This is where all riding begins, even if people tell you otherwise.
The seat is the main contact area with the horse. While we often speak of contact through the reins, we often neglect to think about the amazing power of connection you can have with your seat.
The seat is responsible for:
your balance
your horse's balance
half-halts
driving aids (bigger stride)
turning aids (point the seat in the direction of the turn)
transition aids (up or down)
maintenance of the gaits
"harmonization" (because if you can release through your seat, the rest of your body can follow)
Unfortunately, because we often want to just get going on the horse, we tend to focus more on the leg and hand aids simply because we want to have control and safety around the horse first.
However, if you ever have the opportunity, developing your seat aids and coordination before anything else is the quickest, most efficient, and more importantly, most effective route to control, safety and balance. There is no replacement for lunge lessons, if you can find them, because it is only by being lunged that you can focus on developing the muscle memory in your core - the type of movements that you really have little control over and can't will into being. It's purely physical, and by allowing someone else to control your horse, you can just work your body until it can do all the micro-adjustments on its own.
Off the lunge line, you still need to begin every aid and movement from the seat. Want to turn? Turn from your set (and then your upper body and legs can follow). Want to trot? Trot from your seat first (and then your legs can aid as needed). Want to stop? (Stop your seat and only after that, take pressure on the reins if you have to). Need to ride through a buck or over-exuberant duck-and-turn? Release through your seat and let it stick on the horse - the rest of you will follow!
I'm sure you can think of many other purposes for the seat, and I will list a few articles below that I've already written about it through the years. Suffice it to say that any riding on horseback must start with the seat. There is no other way!
How have you developed your riding seat? Comment below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
Now is the time to re-evaluate your goals and path to riding success!
If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look ourGoal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.
Included in the book:
design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages
The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.
How often have you heard that term? Sure, it sounds like a pretty simple concept until you try it - from coordinating your aids, to helping your horse develop an understanding... it can be more complicated than it looks.
I find it helps a lot to think of this as one whole movement, rather than breaking it down into little bits. However, to gain a true understanding, and to begin to train your body, you may need more information in order to develop the ability to make it all happen in one movement. So let's break it down.
Final Picture
As it can get complicated, I'm going to start with the final picture to give you an overview of what it is and looks like.
The action of "inside leg to outside rein" is meant to create and then maintain bend, without running forward or drifting out. In theory, the horse should respond to your active inside leg by moving away from your leg (in the rib cage area), thereby stepping out toward your outside rein.
Your outside rein can then become an active actor in the movement by either limiting how far the horse can step outwards (as in stopping a leg yield from happening) or half-halting (to keep the horse from speeding up or falling to the forehand).
The horse should have a banana-like curve in the direction of the turn. (It is important though to realize that the horse's spine doesn't actually "bend" that much - the bend we feel is the result of the hind end and front end stepping into the turn). The degree of the curve is dependent on the circumference of the circle - the larger the circle, the smaller the bend. A deeper bend will happen on a 10-meter circle or smaller, but this is usually reserved for fairly educated horses (2nd level and up in dressage).
The Details
Here is a more detailed breakdown.
Rider's Torso: Turn your core toward the turn. Look in the direction of the turn (not past the turn though). The smaller the turn or circle, the more you turn in yourself.
Inside Seat Bone: Weight is on the inside seat bone. This is because you are going into your turn and want the horse to step up and under your weight.
Inside Leg: The inside leg applies pressure (from below the knee down) to the horse's side. The horse should step away from the pressure.
Outside Rein: The outside rein "fills up" when the horse steps away from the inside leg. Now, you can use the outside rein to turn the horse (apply pressure as a neck rein), or half-halt (to slow the leg speed or maintain balance) or just accept the bend with no further activity.
Outside Leg: The outside leg has a job too. It asks the hind end to also step away from pressure, to the inside. This means that the hind end should be the final component to the horse "wrapping around" the inside leg. The hind end can almost do a very small haunches-in to achieve that.
Inside Rein: While this rein should be fairly inactive, it will open slightly into the direction of the turn (not so much that your arm comes away from your body). It can act as a guiding rein for less experienced horses, or ideally, it will just "flutter" and not have a whole lot of pressure on it at all. It may need to come into play to maintain flexion if you have too much pressure on the outside rein, or the horse just turns his head to the outside naturally.
