'Wierd' ways to ask for the correct lead?

I have a horse that is a green eventing horse (we haven't been to an event yet, but I have taken him to open shows just to get him out) but he will not take the left lead at all if you are on his back, unless it's over jumps. Well, that wouldn't make too much of a difference in cross country, and he always picks the correct one up in show jumping, but that would kill our scores in dressage. I've tried the 'normal' ways of asking him, but he's just not a normal horse. Anybody have any odd ways that they have to use to ask for the correct lead? Thanks in advance!

Asking for the right lead, for example:

* Sit slightly more heavily on your left seat bone

* Press your left leg straight into the horse's side just behind the girth

* Keeping your right leg at the girth, squeeze strongly with both legs to urge the horse foward.

*Maintain slightly more contact on the right rein as you lift it a fraction to riase your horse's head and tip his nose very slightly toward the right.


That's the standard aids. I have a ton more weird ones if none of those work.

Ill try it! I kinda wanna hear the wierd ones too, if you don't mind :)

How are you asking, donatello?

I make sure I have the correct bend, and have his nose turned to the inside, then I hold my outside rein, give a little with the inside, put my outside leg back and my inside right behind the girth. I squeeze with the inside leg and use my seat to ask. I also use a little of my voice too, if he's being lazy.

He is not taking the correct lead, because he is not balanced. So the question is, what is it that you are doing while in the tack, that is creating the result you are getting?

Try not worrying about his head as much. Make sure you have contact with your inside rein but let his head be where ever he wants it. Put pressure father back and ask his hips to fall in but make sure his shoulders don't push out with his shoulders, set him up like this a few times and then when it feels comfortable ask for the lead. It's worked for my reining gelding who refused to pick up the left lead. My mistake was thinking he was correctly bended but he was actually just pushing his shoulders out.
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You know... It is possible that his shoulder is out instead of him actually having a correct bend... I'll check that. If I trailered him to a lesson with my trainer, would she be able to tell from the ground?

Pirouette left about 5-7 feet from a wall.

That's interesting... He doesn't know how to pirouette. Novice eventer :) I wish I could try that though!