Flying lead change.....oooops

Ok......what would I be doing or not doing as a rider to cause a horse to change leads in the front and not in the back during a lead change.....example is riding a real broke horse.......

(what I least expect.....always happens!)

How are you cueing it?

For example.....loping a circle on the left lead (maybe two or three until I feel he's nice and soft and straight) coming out of the circle across the arena (like a serentine) and pushing his hip over to the right to switch leads for the right lead, also kissing to him for encouragement....

(again....is my horse pulling my chain???)

Are you doing anything with your seat, or just trying to shove his hip over and pull him onto a new bend?

Yes, I'm sitting deep (he's a reining horse) using my outside leg to push his hip over while tipping his nose a little also.....he picked up his front lead....but the back got left behind!!!!

Are you opening up for him to move over into the new lead or holding your inside leg tight against him?

You can push that leg off of him and step deeper into that stirrup to encourage him to move over into the new lead. Also, what are your hips doing? I'm assuming you're riding a western horse, but with the well trained all around (I'm talking pleasure, horsemanship, trail, and WR) horses especially we do so much control with our hips, that if you're just sitting there and using your feet he may not know to swap over, or could be locked up and trapped without that extra help.

Also, he may be on his forehand and isn't sitting back on his hock like he should be and would need to be to get the change. I'd say to video yourself and see what you are doing and what he is doing beneath you. It's hard to tell what's going on without a video. I would recommend renting Charlie and Jason's video on teaching lead changes and seeing if that would help you.

Thanks for that! Actually I don't think I've been thinking to open the door with my inside leg enough....guess I've been concentrating on pushing the hip. He's nice and collected up, today I really could feel him 'pop' up to switch leads on the front.....his back end just didn't change along with it......I will get some eyes on the ground, video and perhaps try to relax a bit more....it's a brain drain when your trying to keep everything fluid and moving along nice.....

Do you think if I do some turns on the fore and counter cantering it would help set him up better?

Counter cantering, sidepassing, and basically two-tracking at the lope will help break him up a bit.

If you are feeling him pop up in the front, then I would venture that he is on the forehand. The change should come from the back.

Thankyou! When I first tried him out at his trainers he was seamless changing leads, couldn't feel a thing. I haven't even attempted it yet, as I've been trying to perfect my lope first....today was my first attempt since I got him from the trainer......so now I have some good info to move forward with thanks a bunch!