The Cheat Sheet
There is a way to make all the above happen fairly organically. Do this on the ground. Stand straight with your weight evenly distributed on both feet. Hold your hands like you're holding reins. This is what straight feels like.
Now, turn right as if you are going into a turn.
Start the turn from your middle, but let the rest of your body just do what it must do in order to allow the turn to happen. You'll notice that as you turn right, your inside rein will "open", your outside rein will come closer to the neck ("neck rein"), your inside leg and knee will soften and come a little forward, and your outside leg will automatically slide a little further back and tighten (to the horse's body if it were there).
Straighten again, and do it all in one motion. "Swoop" to the right. Then swoop to the left. Everything should just move along in tandem. This is what you want to achieve on the horse's back.
Common Problems
Most horse and rider combinations go through several stages of mistakes as they develop a really good "inside leg to outside rein" feel.
The first thing that will likely happen when you turn your body in to the direction of the turn is that the horse will just lean in and "fall" to the inside of the arena. This is where your inside leg comes into play. It may take some time to teach your horse to step away, not into, your leg pressure. Don't despair if it takes several weeks or more. Your horse will get better over time.
You might shift your weight to the outside. This happens all the time! While we focus on using our inside leg, we tend to try to move the horse to the outside by throwing our body in that direction. Just catch yourself doing it, move back to the inside seat bone, and continue.
The horse will likely speed up when you first apply your inside leg. This is when an outside half-halt will be useful. Be sure to be crystal clear in explaining that pressure from your inside leg doesn't mean "go faster," but rather, "step away."
Another common problem might be that you have to learn how much pressure you need from your leg, and how much from your outside rein. In the meantime, you might end up with a horse that weaves left and right, looking like a squiggly worm! Don't despair! It's so much about coordinating body parts, and it will take time for you to adjust each part as needed. Just keep trying, feel for the worm, and steady your aids.
I hope this helps you a little on your riding journey. Let me know in the comments below what your experiences with "inside leg to outside rein" have been.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Horse Listening Book Collection - beautiful paperbacks with all the excellence of the blog - in your hands! Click on the image for more information.
By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:
The tear drop requires you to go up the rail, then turn off the rail. Let's take a moment to analyze just that movement.
First off, you are going down the rail. When you're on the rail, make sure your on the rail. This means that your horse is moving in a straight line, parallel to the rail, with good energy and tempo (not too fast, not too slow but with plenty of energy). Take a look at your horse's body position as you go down the rail. Is he pointing diagonally outward with his shoulders? Does he move in a slight angle pointed out to the rail? Note also your own body alignment. If your shoulders are pointing out to the rail, then you're horse's shoulders are also right there with you!
If so, then be sure todo a shoulder-foreto regain straightness in the horse's body. By bringing your horse's shoulders in toward the center of the ring - even if it's just literally a foot inward - you will help your horse straighten through the spine and travel in a true line. The shoulder-fore will also help set up your departure from the rail into the half circle of the tear drop with a mild bend and flexion.
Prepare to come off the rail with a half-halt. Then leave the track.
Know where you want the horse's feet to go ahead of time. Plan about a quarter circle ahead, andtake him there. Now that you're off the track, you need to keep your horse more "between your legs and hands" because there is no rail to help keep him up!
The turn can be simplified if youmove your body as a whole. Try to keep as calm and quiet as you can in your body. Don't think too much about your individual hand and leg aids. Do it all together, at once, and it should all fall into place fairly organically. You can always adjust one aid if necessary as you go along.
A common error here is to actually pull on the reins to start the turn. "Steering" with your hands often causes the horse to fall off balance, scramble into the turn even while you're still cranking his head and neck around.
In contrast, keep your hands in front of the saddle and allow the horse to turn more off your seat and leg aids. Your hands should do very little in terms of turning, and only come into play if you need a half-halt if the energy forward is too strong, or a half-halt on one rein if the horse is falling in to the middle or drifting out too far to the outside. Otherwise, keep your hands (and elbows) quiet and soft and staying in front of the saddle just above the withers.
Ride the turn with your own body. Don't lean in any direction but your shoulders can be facing the direction of travel exactly with your horse's shoulders. Avoid getting left behind in the movement or falling ahead of the movement.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the new Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
Click here to read more and to be among the first to be notified about our upcoming Introductory pricing!
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Suppleness is one of those more difficult concepts to explain. Because it relates to "feel", it's one of those things in horse riding that takes a long time to learn to identify and then produce regularly.
