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Will not pick up right lead from a walk

664 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  Smilie 
#1 ·
My 5 year old QH gelding won't pick up the right lead from a walk, or trot for that matter. He'll always take his left.

I've had him for two years and he has never picked up the right lead when I asked for it. The only way he'll get it is out of a rollback.

I've trained him (western) for the two years I've owned him. We've done a ton of lateral work and he moves off my leg easily and is soft in the face. I do a lot of body control exercises so that I have the tools to ask him correctly, but he always finds a way NOT to pick up the right lead.

I've tried setting him up into the shape he needs to be (push his hip up slightly, tip his nose, put my outside leg back). I've also tried just leaving him alone and seeing if he would figure it out by himself, like in a corner, but nope. He can countercanter tight circles on his left lead and never think about changing!

On the ground (lunging) he'll sometimes get it, sometimes not.

I assumed that maybe if he had more practice on his right lead, he'd take it more easily. I'll get the right lead from a nice, correct rollback, and then I'll lope circles and let him practice that lead and get comfortable on it (he actually lopes and collects himself better on the lead he doesn't like!). That's definitely helped, but not enough to where he'll take it reliably from a walk.

I still always have to ask from a rollback to get it, and obviously eventually he'll need to get the correct lead from a walk!

Any tips? I'm quite at a loss here!

PS: He should be quite capable of getting the correct lead physically. He's sound, moves every part of his body when I ask into the shape I ask with ease.

Thanks in advance!
 
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#2 ·
When was the last time he saw some form of body worker, like a chiro?

I have had very stubborn horses before, and sometimes it's repetition, sometimes it's an underlying muscle issue you wouldn't find unless you got him adjusted. Something to think about.

Otherwise, what you're doing is good, but for one - Never lope on the wrong lead, as soon as you realize he picked up the wrong one, stop, and spur that hip in. Exaggerate if you have to, make it uncomfortable. Sometimes you have to be a little aggressive, and show him that it's harder for him to pick up the left (Because you'll correct him) than it is to just suck it up and lope on his right lead. And once he gets it, don't stop - Lope three or four circles before you break him down again. Do it every day, and be firm about it, and I'm sure he will get it. Taking a 45 degree angle to the fence will help, and shoving him into it as soon as you get there will also help - That's how most young horses learn to pick it up, in their less refined stages.

I've spent a lot of time working horses through lead problems, and honestly, it's easiest just to be repetitive. A ground pole might help if you really want, set it up on that 45 degree angle, and ask for the lope right on top of it, make him lift over the pole and then force him into the lead. He will learn.
 
#4 ·
Well, horses are creatures of habit, as well as also, like us, having a favorite side
If he has been allowed to take his left lead for two years, when asked for the right lead, it also becomes a habit, and creates a one leaded horse, baring all physical problems have been ruled out
When you say you push hip up, do you also push it slightly into the lead?
 
#5 ·
We had a horse that would do this and after having him looked at it turned out that he had something wrong with his back end that was making it uncomfortable/ painful for him to pick up a particular lead. If it's not something medical, I would say that if he picks up the wrong lead spiral him in to tighter and tighter circles, when he breaks to trot immediately pick up inside rein, push hip in and ask again. Hopefully he will figure out it's more comfortable to pick up the currect lead on such a tight circle.
 
#7 ·
I could not finish my post yesterday, as hubby 'needed the computer\
Thus, I willa dd what else I meant to say.
Since you said even lunging, the horse was not consistent in picking up that right lead, you have to consider that either there isa physical problem, or, if you are using a lunge line, you are interring, perhaps by the horse pulling, thus head in, and hip popping out
Thus, if you have not done so, free lunge the horse, and see if she will pick up that right lead.
Providing she does, has no problem, you have to consider a training error.
Horses pick up leads, including flying lead changes, through two main methods
One is through speed and direction, and the other is through body control, independent of direction, so before you sue the latter, you have to have the foundation
In other words, you have to be able to move that hip slightly into lead, make sure with inside rein that the inside shoulder stays up and is not leaning, then drive the horse up into the lead with outside leg
This also requires that the horse continues to give in the face and poll, driving up correctly from behind, versus falling into it, out of forward motion. THus, any body position, goes out the window, if the horse is allowed to fall apart by elevating neck, not shoulders, and leaning on that bit
I try not to either teach lead departures, or flying changes, by making it a self preservation type of thing, or fall down, but by having the body control to position the horse where it is easy for him to pick up that lead
Once ahorse is ready to pick up a'controlled lead departure, I ask for it, expecting him to step up into it, keeping frame, staying soft in my hands. If not, I stop that horse immediately, fix what was wrong, and ask again.
For instance, if the horse dropped that inside shoulder, leaning on it, I would first make him do several turn on the haunches in the opposite direction, then ask again.
 
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