My Paint horse won't pick up her right lead.?

Question

Ive been training barrel horses for a while. I'm 16 years old but i live on a 2000 acer horse ranch and ive been barrel racing since i was 4. My 14 year old paint mare absoultly wont pick up her right lead. We have tried EVERYTHING, she will pick it up in the pasture but not on a lunge line. We've tried side reins, draw reigns, different bits, circingles, diffferent riders and training techniques....basically EVERYTHING. Has anyone else ever had this problem? If so, how did you fix it? Keep in mind, ive tried EVERYTHING any trainer would try, but i wanted to know if there is something different someone else has tried.

She has been seen by many vets, chiropractors, therapist, etc. I tried everthing you guys suggested and it didn't work. Ive been training horses for a while, so dont get me wrong i know its not an over night thing, or anything close to it. I'm looking for people that have had the same exact problem as me, and how they fixed it.
Thanks guys!

- Mallory

Answer 1

This is a really common problem and most people take a horse that hasnt been made to work on the other lead its whole life and try to change this in a matter of a few weeks. Older horses take more time to recondition. Horses have a natural comfortable side like left and right handedness. You can do it with the other hand but it feels wrong. There also is a possibility she cant. I had a mare like this (also a great barrel racer and cowpony) with spondylitis when she was 15. My remedy was to let her do it the way she was comfortable. We still one (it was just harder to hold on cos she felt funny going around barrels). Your 14 year old mare may have tightening of her muscles, vertebral disease, arthritis, hoof conditions or a number of other things that mean cantering on the right is painful/uncomfortable so she continue to use the left. I would get the thumbs up from a vet and chiropracter before making her do anything else. Keep to a very small lunge circle to help her fall onto the lead (or free lunge her) before letting her out on the rein. She will fail several times before getting it right. Remember she can only go out when the lead is correct. Also remember flexion and balance is the key to any lead change. Use an arena and leg yield at the walk and then at the trot and then at the canter. Make sure she has lovely soft flexion before you move her onto a faster gait. Remember horses have very small brains in that beautiful large heads. Most of it is used for working out where feet go. Keep working at it and she will eventually work it out.

Answer 2

Dressage = getting leads? That has nothing to do with the question being asked. All horses no matter the discipline should be able to pick up both leads.

I had a mare that cross cantered I would just ride her in a 10-15 meter circle until she realized "I need to change leads to be balanced". After a while she got it. All horses are different though. If she can get it in the pasture she should be able to get it under saddle, you may be mixing signals to her. Try different ways of setting up her body or setting up your body when you ask. It may take asking her to canter going in a tight circle or having her be bent in an exaggerated way.

good luck!

Answer 3

It sounds like your horse could possibly be sore in the foot or shoulder and he's hurting . Have you had the vet look at your horse and she if this might be the problem? If not i suggest you start there first then if that's not the problem go back and start working him in a round pen in the direction of the lead you want him to take. Good luck

Answer 4

My 5 year old paint gelding had the same problem. He wouldn't pick it up for a month. it turned out that the farrier left to much sole on his hoof and it caused his pain and when he fixed it he started to pick up the lead. she could also be dropping her shoulder which my horse did also and when i got him to pick it up we were fine. I would talk to your farrier.