To recap, suppleness happens in two ways in the horse's body - longitudinally and laterally.
Longitudinal suppleness refers to how loose and round the horse is over his back. It also relates to how "through" his energy is. If he holds his muscles in tight tension, or he blocks forward energy as you ask for more from your legs, he is likely not "through" and soft over the back.
Lateral suppleness refers to the side-to-side dexterity of the horse. It is involved in achieving good balance around turns, and in the horse's ability to bend. I've written a detailed explanation of how to develop suppleness here.
Both types of suppleness are also involved in the establishment of "connection": that ever elusive goal of becoming "one", or riding in harmony, with the horse. No matter what discipline you ride, softness over the back and left and right are basic, fundamental qualities of good (and healthy) movement.
It All Comes Down To You
Here's the thing. Even when I'm explaining what the horse is (or isn't) doing, it's not really about the horse. It's really all about you. The rider has to learn how to achieve the suppleness that is required and desired. Developing suppleness comes from the seat, the legs, the hands, the torso (= core strength) and quick coordination of all those aids. In fact, one could say that the rider needs to be supple enough to develop the horse's suppleness!
Exercise
Here is today's exercise. I like this one because it can help set you up to "find" suppleness just by virtue of riding through the pattern. You have to be sharp on this one - change your aids quickly to help the horse change the bend, go forward to an upward transition and then back to a downward transition.
Do this exercise after you and your horse have had a good chance to warm up. This can be the "lesson" part of your ride, and be sure to listen carefully to your horse in order to not overwork him too long.
It's a fun exercise because it keeps you hopping, and it really feels nice and flowing once you get a hang of it. The energy is forward but you can't let it go all out "the front end" because then you won't be able to navigate the lateral suppleness that is required to complete the pattern. There are several changes of direction and transitions involved. Click on each image to enlarge. I've divided the pattern into three parts just for ease of explanation. They all run consecutively.
Part 1Part 2Part 3
Part 1
1. Start on the rail to the left at trot.
2. Come off the rail before the end of the next corner and proceed to do a teardrop to the left. Make the turn fairly large (approx. 15 meters) so your horse has plenty of energy coming out of the turn and into the straight diagonal line. Prepare for change of bend for the corner that is coming up.
Part 2
3. Bend right, turn right through the corner. You can slightly shorten your horse's strides just before the bend to help him control the forward energy coming off the diagonal line.
4. At C: transition to a canter circle, right lead. Make this a smaller circle if your horse is more advanced, otherwise keep it larger and work on maintaining good energy through the whole circle. Transition back to trot before reaching C again.
Part 3
5. Navigate the next corner, preparing for the upcoming loop.
6. Do a loop coming out of the corner. Notice the diagram shows a fairly narrow loop, meaning that you don't have to go all the way to X at the middle. Gauge the depth of the loop based on your horse's riding level.
Start with a right bend, straighten for 2-3 strides over the middle of the loop, bend left to go back to the rail, and bend right again just before heading into the next corner. The loop can be tricky because it requires a bend to a bend to a bend! This is the end of the pattern because now you will be on the right rein, heading into the next corner.
Keep Going!
Now you can start all over in the new direction. Your canter circle will be on A this time. The teardrop and the loop will end up being on the same side of the ring, regardless of the direction you're going in.
This exercise is designed to give you opportunity to focus on your aids - over and over again! As you get better at the pattern, see if you can sort of "dance" through the direction and gait changes. The idea is to subtly navigate the direction and gait changes while staying on the pattern. Keep up your horse's energy level but don't let him go too fast.
You're looking for keeping good balance as you negotiate each part of the pattern. You may find your horse softening over the back, left to right, and becoming bouncier. If he offers to slow his legs slightly but stay strong and forward in his gait, you know you're definitely on the right track! Make sure you do the same.
Let us know if you try this and how it goes for you and your horse in the comments below.
The Practice Sessions is a complete program beginning with exercises like the one above, designed to improve specific aspects of the horse and rider. All set up and ready to go, all you have to do is watch the video, print off the pattern PDF and head to the barn!
But there's so much more! There's quality of movement exercises, theory "Mini-Classes" on specific aids and figures, a private Group page with daily tips, and so much more! Click here to learn more.
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From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend.
Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
Good moment to apply the half-halt. Photo Credit: J. Boesveld
What does it feel like to get on your young horse's back for the first time?
Excitement.
Anticipation.
Nervousness!
If you've owned him since he was a foal, you might have waited two, three or four years before the breathtaking moment!
From that very first ride, to the subsequent weeks of awkward walk, to trot and finally canter - and then for the rest of the horse's life - there is really one thing that needs to be managed at all times while under saddle.
You guessed it: the horse's balance.
Which of course also includes your balance. In fact, everything we do on top of that horse will affect his balance, so we have to be equally obsessed with our own balance even while we help him maintain his.
Balance is a major issue for many reasons:
Physical: Lack of balance can cause all sorts of harm to the horse in the long term. Think of leg and tendon injuries, stumbling, back pain and so much more.
Mental: Sensitive horses especially react to lack of balance. Note the horse's expression when he is on the forehand or tight and tense through the back. Of course, there are more subtle signs like teeth grinding or pinned ears.
Rider Discomfort: Finally, the rider should be able to actually feel the imbalance, whether through uncomfortable movement, jarring through the gaits or general all-over body tension which creates the "cardboard back" that is difficult to sit to.
We've discussed thehalf-halt in detailin previous articles. This time, though, we're going to look at when we need to apply the half-halt. If we are interested in preserving balance while we ride the horse, it all comes down to the timing.
Time the half-haltcorrectly during the horse's movement. In general, you want to time your aids while the inside hind leg is up off the ground (so the leg is free to move).
Also, time the half-halt so it occurs between the various movements. Many people say you should ride "half-halt to half-halt" - as in, the half-halts begin and end each and every movement (= changes of balance). If you think this must mean that you are constantly using half-halts, you're right!
When exactly should you balance (rebalance/catch the energy/give a "heads up")? Here are 38 moments in a ride that you could use the half-halt.
Before the walk to halt
After the halt to walk
Before/after the trot to walk
Before/after the canter to trot
Before/after the trot to canter
Before/after the walk to trot
Before a corner in the ring
After a corner in the ring
Before a turn
After a turn
Before a circle begins
Halfway through the circle
Before the circle ends
A few strides after the circle
Before the "sit down" in trot/canter
After the "sit down" in trot/canter
Before a change of direction
After a change of direction
Before going into a straight line
Halfway through the straight line
After the straight line, in preparation for the next movement
Before going downhill
While going downhill
Before positioning into the shoulder-in/haunches in
During the shoulder-in/haunches-in
After the shoulder-in/haunches-in
Before the leg yield/half-pass
During the leg yield/half-pass (especially to help the hind end catch up with the front end)
After the leg yield/half-pass
Before a spook
During a spook
Any time to refocus attention
Before an increase in engagement
After an increase in engagement
Any time to regain balance
Before any new movement
Before slowing down the tempo (regardless of gait)
Before speeding up the tempo (regardless of gait)
I considered leaving out the "before" and "after" qualifiers but then I decided I wanted to make it very specific. We tend take the half-halt for granted and use it sometimes while forget about it at other times. In this case, I wanted to highlight the frequency that it needs to be used - basically, before and after everything!
Which brings us back to the first ride on the young horse. Even while he is finding his feet and learning about gaits, gait changes and what our aids mean, it is our responsibility to help him maintain the best balance possible during each phase of his education. Introduce the half-halt fairly early in his riding career and keep using it through all of his riding life!
Do you have more to add to the list? Comment below.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
If you’d like a structured, but personal tool to set goals, take a look ourGoal Setting for the Equestrian: A Personal Workbook. The pages are designed for you to set and keep track of your progress over the course of a year.
Included in the book:
design your overarching goals
long- and short-term planning,
debrief your special events such as clinics or shows
reflect on, plan and evaluate your goals
sample goals and pages
The Workbook is available for instant digital download so you can print the pages right off your computer. There is also the option of a paperback version if you’d rather have a professionally bound book to hold in your hands.
There's the walk, and then there's the WALK. Let me explain.
If you've ever ridden with endurance riders, you'll know what a walk really is. That's because they do it - a LOT!
I learned all about the walk when I had the good fortune of spending a week with some of the top competitive trail riders in our area (many years ago now), when I was a newbie distance rider. You'd think that the horses and riders that do 50-100 miles in a day would spend their practice rides galloping across the fields for hours on end, working harder at home so they were better prepared for competition day.
As I was about to learn from the riders that took me under their wings, nothing could be further from the truth. It was quite the opposite. While there were times during each ride that they'd go for extended trot and canter sessions, they would spend hours on end simply walking their horses to ultimate condition.
You can imagine my disappointment to discover that my first extended conditioning ride was going to be spent mostly at the walk. You'd probably think (as I did): walking can't possibly make that sort of athletic impact for a horse (or rider).
I think it took only that first ride for me to have a much deeper appreciation for WALKING (not just walking). As it turned out, we weren't going to go on a dilly-dallying, sauntering, swinging to the left and right kind of meandering thing. It was quite the opposite.
Lucky for me, my mare, Kayla, already had a supremely active natural walk. All I had to do was let her go, and learn to ride the gait she offered. We worked at keeping up with the others ahead of us, truly "warming" up as time passed. You know, you can break into a substantial sweat this way.
The riders taught me that the walk is physically low impact, but can play a large part in conditioning the horse - something that was key to success in long distance trail. They called it "LSD" - long, slow distance.
I learned the WALK kind of walk on the trails, but never really transferred the concept to ring riding until I began my dressage lessons years later. As I was literally re-learning all about each gait (and specifically, impulsion), I began to connect the dots when it came to walk.
In dressage, we want the walk to be active and engaged. We want the hind legs striding underneath the body. We want a "swinging" back that feels more like a trampoline and less like a rigid board. We want the horse's shoulders flowing freely and reaching straight ahead.
(Just like we did it on the trail.)
This working walk is the foundation for the other gaits, and serves once again as a low-impact way to reach the horse's hind legs, the back, the poll - in fact, the whole top line that should release tension.
The clincher is that we are not on the trail when we're in the ring. The horse might not be as inspired to reach and engage while walking from one end of the arena to the other. This is when it becomes our job as the rider to teach the horse to move with better freedom and regularity, to march like there's somewhere to go.
In the beginning
At first, all you want is the enthusiastic forward-moving response of the horse. You might leave the reins long while you encourage a stronger, deeper stride from the hind end using your leg and seat aids. Any forward response is good and should get a quick"yes" response from you.
Your job, after you've initiated (allowed) the increased energy and movement, is to ride it. But be sure that you move with the horse, and resist swinging heavily on his back. Swing through your lower back but hold yourself through the core to keep your upper body as quiet as possible.
Development
Eventually, especially if you ride dressage or other disciplines that require a more collected movement, you will need to shorten the reins enough to keep the horse round and less strung out.
The trick at this point is to try to keep the walk as active and engaged as above. It takes a fair amount of skill and strength from the horse to maintain a free-flowing walk with a rounder body outline. But it feels amazing when the horse is "on the aids" and still moving freely through the body. Your horse will like it too.
If you do ask for this WALK consistently, it will get easier for both you and your horse. Your horse will expect to move with purpose.
If you have a sluggish or tight-moving horse, and you have access to trails, you can develop the walk in the great outdoors. Later, you can transfer it back to the riding ring.
Wishing you a happy, healthy, warming-the-body kind of WALK!
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more.
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
From the first book in the Horse Listening Collection: Horse Listening, The Book
"There are many reasons why we enjoy riding horses. Maybe one of the most appealing facets of riding is the sense of freedom: freedom from our own limitations, freedom from gravity, freedom to (literally) roam the Earth. Time stands still while we have the privilege of feeling movement from the back of our four-legged friend. Riding gives us the place to just be.
Of course, there are other purposes too. Some of us revel in the challenge of learning the skills required to becoming a good team member of this unlikely duo. Riding is like no other sport or recreational pursuit simply because of the equine partner that must not only carry us, but also do so effortlessly and gracefully. As we develop our specific skill sets, we also grow as human beings in character, emotional maturity and mental acuity.
But there is one other motivation that drives some of us to persevere in the never-ending learning process that is horseback riding: improving the horse. As your own skills develop, you begin to realize that not only can you meet your own needs through riding, but also that you can even become an instrument of benefit for the horse."
And so begins the book that reflects the most important learning I have had in all of my riding years: that I want to be the best rider I can be for the sake of my horses.
This book is geared toward the rider:
- the rider's motivations
- the essential skills for the rider
- some specific strategies
- solutions to common problems
- and the results: the great horsey moments we get to experience
Along the way, you will find chapters that discuss everything from the seat to the leg aids to the reins, discussions on half-halts, imbalance, halts, straightness and more!
