take the outside lead because he is off balance (especially on such a large circle).

Ok they are only 1/2 inch shorter but I will try it to see if that helps:)

[keana]

Are you only concerned about ground work right now?

I have found with my mare (she did not canter at all...one of those driving horses who got punished for breaking the trot) that circles were really tough at first. It was much easier, leads-wise, to ride her around the entire arena and ask for the canter in the corners, just before the long side. Then you have the entire long straightaway to either transition down to trot and ask for the right lead, or if they are on the correct lead, they have an easier time staying balance going straighter rather than more bent. They also stay more relaxed.


My horse is also much weaker at the canter on the right rein. Her right shoulder was far more developed than the left, and she has some flexibility issues on that side. A lot of riding work has helped her even out, we work more to the right than to the left, until the right feels as comfortable/correct as the left.


With the canter yes, I want to get her comfortable and balance on the ground as she had little endurance but now after all are trot work she is fit and ready now.

when I ask for the canter under saddle I'll probable point her up hill in her pasture and pray and if we live throw that I'll ask her like you say:D

She is still getting used to the arena as the banners and shadows plays tricks on her also any pattren on the ground she don't like but she is getting better so will not be too long I hope.

[keana]

this was a confusing thread if the reader didn't watch the video.
I went back and watched AFTER I had read all of the responses and like others I thought you were actaully riding the horse.

Side reins are fine. Just make sure if you are using them they are actually doing something.
Looks like your mare is just knocking around with her head up and not really working with the equipment.
Sometimes horses don't go great in conventional side reins with a dougnut and need some other equipment such as a european neck stretcher or a vienna rein (my fav).

It's almost impossible to teach someone leads over the computer. And it seems as though you have trouble noticing leads while she is lunging? Is that what you asked about?
Not only did she canter on the incorrect lead but one of the times she was cross cantering.
another big No. No.

Have you ridden her already? How did that go?

Really, in all honesty. Help from a trainer and coach is needed to properly get the right groove started.
So much is lost or gained in the first few months-year of a horse's training.

A good trainer can be such as asset. Even if only used for a month or so.

I have mainly trained ponies for a pony ride then on to gaited horses so I have never had to worry about leads.


I went home and labeled what I thought she was doing in the video and then wanted people to wacth it and tell me if I labeled her leads correctly.

Which I feel I have now. becuase what you said she is doing was what I said she was doing. you never said if she found the correct leads at the end before we went the other way but I'm going to say she did.

Yeaterday I worked her and If I am correct with them in the video then I had no trouble telling them as I have them labeled while she is lunging and was able to slow her down in a stride or two as she picked the worng one then she picked up the disunted one and on the thrid try she picked up the correct one for the work we where doing.

I have put 10 rides on this mare myself. only one ending badly where I took six months to recover and that was one of the first three rides.

I have done over a year of ground work and working throw her deep rooted issues and after three long years we have a bond.


I have had three trainers out and all three have backed out of wanting to work with this mare for fear of getting hurt.

I'm sure a trainer would of been very helpful and would of cut our time down, all my horse trainer freinds have told me to sell her. but to who? I would not feel right shiping off a horse like that unless it was for tiger food. I had a newbie want to buy her but I said no as the lady did not know anything but thought she was real purty:lol: I thought she was also or would of never wasted so much of my time with her.

This mare was quite a handful so I don't blame the trainer who turned me down. she also has a very nice athletic buck and naughty movements she does with ease so I'm over faced if she does something, and the fact she goes big when she does put up a fight but I have learned about her temper if she lays back her ears or shows any attitude I just stop what we are doing and do something else where I have full control as her next move will be to explode out of no where and not clam down for a long time.

I was worried about a brain tumor but she plained every naughty move out so that was rule out.

I have not seen her temper this year, only williness to please and she has been golden so I went looking for a dressage trainer, one I talked to does not want me or my mare as she only takes on people who have shown in dressage with there horse but siad if I do start showing and riding with a trainer I could call her up and she would see about taking me on. (she is quite good and full so she can be picky)

The other I had a very odd meeting with one trainer last month who is training the loacl horse dealer and she has been trying to get me to buy one of her nut job horses that has good bloodlines but due to being a nut is unrideable so I can have a foal to raise and train in dressage.

the dressage trianer pushed this deal for two hours saying my mare was a total piece of crap and I must buy a new horse and she would take me shopping if I did not want to buy the dealers mare, seeing as all her other students are riding horses from the horse dealer one has to wonder but I felt very uncomfortable so I'm still looking.

there are horse dealer trainer I could of sent her to that would of took her on but when they tell story's of training horses I want to puke.

I know quite a few horses who are being retrained by my friend right now. I even got a call about one who I am going to look at and see if I can help in retraining that has came form one of the local dealers so I would not even think of sending my horse there no way no how.

I guess my best hope is to try to train her and get her into a show and see if the good dressage trainer will take pitty on me.

I can drive two hours away and take a lesson for my self but can't take my mare there as I don't trust my truck.

This is her first time cantering on the lunge with side reins so they are lose, when she starts reaching for them and shows some sort of try at balance on her own then I will put them into use more, she has had a lot of work in them so I could probably just do that now. she did much better her sceond time so I hope she will keep on that path.

thanks I will think about all you have siad and take it to heart:)