There are no stupid questions, but this feels so lame, canter leads

[KBC]

I have ridden for ever, as a kid could confidently call my leads, and usually get them. Many years of just trail riding, I never bothered about leads. Can’t remember how I was when I was back in the arena before my accident. For a few years after I mainly was walk trot, but I figure when I started cantering/loping again I must of been blessed with talented, honest horses who gave me the right lead the majority of the time,

Now I am riding the saint called Braam, and am doing Working Equitation, so need to be able to pick up either lead on request…BUT, seems I suck at asking correctly, and cannot tell which lead he is in to save my life. He is so “up” and flamboyant with his front end, I find it hard.

Seems at the moment I suck at everything…because we have moved up in our expectations of me, so no free passes.

Help, I am embarrassed at this situation, I need some input

[candyappy]

Is he your horse or are you leasing him? Seems you could ask his current/ previous owner what the canter cue is? I know what I always do to ask for the canter/ lead but different riders do different things.

For me— I would apply my right leg( outside leg) to get the left lead. Can you not see the lead he is on when riding? Usually you can look down and see the lead by that hoof going out farther ( but usually it just feels all wrong).

[McGurk]

If you are asking from the walk, ask as the inside shoulder comes back.

Many riders struggle with the trot/canter transition, because their seat at the trot interferes with the departure. I have much better luck teaching them to strike off from the walk, directly into the canter.

[fivestrideline]

Beginner trick I used was to look at the shoulders - the lead is the shoulder that goes a little further forward. It’s easy to peek your eyes down and compare, but it will take a few strides.

Second, it can help your feel to have someone on the ground call your leads (right or wrong) while hacking around the ring. You’ll need someone that can tell leads at strike-off or the first stride to be most effective - at first they can call you on it right away. Then you can start guessing yourself and having them correct you. This is your best bet, time and plenty of transitions! You’ll get the feel.

I also find trot-canter harder than walk-canter to get and tell leads, but I’m mostly on greenies. If we are trot-cantering it’s because the cue isn’t confirmed and I resorted to a little controlled momentum to get the canter .

[KBC]

It’s my lease horse, and having a canter focused lesson on him shortly, so we can hopefully nail this.

Sadly it seems I can’t tell his lead by looking, especially when one shoulder is hidden under a huge black mane!

[SusanO]

Get somebody to lunge you cantering. Shut your eyes and FEEL. Very rarely do both leads feel the same. By closing your eyes you shut out visual cues and you can focus on feel.

[Scribbler]

@KBC

It’s my lease horse, and having a canter focused lesson on him shortly, so we can hopefully nail this.

Sadly it seems I can’t tell his lead by looking, especially when one shoulder is hidden under a huge black mane!

Put it up in a fast running braid for lessons?

[Bonnie2]

He looks like he has a very balanced canter so either lead probably feels ok for both of you. A less balanced canter would be more obvious when it was the wrong lead. If you have a friend who understands leads have them watch. Pick up a canter, friend tells you what lead it is. Don’t pull up if it is wrong. Canter for a bit a get a feel for what that lead feels like. Rinse and repeat. Don’t get too focused on getting the correct lead until you can feel the difference. Your horse picked up the lead for some reason and you can’t solve two problems at once. When you are pretty good at feeling the leads start working on picking up a specific lead. Be patient with yourself and just keep working on it. Good luck!

[Eclectic_Horseman]

It’s mostly about the bend. Not where the neck is, but whether the rib cage is swung to the outside (away from the lead that you want.) Make sure that the inside hind is stepping under the belly and that you are steady with your outside hand to keep him straight.

But it is also about when and how you ask for the canter depart. How: Inside seat bone forward, outside seatbone back, outside leg behind the girth, inside leg on. When: when the outside hind lands because that’s the one that pushes off and initiates the canter. You can’t influence that leg when it is in the air.

Your horse is lovely. Keep at it!

[endlessclimb]

If you can’t see his shoulders, then I would say to really focus on loosening your back and being cognizant of your hips, and how they’re swinging.

If they schwoop to the right, it’s a right lead. Left, left lead.

[KBC]

@Scribbler

@KBC

It’s my lease horse, and having a canter focused lesson on him shortly, so we can hopefully nail this.

Sadly it seems I can’t tell his lead by looking, especially when one shoulder is hidden under a huge black mane!

Put it up in a fast running braid for lessons?

Seems he is in a new pasture, this one has some burrs, so Braam is now sporting pasture braids, that mane is no longer an excuse.

[walktrot]

@McGurk

Many riders struggle with the trot/canter transition, because their seat at the trot interferes with the departure. I have much better luck teaching them to strike off at the canter.

I watched a good rider with a relativley new horse spend 2 weeks with her instructor tryng to get the left lead. The horse was a good mover. It took a few seconds to see what the problem was. She stopped posting and sat before she asked for the canter. Her butt was blocking the horse’s ability to strike off on the left lead. The right lead was okay, Her instructor was mediocre at best. It bugs me no end to watch riders shift the blame to the horse because the instructor can’t spot an obviouis problem. Unfortuantely, it is one of those occasions when you have to keep your mouth shut.

[KBC]

Today felt better, just playing in the arena, and spending time looking down “gasp” deciding which lead we were on, he does feel more balanced in the right lead, I just need to concentrate on one thing at a time, ask for the transition, then work out the lead, the more I do it,the better and quicker I will be able to call it. Lots and lots of transitions