AboutKaren Bell Expertise I can help answer questions in the basic training of the hunter or dressage horse, and I am certified to teach in these areas. I train horses in lower level dressage and instruct beginner to intermediate riders in dressage and hunt seat. Some of my students show locally as well. I can also help other newer instructors with any questions they may have. Also, I consult new farm owners on barn management.
Experience 4 years teaching, 17 years riding and training
Organizations United States Dressage Federation, American Riding Instructors Association, United States Hunter Jumper Association
Publications All my publications can be found on my website at http://bellequine.net
Education/Credentials Certified in dressage and hunt seat and stable management by the American Riding Instructors Association
Expert: Karen Bell Date: 6/10/2008 Subject: Learning Leads
Question Hello! I have a 6 year old TB Percheron gelding that I have had for a year. We do some dressage, some eventing, and just ride for fun. My horse is perfectly content to canter a 20 meter or 15 meter circle to the right on his left lead, it doesn't bother him. I've free worked him and the majority of the time in both directions he chooses to pick up the left lead. There are times when he picks up his right lead and he does not seem uncomfortable or lame at all. He will also pick it up when we are jumping or if we trot straight at a corner and cue the canter and he MUST go right. At shows he will actually pick up his lead 60% of the time, but at home it's like pulling teeth. Our dressage arena is actually not enclosed, so you can ride right out of it for convenience (its in the center of a larger arena). I would like to be able to cue my horse to pick up his right lead anywhere and have him pick it up. Help!
Answer This is pretty common, and I have a horse now who prefers his right lead to left, who is also 6. They are weak in their off-dominant lead, and more unbalanced both on their own and with a rider going to the more difficult side. Mine will even pick up his preferred lead in the round pen without a rider, similar to your counter-cantering in the dressage ring. I have trained him out of it, by refusing to allow him to pick up the incorrect lead. At first, when his trot was still bad, I would let him careen out of the corner and pick up the lead any way he could, even if that meant counter-flexing him at first and letting the inside front step wide (to the center of the arena). Then I rewarded him with voice and pat and let him canter on the new correct lead several strides. Later, as his trot work improved, I would ask him to pick up the canter from a more balanced trot, correcting any wide steps out of the corner he took by starting over. If he picked up the incorrect lead, I immediately transitioned to a trot, said "No!" (and he knows what the tone of my voice means as it is conditioned with the whip) and asked again as soon as I could. Luckily, he's a smart horse and figured it out pretty quickly. So the steps are 1) ask with the proper aid for the correct lead and 2) allow him to canter only if he gets the correct lead. Do the transition in a corner. If you continue to allow him to counter-canter, he will not understand that there is a problem. Hope that helps.
