It's About The Horse

ErinR76 · Member Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 502 Location: Austin TX

This is a somewhat advanced concept, but I've heard some horsemen talk about being at a trot in a straight line, and being able to feel which lead the horse is apt to take if you push him up into a canter. Anybody familiar with this, and know how to describe what to feel for?
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lizloveshorses · Member Joined: 24 Jan 2011 Posts: 101

I have heard Buck speaking of it on a couple of youtube videos that are posted and I have had the barest inclination when I am in the saddle. I believe it has a lot to do with how the horses ribs and hindquarters are positioned at the trot that will give them the canter lead.

retropony · Member Joined: 28 May 2010 Posts: 30 Location: Oregon

This is a great question to ask Mark Rashid. He's the first one to explain it to me. Buck talks about it but I don't recall him breaking it down and explaining it. Short version; for me its the feel through the horse's body and the reach of the diagonal pairs that indicates the lead in the trot. Mark also has some cool thoughts on getting in time going from canter to trot.

PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9014

If you remember Pat saying "If you do what your horse does long enough, pretty soon the horse does what you do. You just ride what you want to do."

It might sound confusing, but if you are riding a trot, you FEEL where the feet are. You ASK for the canter when the foot you want to lead with is being unweighted (before it leaves the ground).

Your success depends on how well you time it and how well your horse responds. It all improves with practice. I hope this helps. It does require that you actively ride and are consistent riding and cuing your horse.
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ErinR76 · Member Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 502 Location: Austin TX

Mark said if you can feel which side has the longer stride, that's the likely lead he'll take. so if he's reaching farther with his right front, he'll likely take the right lead if you ask him then.

I think for me, if I can get to where I can feel those hind feet, like you said, and ask when the left hind is fixing to come off the ground, I'll get a right lead.

Lots of times I've tried to do that though, and I can feel my horse start to go into her right lead, then resist it, and fix herself up real quick so she can take the left lead instead. That's got to be about something, but I can't figure out what, yet. I've looked at chiropractic, saddle fit, teeth, etc. and it hasn't helped.

I sit at my computer facing left a lot ("on my left lead"). Maybe thats it LOL
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CarolynAnn93 · Member Joined: 15 Feb 2009 Posts: 65

I am in no way good at this yet, but this summer at the camp I worked at I had the opportunity to learn more about this with Matt, the guy that heads up all the horse stuff there.

Matt is really big on body control. He was working with me on getting a particular horse to pick up a certain lead, so he was having me move her hips to the right (ready to pick up the right lead) and hold it there where I could feel her about to pick it up, then move her hips the other way (so I was counter-cantering at the trot, sort of).

I am trying to get Belle really smooth at picking up the canter from a very collected trot, and going smoothly into the correct lead on MY cue. I don't have much of an issue with leads with her, just because she goes with what feels normal, but I want to someday be able to counter-canter her, so I have to be able to move her hips in both directions at the trot.

I just love the feeling when she really softens up and I can move her shoulders and hips around like that. It's so cool.
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Blue Flame · Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:36 am Post subject:

After a fair bit of research, I've actually eliminated intentional trot-canter transitions from my riding sessions. It is too easy to run the horse up into the canter and undo the collection required for a good (meaning balanced) transition. Mainly I work on backup-canter and halt-canter transitions both on the ground and rider-up if I'm going to canter at all. This gets it so the horse is not falling into or out of the canter.

I also trot very little. The trot, being symmetrical, is a gait the horse finds it very easy to develop braces with. I do not trot at all until I have cantered first otherwise my horse stiffens up.

Regarding setting up a canter lead, watch/observe/compare what Buck does in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSLpyfzihts

Notice especially:

1) the horse is NOT counterbent to get the lead - in fact is almost HQ-in. This weights the outside hind by bringing it more under the center-line of the horse.

2) almost no trot steps in the ride.

3) take special note (watch several times) the setup for lead and departure at the 2:00 minute mark in the video.

ErinR76 · Member Joined: 12 Aug 2011 Posts: 502 Location: Austin TX

its too subtle. I can't see any of it.
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A horse is NOT a large dog that thinks like a person.

AlythLong · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:04 pm Post subject:

Perhaps this is too simplistic but the way I understand it is....

When trotting a circle you sit when the outside foreleg and inside hindleg are on the ground.
You give the aid to canter when sitting on this diagonal.
When the horse responds correctly his outside hind takes the next, first step of the canter stride. That is outside hind. Then the inside hind and outside foreleg together and finally the inside leading foreleg.

This is why it is important to sit on the correct diagonal so your timing and balance (and horses balance) are correct.

Blue Flame · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:18 pm Post subject:

Blue Flame · Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 11:37 pm Post subject: