Right Lead canter problem!

So I just bought my first horse, Cisco. When I bought him he was a finished trail horse and had only been worked in an arena 2 time before! He won't pick up his right lead AT ALL!!!! He also does not respond to my right leg pressure as well as my left leg pressure and I think that plays a role in the lead change also, so i'm working with him on responding to my right leg more, but I still don't know if he will change leads for me. He sometimes canters on the right lead at really random times when I don't ask him for it!

I am training him to do western speed events and correct leads are important I wan't to have him doing lead changes by the show season which I think starts in May for us! Please help me!!!

U really got to try to bend him in and you can go in a circle. And if the circle doesn't work you can make the circle smaller and smaller. It works for my horse exemption because he is from the race trak in Saint John so he pases in that direction and doesnt like to get the right lead or sometimes even break into the canter. But the cricle helps ALOT :)

Get him into a lope and bring your inside leg back a couple inches and push him hindquarters left, give the lead change cue and just work on that motion until he will change leads effortlessly.

I'd also be doing a lot of figure-8's and serpentines.

IF he's not used to arena work, he probably has never been asked for a correct lead, let alone lead changes and especially not flying lead changes.

It sounds to me like he's got some holes in his training that you need to fix. This will probably take a few months at the least. Most horses can't pull off a good, consistent flying lead change in under a year of working on it. So you need to be patient.

I would start off with trot canter trot transitions until he consistently goes onto the correct lead each direction. Then work on changes, but don't immediately ask for flying changes. You need to canter, then slow to a trot, then ask for the opposite lead. When THAT is consistent, then start working on flying changes. It's all about working from the ground up and filling in those holes in the training. If you try to take shortcuts you will end up with him cross cantering or worse, possible injury.

Be patient, and work up to it. There are a few more threads on here about lead changes that may also be of help to you.

I agree with Cinnys Whinny. Lead changes are not as easy as everyone says. You need a pretty solid horse, that bends well, works off your leg cues, and side passes well. Just a solid foundation. If you have a round pen, put him in there and ask for a lope going right. See what he does. If he is in the wrong lead, speed him up until he figures it out. Let him lope on that lead for a while. I have the same problem with one of my horses. We will get it figured out, but it is going to take time. On the trail, bend our horse around to the left, real tight. Make a couple turns, explode him out of it. He should come out of it in a right lead. It is tough. Good luck.

ive started working him in circles and figure 8's at a trot so I can get him to keep a consistant speed even while turning, i'm slowly going to build him up to a canter. I am also working on getting him to side pass to the left using right leg pressure. Hopefully this will make him more responsive to my right leg and he will take the que to cahnge leads!

Just make sure that you are asking him with your weight to the outside seat bone and slightly draw out that outside rein so away from the neck. That'll help him get the correct lead.

Please make sure you have also ruled out pain. Most horses have a preferred lead and it can take time to make them reliable about picking up their "bad" lead when asked, but if the horse will not offer it at all, I would suspect hock soreness.

Forget flying lead changes until you have correct leads down pat.solve one problem before creating new ones.ant to pick up the correct lead,you have to position him to throw out the inside shoulder.wanting to go right,put right heel behind his elbow,scoot left leg back a few inches and tip his nose just a little to the left.rub him with the left heel and send him into the right shoulder.

Just be sure that you are not making it harder with your own body being off-balance too. I notice that I ride very heavy to the left when my horse is going to the right. I have thrown off her balance many times not even knowing it. When I began to have a better sense of balance in the middle, her leads and her canter became easier for her.