Welcome to Trainer Tuesday! Each week we ask trainers a question and gather their answers for you. These trainers have a range of experience, backgrounds, and focus points of their programs, so the answers have as much variation as you would expect and also probably much more similarity.
This week’s question posed is: If a horse struggles to land the lead or typically only lands on one lead, what does that indicate, and can it be improved?
Here are their answers:
“With a horse that consistently prefers one lead, the first thing to do is to check with your vet and eliminate the possibility that it might be a soreness issue. But even a sound horse can naturally favor one side, just as we are right-handed or left-handed. If it’s caught early on, careful flatwork can usually fix the problem. Chiropractic treatment is also helpful. But in some circumstances, the issue is never addressed, and the horse’s stronger side becomes dominant so that it prefers the more comfortable lead.
Flatwork to supple the strong side and strengthen the weak one is imperative. You can start by riding a straight line at the walk, and ask your horse to yield with a step or two from your inside leg. Once it responds, move to an inside bend, starting with leg first, then add a light indirect rein. Maintain balance with the outside rein. Unlike the shoulder-in, the horse is on one track for this exercise. The flexion should begin at the poll and continue through the neck, lifting the inside shoulder. Allow the horse time to relax and accept the bend; don’t force it. Once the inside bend is consistent, practice counterbending in the same way. When your horse bends easily in both directions, continue the exercise at the trot, then the canter. Then practice changing the bend every six strides or so at each gait.
Move to cantering a large circle in the weaker direction over a pole, supporting with the inside leg and a bit of outside rein. Once the horse holds the lead, replace the pole with a jump. If all goes well, it’s time to try a jump on the rail. You can add a bit of inside leg off the ground to encourage the horse to land the correct lead. You might need to go back a step or two if the horse starts to backslide. Once the horse is comfortable landing both leads, thoughtful flatwork, including circles, transitions, and lateral movements in both directions, will maintain the horse’s strength and balance.” –Patricia Jellerson
“Sometimes like people horses just have a more dominate hand, but for sure we try our best to help make it more both sided. Sometimes exercises and or good flatwork helps, but some horses just always have a more comfortable lead. First, we access if its physical, then we maybe do vet work and then training: large circles over cavalettis help to access and teach, then add more jumps leading to what you want to help them do both sides well… flatting a little more on the not great lead can also help. Counter-cantering helps on flat too!’ –Dana Hart-Callanan
“Horses that struggle to land the lead or typically only land on one lead are over-taxing one of their front limbs from this uneven landing. After checking for any physical limitations, working the horse evenly in both directions and on both sides is the key to helping an uneven horse. Although every horse has a concave and convex side, ideal programs work to create a more even horse. Flatwork exercises like haunches-in and shoulder-in can stretch the horse while confirming the aids/signals the rider uses to supple the horse and influence the shape or bend. Exercises like leg-yield and half-pass help confirm the aids to influence the track while holding this shape/bend. Be thoughtful, reward effort, and have fun. Progress through each gait on straight lines, then through figures like serpentines and figure eights, and the last stage is over obstacles. Start slow and small and be ready to drop back to confirm understanding.” –Dustin Cossaboom
“If your horse struggles to land the lead or typically only lands on one lead, it is important to first rule out any medical issues. If your vet has addressed any physical concerns, then it comes to training.
On the flat it is important to establish a very straight horse at the walk, trot, and canter (off the rail of the ring, which acts as a crutch for straightness). Once a horse can travel straight, I add in counter-canter both ways. This will help their strength and balance.
Next I would start to work a horse over a small jump on a circle to help maintain the lead on landing. On a smaller circle, the rider should use an opening or leading rein and outside leg on take off/landing to encourage landing on the same lead. You can put a straightening pole on the landing to help show them the path of the circle if needed. Again, do this both ways, even though one way will probably be considerably easier than the other. As that gets comfortable, make the circle larger and the jump higher. When the horse reliably stays on the lead, you can approach the jump straight and land on the circle.
You can then move to a figure-eight over a jump to land both leads. The horse is now essentially doing a flying change while in the air over the jump. It’s important that the rider is using the new inside rein and outside leg to ask for the landing lead, and NOT a big twist of the body. Landing a lead is not more important than the quality of the jump, and you do not want to forsake the jump to get the lead.
Patience is key. If your horse gives you a couple of landings on their difficult lead, reward them by moving on to something else. Understand that’s it’s hard for them and don’t over drill it.” –Ann Dotoli