Special in this book are the "In The Ring" sections that give specific suggestions based on the preceding chapters. Take these to the barn to try with your own horse!
Do you have trouble getting the "correct" lead when striking off into canter? You might be new to riding, or your horse might be young or uneducated. In either case, it helps a lot if you know different ways to encourage the horse to strike off in the correct lead.
It's About Balance
Lead problems stem from one main cause. If the horse is unbalanced, he will have more trouble picking up his lead regardless of how athletic he may be. Lack of balance can happen in many ways. The horse might be heavy on the forehand, and instead of changing gait to canter, he only runs faster and faster into a bigger and more scrambled trot.
He may bulge one shoulder or the other rather than step underneath with the hind legs. This will result in sideways movement (either into the middle of the ring, or out toward the rail) when you ask for the canter. He'll likely stay in the trot because of the misalignment of his body.
He may resist moving forward when you apply your aids. You might get tail swishing, a hop from the hind end, or a slowing down in the trot as he braces with his front legs. This may be caused by a true discomfort (tack?) or physical problem, so do get it checked out if it happens often. Otherwise, it might just be confusion.
Regardless of why your horse is struggling, the key here is for you to maintain or resume balance even while you are working on getting the canter lead. The first fix is to try coming back to a controlled, rhythmical trotbefore you try again.
However, in some cases, slowing down to re-balance may not be enough. You might need to exaggerate your aids to help the horse realize how to take a lead in the first place. The following five suggestions should give you a starting point. We'll start from basic preparation to more advanced.
Outside flexion, outside leg
This is the most elementary way to get an inside lead, mainly because you're going to set the horse up to essentially fall into position for the lead. Use this for the young horse just beginning to canter, or for a horse that is very crooked to the inside (maybe he swings his hip to the inside during the up transition).
Use your outside rein to ask for outside flexion (you should see the corner of the horse's eye toward the rail). Use the outside leg as you normally would, swinging back in a windshield wiper motion just in the moment of the down stride.
Have a soft inside rein so you don't inadvertently pull the horse's head to the inside at this moment. You can always bring the horse's flexion back to the inside after you get the lead.
Inside flexion, inside leg to outside leg
This is a little more balanced and therefore a little more difficult. This time, ask for the horse to look to the inside of the ring (inside flexion). Use your inside leg to stabilize the horse while still in the trot. Then ask for the canter with your outside leg.
Your inside leg helps the horse maintain better balance just before the strike off.
On a turn
It's usually easier for a horse to take the correct lead if he can step into a turn or circle in the same direction. So if you want the right lead, ask for the lead while turning right. See if this helps.
On a straight line
It is usually more difficult to get the correct lead while moving straight, but it might help some horses keep their balance while transitioning. In this case, you will support the horse so that he doesn't lean or fall one direction or the other, and only ask once you feel he is moving straight comfortably. He should be familiar enough with leads at this point so that he can respond to your outside leg aid.
From the walk
This is most difficult for some horses, but it can be helpful to not be running off in the trot in the first place.
In this case, get a good walk, and ask for the canter transition straight out of the walk. If your horse trots a few steps before the canter, just ride it and let him. The difference with this trot is that it is fairly controlled because it's coming out of the walk. Just starting from the walk might be all the help he needs.
***
Regardless of the strategy you use, be sure that you are still riding on your inside seat bone through the transition. If you have fallen to the outside, you will invariably be encouraging the horse to step under you - which means he will pick up his outside lead.
Stay consistent in your expectation to keep a controlled, rhythmical trot before each transition. If the trot gets faster, just break to a walk, regroup, and re-establish the balanced trot. A scrambling trot will never end up in a good canter.
Initially, accept any attempts at the canter. Avoid pulling back on the bit or losing your own balance through the transition, as this will further disrupt the horse's balance. Just sit well, ride whatever you get, and encourage, encourage and encourage.
Finally, remember that these are all "corrections". In other words, you won't be using these strategies forever to get your lead. Once your horse becomes more aware of his canter leads and accurately responds, you will go back to quiet aids to encourage a balanced, straight, calm transition.
What do you do to get your horse's lead? Let us know if you have a different strategy, or if you tried one of the above.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
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Are you crystal clear on your canter leads? Do you know which one is which and when you need to change leads?
It happens to everyone at some point in their riding journey, horse and human alike.
