How to prevent unwanted lead changes?

[Taybee]

Does anyone have any tips or exercises to stop a horse from doing unnecessary lead changes? My horse is a 7 year old TB gelding who’s been off the track for two years. When we are jumping a course, he has a nice clean change - not auto but will do it easily if asked.

However, things fall apart on the flat. At the canter he will swap his lead frequently, especially when we’re going through a corner or circling. When he does this, I ask him to do a flying change back to the correct lead which he will do happily. It seems like he’s super sensitive and any little adjustment I make (half halt, trying to shape through a corner, etc) results in a lead change. If I get up out of the saddle, throw the reins at him and take my leg off he will keep the same lead but this isn’t really a practical long-term solution.

He does the same thing with other riders as well as my trainer. For some reason the issue seems to get worse in unfamiliar environments (warm up rings and hack classes at shows) but goes away once we start jumping.

Any ideas for how to work on this are much appreciated!

[bugsynskeeter]

Sounds like he is getting off balance.

[Florida_Gator]

I agree, it sounds like he’s unbalanced. Try putting your weight into the outside stirrup and give your inside rein a little lift. See if that allows him to more easily maintain the correct lead.

[541hunter]

I also wouldn’t ask for a flying change back to the correct lead, since the behavior you’re trying to correct is unnecessary lead changes. At home anyway, i’d do a simple lead change.

[ladyj79]

This is a strength issue. With mine, and with one of my rider’s horses, counter canter was a very effective way to build strength.

[NancyM]

Two classic possibilities… #1 A balance issue. #2 A soundness issue.

It sounds like #1, he is more tense at warm ups away from home, where he is distracted from his focus. He is better when he has a focus, on the jumps. Use focusing exercises, suppling exercises, basic dressage exercises to move him adequately off your leg on the flat. Get control of his body, his bend. Use lighter aides with your half halts, use your seat and weight instead of your reins. Be very aware of your own body influencing his balance.

And yes, I have one who does this too.

[melula]

Second the counter canter suggestion. Shoulder fore (baby shoulder in) until he is strong and balanced enough for shoulder in at the canter will also help.

[BLBSTBLS]

My horse will do this occasionally on the flat usually when I go down the 1/4 line in the ring. But I am blaming myself because I am pretty sure he must feel me shift my weight incorrectly and he swaps. It doesn’t happen every time I go down the 1/4 line but it happened to me twice in the show ring so now whenever I have to go down that line I am very conscious to keep my weight in my outside stirrup and bend his nose slightly to the inside.

[EmilyM]

great advice above. I have a baby who would do that more on a straightaway when I would ask him to move off my inside leg. I rode him in a slight shoulder in for that direction. it helped a lot. I also had to be much more aware that I was straight in my position. He was worse when he was fresh too. But he’s about 10 months into cantering and definitely has outgrown that a lot. So that makes me think strength was a key component.

[Taybee]

Thanks for the tips! Sounds like we have a lot of shoulder fore and counter canter in our future.

[Lyssabd]

Start the canter on a big circle with a gentle inside bend. Once he feels quiet and responsive, open it up and go further down the arena, keeping the bend. Gradually make your way up the longside, and if you feel him want to swap, turn across the arena and start the circles over. Do this in both directions and only go up a full longside if it feels successful. The worst thing you can do in this situation is make a big deal out of it - if he swaps, simply come back to trot, back up to canter, resume your circles.

Counter canter as mentioned above is also fabulous, but if it’s a strength issue it might be hard for him just yet. Work on counter canter once your correct lead canter is more successful - you don’t want to teach him the “wrong lead” is okay if his little brain is already confused!

[PonyPenny]

@Lyssabd

Start the canter on a big circle with a gentle inside bend. Once he feels quiet and responsive, open it up and go further down the arena, keeping the bend. Gradually make your way up the longside, and if you feel him want to swap, turn across the arena and start the circles over. Do this in both directions and only go up a full longside if it feels successful. The worst thing you can do in this situation is make a big deal out of it - if he swaps, simply come back to trot, back up to canter, resume your circles.

Counter canter as mentioned above is also fabulous, but if it’s a strength issue it might be hard for him just yet. Work on counter canter once your correct lead canter is more successful - you don’t want to teach him the “wrong lead” is okay if his little brain is already confused!

