By: Cody McArthur
The lead change is a maneuver that causes stress and sleepless nights for many riders. Not only do non-professional riders have this fear, but trainers do as well.
I will contribute my thoughts in this area with the hopes of seeing many +1 circles in the show pen.
Generally, in my program of training a horse to change leads, the first thing I want to know is: “does my horse have a natural lead change?” The easiest way to answer this question is “does my horse change leads when I circle up a cow?” or “When I chase him around the arena at a high rate of speed and I change direction, does he change leads?”
This is something that I work on in the first month of riding my colts. If my horse is somewhat willing to change leads, my job will be a little easier.
On broke horses, which in this case is what we will be discussing, the first thing I like to do is work on his side pass and two-track.
These are probably the most underrated maneuvers to a reining or working cow horse because they are actually connected to nearly every scored maneuver in either competition.
I start working on these maneuvers at a walk, simply by pressing my spur into his side around the back cinch area, without actually pressing on my back cinch, and keeping him as straight as possible from his tail to his nose.
Once he moves off of my leg, yielding to pressure, I leave him alone for a lap around the arena. This helps prevent tail switching and encourages a faster response the next time you ask, which will be important later.
After my horse has begun moving off of my leg with ease and can do this drill in a bridled manner and on a loose rein, I then move into the next lesson.
Haunches-in at a walk is as simple as a lead change. When I ask for a haunches-in, I like my horse to stay straight, from its nose to its shoulder; I only want the hip to move left or right.
I imagine a “T”, with the top of the T being my horse’s face. The bottom of the T can move left or right leaving the top or shoulders walking straight ahead. Once I have separated his hip and barrel from his shoulders to the right and left, I will walk straight down the arena pushing his hip both ways on a loose rein and in a bridled position.
Once my horse understands haunches-in at a walk, I then graduate him to a trot, using the same technique. Remember: only the bottom of the T needs to go left and right. Try to keep the head and shoulders straight and get those hips loose.
Once he is handy at this at a trot, try doing it at a lope, going straight down the arena. If you are on a left lead push the bottom of your T to the left. Get a few strides, then leave him alone, then push him in again.
Remember to keep his head straight. Do the same on the right lead, pushing those hips in deep, and then going straight. Do this drill bridled and on a loose rein, pushing his hips right and left at a lope should be as easy and relaxed as it was at a walk and trot.
Now that I can push my horse’s hips deep into his lead I will, on a straight line, try to hold him straight with my hands, and push his hips to the left when I am traveling on a right lead. Do everything you can to avoid breaking gait, even if he doesn’t change perfect.
Correcting a trotter can be a lot of work! I often like to teach horses to change leads in an open pasture where I can go straight for a long time without running into a fence and having to turn.
Try repeating the drill keeping the shoulders straight moving the hips left, then a few strides later moving them back to the right. If the hips go into the proper lead, the shoulders will almost always follow.
I will sometimes change a horse countless times in a lesson, especially if they are worried about changing. I guess you could say I am going to sack them out of lead changing. I eventually get most horses changing each stride in a straight line. It is then that I know I can change my horse anywhere, any time!
I have never been really big into clearing the shoulder, simply because it doesn’t look as good in a pattern if you sweep left then go right. This is why I like to keep my horses straight. It looks good if you come through centre straight, change, and then continue.
Also, I keep them straight because it is less work for a non-pro to come to centre and apply the opposite leg than it is to remember a sequence of buttons that usually fail if one signal is missed or forgotten. And for me, basic is best. The more simple it is, the easier it is to show, and I think about showing instead of changing leads.
This is one approach to changing leads, and there are many more. The horse you are riding and how he reacts to different drills will determine how you get the job done. There are always many professionals who can help you with different ideas and techniques.
Cody McArthur specializes in cutting and working cow horses and has multiple championships to his credit. Recently relocated to Onoway, AB, McArthur is available for training, lessons, and clinics and can be reached at (780) 918-0658 or via email at codeman4u76@aol.com.
