RE: RC: leads-self-select

[DESERTRYDR1@aol.com]

 One side of the body tends to predominate in horses, as in people.  The 
horse prefers one lead or one diagonal because one side of the body is 
stronger than the other.  It's important for a horse's balance to be able to 
canter equally on both leads.  Horses that prefer one lead over the other 
should be schooled on their non-preferred lead, and directed to take it about 
equally with the preferred lead, otherwise the horse will become increasingly 
crooked.  The same goes for trotting.  The rider should try to post on both 
diagonals about equally.  I retrained a horse that could canter in 15 meter 
circles (lunging) on the left lead, no matter which direction she was going.  
It took about three weeks of concentrated effort on the Longe, correcting her 
ever time, before she could pick up the right lead and hold it.  She 
developed muscling along her topline from the training also, her owner 
thought she was beautiful when he got her back, because her neck came out of 
her withers much higher, and she no longer looked like a big horse with a 
skinny little ewe neck sort of stuck on.  jeri