There is no such thing as a wrong lead. Work on the quarter line at the counter lead and keep him straight. When you hit the corner hold a slight outside bend and keep your inside leg on. Slightly glance to the outside. If your horse swaps, calmly bring him to the walk and try again. It is a strength issue and the counter canter will help him get stronger. It may take awhile. Reiners and dressage riders do this.

[meupatdoes]

@PonyPenny

There is no such thing as a wrong lead. Work on the quarter line at the counter lead and keep him straight. When you hit the corner hold a slight outside bend and keep your inside leg on. Slightly glance to the outside. If your horse swaps, calmly bring him to the walk and try again. It is a strength issue and the counter canter will help him get stronger. It may take awhile. Reiners and dressage riders do this.

I think it is asking waaayyyy too much to introduce counter canter around a 90 degree turn on a swap prone horse. (!!!)

If it cant hold the true lead down the longside how on eath is it going to hold counter canter around the shortside???

First, the rider needs to clearly indicate the desired lead with her weight and hips. Leading leg hip should always be pressed forward toward the D ring of the saddle. Rider’s leg on same side as horse’s leading leg should always be by the girth, rider’s non leading leg is back. This weight placement/hip and leg position is how you indicate and hold the lead.

After the horse can hold the lead around the edge,THEN hold it around the quarter lines.

Then come up the long side, legyield in a stride or two, and then back out. That is your first baby serpentine.

Gradually add more curve to the serpentine until you can go to the quarterline and back, thrn centerline and back, then all the way to the other side and back.

NOW you have the 90 degree turn in counter canter, which is the end result of fixing the problem, not the method by which to fix the problem.

I would not do a flying change back to the old lead if he makes a mistake. I would do a calm (not rough or punishing) transition to walk (in one stride though, not dragged out over several), and then immediately back up to the desired lead and try again.

[no.stirrups]

I’m with meupatdoes. This is more a rider issue than a horse issue. Many people forget to ride the canter after the transition. The outside leg doesn’t just slide back for the transition, it stays there along with the outside hip and shoulder, until you don’t want to canter anymore.

[merrygoround]

The rider needs to be sure that her balance and her aids are firmly in place. A slight shift of weight is sufficient to prompt some horses to do a flying change. That same rider will have difficulty holding a horse in counter canter.

[Lyssabd]

@PonyPenny

There is no such thing as a wrong lead. Work on the quarter line at the counter lead and keep him straight. When you hit the corner hold a slight outside bend and keep your inside leg on. Slightly glance to the outside. If your horse swaps, calmly bring him to the walk and try again. It is a strength issue and the counter canter will help him get stronger. It may take awhile. Reiners and dressage riders do this.

Apologies, I know there is no true “wrong lead”, but for the purpose of what I was describing perhaps I should have called it the counter lead. Noted for the future.

Counter canter is fabulous in helping a horse gain strength and balance, however I have not had success with it in very young or weak horses - I personally don’t believe a horse should be asked to hold a counter canter when they are particularly prone to swapping out until they know how to hold the inside lead consistently. Especially with young OTTB’s, asking counter canter before they’ve learned inside lead is counter productive and confused them (again, in my own experience). Get a successful inside lead canter going, then add in counter canter, even if just up the longsides. Don’t let him flying change; if he swaps out, come back to walk or trot and ask again. Patience and consistency are key!

[Taybee]

@meupatdoes

First, the rider needs to clearly indicate the desired lead with her weight and hips. Leading leg hip should always be pressed forward toward the D ring of the saddle. Rider’s leg on same side as horse’s leading leg should always be by the girth, rider’s non leading leg is back. This weight placement/hip and leg position is how you indicate and hold the lead.

Thanks @meupatdoes that’s super helpful! I figured my position was probably influencing (or at least not helping prevent) the swaps but wasn’t sure what the proper adjustment would be.

[RMSSport]

Scissor your legs back and forth while holding him in the lead you want, eventually he will stop anticipating every little thing you do with your legs as asking for the changes, it will dull him down a bit.

Another thing to consider - the obsession with the changes has caused a lot of horses to be forced into them before they are actually ready. A true and correct change should almost always be taught after a horse knows how to counter canter correctly. I’m not sure exactly what your horse’s background it, but going back to basics never hurts. Get him to counter canter correctly and on the bit, move him off your outside leg a little, change the bend slightly and then ask for a change on the straight. NEVER let him change without you asking. And if he does make him trot and pick up the lead he just changed out of again.