TRAIN A REINER

Todd and Taumi Martin

Copyright©2009

Lesson 8

Lead Changes

I have intentionally made lead changes the last lesson because I don’t want you to rush the training of this advanced maneuver. Your horse’s foundation work must be solid before you begin to teach the flying change of leads.

And, I’m not as concerned about the horse as I am about the possibility you’ll get over zealous in teaching of the lead change.

If you push the horse’s training or “insist” on the change, you will create a number of problems.

When you start to teach the lead change, your horse should really understand collection at a lope. The horse must be soft and supple in the face and neck at the lope, must have a lot of elevation in the shoulders and plenty of drive from the hindquarters.

If you start to teach the change before the horse has solid basics, including an understanding of the frame of lope, you will end up teaching an inconsistent lead change, and one without proper form.

There are two types of changes to teach.

The first is an elevated lead change. This change has more lift and upward motion in it. You see this type of change in western riding and trail competition where they do not use a lot of forward motion.

For the reining lead change, I want to use more forward motion in the lead change.

The upward motion or elevated lead change is more along the lines of a skip—like a kid skipping down the road; they lift up, not forward. The same applies with this type of lead change. You are not asking for more forward motion you want them to stay back more. You are getting a lift and change or a skip when they go to change leads.

In reining competition, you do the change with more speed. You do not loose form or function, but with more forward motion and more drive off the hind end. The reining lead change with forward motion is the one we will work on.

In teaching the lead change with forward motion we will start with some exercises that will help isolate the movement you are trying to teach the horse.

The first thing I want you to understand about the lead change: it has nothing to do with a change of direction. The lead change is only a change of body position…a change of the leading side, and does not have anything to do with the change of direction in the lope. Always think about changing leads on a straight line. If you do not add a change of direction to the change of leads, you will not create a lot of problems for yourself or your horse.

The most common problem in teaching the lead change is trying to hold the horse back or keep too much collection. You must allow the horse freedom in the face to be able to drive through with his body when he changes.

At this point you should be able to take the left lead and the right lead without difficulty. You’ve not yet asked for a lead change, but you can put your horse into a left or right lead simply by leg cues. You should be able to take the desired lead at anytime and moving in any direction.

A counter canter is loping your horse to the right, but have him on a left lead. (The difference between a counter canter and the wrong lead is that a counter canter is the lead you requested…the wrong lead is the horse not correctly responding to the “lead requested.”

Begin practicing the counter canter so that both you and the horse are comfortable doing it. This does not mean that you need to begin the lope in the left lead, circling to the right. You can ask your horse to lope on the left lead and circle a few times to the left and then guide him around to the right and continue the left lead while circling to the right. This is an easier way to get the horse into a counter canter, especially for a younger horse. Once you’re in the counter canter circling right while on the left lead, start working on keeping the horse in a nice “bend” with his shoulders up. I do not want him to be in the left lead with his hip kicked out too far to the left. If his hip is way out to the left, it allows his shoulder to drop to the inside.

Keeping the shoulder upright is very important.

Use your right rein, pushing it gently into the horse’s neck, to help the horse to keep his shoulder up and stay in balance. Keeping the shoulder up will help to straighten the horse’s body. The straighter you get the horse as you take him, the easier for the horse to pick up the right lead when you ask for the change.

If you are counter cantering on the left lead, and that right shoulder is falling in, it will be extremely difficult for the horse to give you the right lead when you ask for the change.

In order to get that lead change we have to set the body up. In order to set the body up we have to move that shoulder out of the way. If he is leaning in on that right circle in the counter canter, then he is throwing his weight to the inside which will make it very difficult for him to lift that shoulder up in the lead change.

If the horse has his weight on his right shoulder, then he does not have weight on his hindquarters, so he isn’t collected. If he isn’t collected, he isn’t going to get the power he needs to change his driving hind leg from the right hind leg to the left hind leg.

In order to get the lead change, the horse has to have power from behind to get the elevation he needs to switch from his driving right hind leg to a driving left hind leg.

So before we ever attempt a lead change, we have to have them loping properly---standing up straight in the counter canter and not leaning in. We have to spend time in the counter canter and develop collection so the horse is not out of balance. It is a new way experience for the horse, so you have to allow the time for the horse to learn how to carry himself.

Once you feel your horse’s body is as relaxed in a counter canter as it is in a regular lope, you are ready to attempt to ask for the lead change.

Before asking for the lead change, think about how we taught the horse to lope in the beginning. We taught our horse to move away from our leg pressure. We did not try to rush it, we did not try to push harder, we just worked with the horse until he understood to move away from the pressure.

To get the lead change, the horse must move away from our leg pressure. On the right lead, you are applying left leg pressure. You will simply change your leg pressure from left to the right, and expect the horse to respond by picking up the left lead.

This is an advanced maneuver and it is very difficult for the horse to make the driving leg change and do it in a relaxed manner. The horse will usually tense up the first time change your leg pressure from left to right. When the horse tenses, he stiffens his body and will usually try to slow or to increase speed. If they speed up they will get harder in the face and heavier on your hands.

Speeding up or slowing down is not a big issue unless you make it a major issue.

If the horse gets tight in the chin and moves forward a little too, he is simply trying to drive off the leg to make the requested change. It is no different than you learning how to skip. If you are skipping along with a left lead, but want to change to the right, you will have a hesitation trying to figure out how to get your change.

When your horse runs into moment of trying to figure out what you want, he’ll resist in the mouth or body, and have a hesitation. Whichever one it is—speed up or slow down-- you treat it the same way as you taught the counter canter. Keep your leg on and allow time for the horse’s body to relax and lead change to take place.