The whole idea of staying on the "correct" lead is important in riding development. The main reason we worry about leads is to maintain balance, especially on turns and circles. If the horse is on the "incorrect" lead going around a turn, he has to work extra hard to bring his canter stride through each step of the way.
Some horses break to a trot because they simply can't maintain the gait while on the outside lead.
Some horses have an easier time and just keep going, getting more strung out and unbalanced, but somehow sticking with the canter gait despite the imbalance. If your horse is one of these, you might have a harder time figuring out if he's in the correct lead or not.
What Is A Canter Lead?
Simply put, the horse will always "lead" with one hip and shoulder ahead of the other while in canter. So if he is on the "right" lead, his right hip and shoulder will be ahead of the left. We often teach beginner riders to look down at the shoulders to identify which shoulder is leading. Over time, you can learn to feel without looking at all.
Of course, the lead is caused not by the front legs, but by the hind legs. If you break down the canter stride, the outside hind leg is the first strike off leg. So, the left hind leg starts off the sequence of footfalls that allow the right hind leg and the right shoulder to lead. This is why we use our outside leg as the initiator of the canter gait.
Which Lead Is The "Correct" Lead?
If you are going right, the right lead is the "correct" lead. If you're going left, the left lead is "correct".
But here's the thing. I've used quotations on "correct" and "incorrect" because really, those are just definitions of sorts. We define the left lead as "incorrect" when the horse is going right. But it's "correct" when the horse is going left. So it's easy to see that the horse may choose either lead, depending on his balance mostly, unless he is well versed in responding to your aids.
Also, as you both progress, you might one day purposely ask for the "incorrect" lead to get a counter canter. The counter canter is a great exercise in suppleness which helps develop hind end strength and flexibility. It also is a way to demonstrate that both the horse and rider can in fact pick up whichever lead in whichever direction - showing that the horse's balance is good enough to allow for either lead at any time.
So really, the "correct" lead might change meaning over time. But for the purposes of this article, we'll stick with "correct" meaning the same lead as the direction of movement.
What If Things Go Wrong?
As previously mentioned, "incorrect" leads happen all the time, especially during the developing stages of the horse or rider. The gait might be asked for at the wrong moment in time by the rider, and the educated horse will just follow by taking the opposite lead. In this case, the rider has to learn the correct timingof the aid to get the desired canter lead.
Alternately, the horse might be in the learning phases and might not know to respond promptly even if the rider's timing and aids are correct. In this case, he might not recognize the rider's outside leg as asking for the strikeoff, trot through the aid and strike off with the inside hind leg, again causing the counter canter.
Fix The Lead
There is a golden rule to stick to when things get discombobulated.
Secret: Slow down that trot!
Chances are, after you got the wrong lead, your horse eventually broke into an unbalanced trot (or you asked him to go back to the trot). In either case, this trot will likely be fast, on the forehand, and difficult to ride.
Your job at that moment is to be the creator of balance. Keep asking the horse to slow down in that trot. Wait for him to "come back under you" - so that he isn't running out while you just try to hang on. There is no point in asking the horse to try to canter on even while he's barely keeping balance in the trot.
So wait for him. Take your time. Teach him that there's no panic even after that uncomfortable canter thing just happened. It's all good!
Wait.
But here's the clincher. As soon as he's balanced, calm and ready - go! Be sure your aids are crystal clear - exaggerate the "windshield wiper" action of your outside leg.
If he only speeds up again in the trot, bring him back to that nice, slower tempo. Under all circumstances, don't kick him faster faster and "hope" he canters off. (There is one exception: while training the young horse, you should accept whatever he offers at the very beginning.)
Some horses can in fact canter out of an awkward trot, but invariably, that canter will be similarly hard to maintain. Always balance the trot before asking for the canter again.
Still Taking The Incorrect Lead?
There are several other ways to work on getting the correct lead. We'll look at those ideas in the next article.
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions.
This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.
I don't believe in putting my work behind a paywall. But there are expenses in every venture. If you really liked this article, consider tipping us! Your tip will help me keep producing more riding TIPS (pun!) with free access to everyone. With thanks for reading!
Click to learn more!
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book:Stepping Forward to Effective Riding
Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening Book 2 - Forward And Round To Training Success
Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.
Signed Author Copies available - perfect gifts!
From the book:
"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?
We all want our horses to improve in their athletic
development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....
But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.
Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.
Or not."
Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.
The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:
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