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  Discussion on Right or Left Lead
Author Message
Member:
Lhenning

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 10:50 am:

I am trying to understand footfall sequence as it relates to leads. I feel I may be misunderstanding what is a "left" lead vs. a "right" lead. Here is a link to a video showing a horse at canter. Am I correct in saying this horse is on the right lead?

https://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7302584939441885925&q=canter

I am confused because a right lead should start on the left hind, but what it appears is that the RH is leading. Or is that little jump off on the LH the leading foot?

It is very hard to see this action when a horse is moving at canter. Can anyone give me some ideas on what to focus on in order to "see" the sequence?
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 11:12 am:

Linda that horse is on the right lead and is departing with the outside left hind. You are correct. When it's in motion it's hard to detect if you are watching. He strikes off with outside hind first...as least that is what I have been schooled.
Member:
Liliana

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 12:24 pm:

What makes it difficult is that it is a Paso x therefore it does not walk in diagonals like say a TB or a dog which would be:

Left hind
Right front
As in right lead

Right hind
Left front
As in left lead

It is said that it walks in diagonals


If you look closely the horse on the film walks left hind - right front like a cat would walk (choo choo train)which incidentally makes them extremely easy to seat on.

Hard eh?... I hope I explained properly.
Member:
Liliana

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 4:42 pm:

BIG ooops look closely and you will see LEFT hind LEFT front like a cat ...
Liliana
Member:
Corinne

Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 8:06 pm:

K I got it...it's a breed thing then that he doesn't depart on the outside hind with the diagnol foot leading? It was hard to notice on that horse and maybe I saw what I thought I was going to see! LOL
Member:
Stevens

Posted on Monday, Dec 11, 2006 - 10:39 am:

There's a great book by Susan Harris on Horse Gaits. Lots of pictures and clear concise descriptions. I don't think she goes alot into the "gaited" horses, although she does describe pacing, but I haven't looked at it for awhile.

Chris
Member:
Stevens

Posted on Monday, Dec 11, 2006 - 10:46 am:

Umm, I just looked at the video and it sure looks to me that she walks "normally" and does not pace. She also does strike off on the left/outside hind into the canter. It looks like a little trot step first which may be the source of the confusion.

Remember that the correct walk is a 4 beat gait so there isn't any diagonal to speak of.

Chris
Member:
Ella

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 8:09 am:

The outside hind is just a push - like a runner pushing off starting blocks. From there you will see the inside legs (back first and then front) reaching further forward than the outside counterpart.

Unless you really break apart the canter it really looks as thought the first step is the inside hind reaching forward. Many miss the outside push that allows that inside to reach forward.

Ella :-)
Member:
Liliana

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 12:38 pm:

With all due Chris it has to be a four beat as they have four feet!

However a Paso’s walk is characteristic and different to an Arab, Spanish TB etc., that do walk in diagonals...
Member:
Lhenning

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:11 pm:

I think I was missing that push from the outside hind and that is what led to my confusion. My horse is not gaited and I did not mean to use a video of a gaited horse.

My horse has cross-cantered on a lunge line and my instructor brought it to my attention. I had never really paid attention to that before, so I needed to understand what a proper canter looks like to help my horse know when he is going correctly.

I thank you for your help.
Linda
Member:
Erika

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:38 pm:

Liliana, I'm a little confused...you are talking about a Paso walking, but the video I get is a Swedish Warmblood doing canter departs. Am I on the wrong video?
Member:
Liliana

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:39 pm:

What started me off was after riding a Paso and it was sooo comfy...

A few years back when I was a trainer and occasional judge at the local shows (I hated disappointing people that had worked so hard and for a silly little mistake they had to be disqualified, I haven’t the heart) I had to develop a good eye for leading legs etc. , which in deed can be very confusing...but oh ever so important in show jumping.

Mmmm miss the good old days, there are no riding trails or shows here! And venturing out on the roads… what a scary thought. I am playing with the idea of custom making a trailer to take them to the beach as now I would have to ride on freeway to get to it.
Member:
Stevens

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 4:52 pm:

Liliana: As I said a "correct" walk is 4 beats. Perhaps it would have been clearer to say 4 distinct even beats. A faulty walk may become pacey and compromise the 4 beats becoming 4 uneven beats to the point of being nearly 3 beats.

Yes, they have 4 feet, however as I'm sure you know the trot is a 2 beat gait as the diagonal pairs move together.

Linda: cross-cantering usually refers to the horse being on one lead in the front and another in the back. It still could be 3 beats, however, instead of the outside fore and inside hind moving together, the outside fore and outside hind move together. My experience is that cross-cantering is the correct lead in the front and the incorrect lead in the back.

I really recommend the Susan Harris book on Horse Gaits. Amazon has it available.
Member:
Liliana

Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 7:35 pm:

Got me Erika,
I guess I should have not use the term Paso cross. However as we know we have cold blood which would be Shire Clysdale and mostly the horses with feather on the legs and the Hot bloods like Arabs Andalusian and the like which through centuries of selective breeding produce the warm bloods.

The Paso Fino of Peru originated with the Horses brought by the Spaniards to America including of course the Andalusian.

The Swedish Warm blood although it originated in the Stromholm stud in 1621 in Sweden it is indeed a selective breeding from horses as varied as Turkish Russian, German and towards the end in the 20th century they included Andalusian and Friesian.

So really what I meant is simply that it is a “gaited” horse as they are known in the USA.

Thank you for pulling me on that one.
Member:
reubenr

Posted on Monday, Nov 12, 2012 - 12:13 pm:

I have a 3yo QH colt that has 90 days riding. He is extremely right leaded. I have been starting colts for 10 years and I have used every trick and training method I know but I still cannot get him to pick up his left lead when asked. He is very willing to do everything else. Anyone have any suggestions? I'm going to have him adjusted and hope that is the problem. If I can fix this problem he is going into barrell racing training. Rube
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Nov 13, 2012 - 6:09 pm:

Hello Rube,
Welcome to Horseadvice ,
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DrO
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