A horse cannot change leads when his body is tight and he is resisting.

You have to “teach” him through the confusion.

You are counter-cantering and you horse is on his left lead. You are applying right leg pressure while moving on a circle to the right.

Ask for the lead change. Simply change your leg pressure. Stop applying right leg pressure and begin applying left leg pressure.

Don’t take your left leg pressure off until the horse changes leads.

You don’t have to apply more leg pressure. Just “ask” and “wait”. Stay with your request and allow the change to happen. This way you are “teaching” the horse instead of “making” the horse change leads.

If you don’t get excited and try to force things, you will allow the horse’s body to relax and the change will be more fluid.

When asking for the lead change from the counter canter for the first time, it can often take two full circles and possibly more before the horse will pick up the new lead.

A lot of horses are not efficient at taking leads, and it will take more time for them to make the change. But allow for it to happen instead of trying “to make” it happen. If you try to make it happen you will create problems.

If the first couple of times you ask for a change, and the horse breaks gait or does a simple lead change, that’s okay. You are allowing for it to happen as long as you continue making sure they have forward motion. You want encourage the horse to continue forward motion; don’t impede that forward drive.

If the horse is on the left lead, he is driving off with right hind leg and reaching with his left legs. In order to get him to change leads, I have to get him to drive off with the left hind leg as the first step of the new right lead sequence. You could do this with elevation and lift, but what I want is forward motion. One of the results of asking for forward motion is that the horse starts to speed up. When he starts to speed up, relax. At this point there is no reason to try to get him to collect back up, or slow him back down. The more you slow him down, the harder you will make it for him to actually change leads.

This is why we do start teaching the maneuver on a circle; we are not asking for a change of direction. If he starts to increase speed, just relax and allow the horse more time to make the change. You are on a circle and you do not have to have the change right away. Allow the horse to build up a little speed, relax his body and then make the change.

If at this time he lifts up a little and starts to lean his shoulder in, (which will impede your ability to get the lead change) don’t take your leg off, but take the time to straighten his body.

If you are going to the right, tipped the horse’s nose a bit more to the right, facing into the circle. If you tip his nose to the right, it makes it easier for him to lift his shoulder.

Another way to straighten his body (if he is falling into the circle) is to guide him out of the circle, and then straighten his body and then go back to the circle.

There are two reasons to begin teaching the flying change of leads on a circle.

First, when working on a circle you are not restricted by the size of the arena or limited by time…both of which can cause you to “hurry” and attempt to “make the change happen.”

If you are working on a straight line and you run out of room, then you’ll start trying to hurry and hurrying tends to draw your attention to your “guide.” If you are running out of room, and trying to change from left lead to right, you’ll try to pull too much to try to get the horse guiding to the right. That causes the horse to drop his right shoulder. If we try to guide with a jerking motion or in a faster motion, we’ll drop in to that shoulder and make it even harder for the horse to change.

I always train my guide through the center, separate from my lead change. By working on one part of the horse at a time, I’m not confusing my horse with “multiple requests.” If you separate parts of the training, it makes it much easier for your horse to understand.

Because we are teaching the lead change on a circle (from counter canter to correct lead) we don’t have to worry about the change of direction or the guide. It is also why we start horses in round pens; there is never an end. It is easier to work in a circle than it is to teach on the straight line.

Secondly, because there is no end to the circle, we never have to rush the horse into the change and we can allow the horse to relax.

Whatever follows the completion of a maneuver influences the maneuver. So, what we want to do once we get the change of lead, is show them that “relaxation” comes afterward. Break down to a trot or to a walk.

You want to have plenty of drive from behind to get the good lead change, but then you want to relax the horse and let that relaxation influence the lead change itself. So get the change, then break the horse down to a trot or walk.

Eventually, when you put your leg into them to get the lead change they will lift and drive through at the same pace. They are just driving off the leg instead of racing into it. When they are racing up, all they are doing is trying to figure out what it is what you are trying to do.

If they start to race up and you get stiff on your hands and start to push harder with your legs, before you know it you have one running around the pen lock jawed. Take your time, slow it down.

If at any time the horse breaks gait, then you need to add more leg pressure. You need to put more lift with your spur and lift that belly up and drive them through the lead change.

The horse breaks gait because he does not have enough drive from the hindquarters.

It is not a big issue, but I am going to continue to drive and push through until the horse figures out he must I eliminate any trot steps.

In the show pen a trot step is a two point break of gait penalty.

For those horses with too much forward motion, or get pushy, you have to “elevate” your hands.

When you pick up with the curb or snaffle bit to pick up the horse, you elevate your hands to elevate the horse’s shoulders without impeding their forward motion. When you pull back with your hands you are blocking forward motion.

Lift your hands as high as your eyes, keeping your hands out in front of you. This lifts the horse’s shoulders and allows the hindquarters to drive up into that lead change.

If you feel the horse starting to drive off and gain speed, balance the horse with your hands and lift up and help them keep their shoulders up.

When lifting your hands, put your hands out in front like you are pointing a gun.

If you pick your hands up to point a pistol, you are not going to move your hands toward your shoulder, you are going to put your hands in front of you to line up the target. That captures the horse’s forward motion and steadies it and slows it…but it doesn’t reduce his power, it just contains his power.

We have to have forward motion in order to have collection, drive and impulsion. Correct collection, drive and impulsion are derived from the hindquarters.

Take your time; be patient with the horse and if the basics are solid, he’ll understand your request for a flying change of leads.

ASSIGNMENT:

Load several short videos to YouTube, Photobucket, or another video hosting web site, demonstrating you and your horse doing flying change of leads.

Send video links to me at: todd@toddmartin.net