changing leads

[formula_2002]

I trully don't know my left lead form my right lead.

I was just looking at the running bull on my web page.

Would someone of "lead knowledge" go to the web page and tell me if the bull is on his left or right lead..

Seriously..

Thanks

Joe M

[hurrikane]

interesting way to get the click rate up. :D

[formula_2002]

Obviosly, i would have used it here as an avatar, however I attempted to do so I got an error message..

I'm only asking for 1 person to go to the site..

If I can get but 1 person to the site in the next 30 seconds,
I can receive 100,000 cyber tickets, which is a good as cash.

[kitts]

Right lead.

But what if I'm wrong?

[formula_2002]

kitt, you think the right foot hits the ground first?

[PurplePower]

When a horse is galloping (which is the official term for gait at racing speed) there is a leading fore foot, a paired diagonol and a trailing hind. When a horse is on left lead (as they generally are in both turns), the right fore and left hind travel as a pair - both on the ground at the same time with the left fore reaching out for new ground. At the same time the right hind is pushing backwards (opposite direction of the leading left front). When runner enters straight-away, rider shifts weight and hands (and this is where rider skill and balance can pay big dividends) cueing runner to switch to right lead To switch, runner must put left foot on ground twice before right foot hits ground again. Right fore then is "leading" Left fore and right hind travel as a pair and left hind is "pushing" (The 'canter", the slower version of a gallop, is a three beat gate in which the "pair" actually hits the ground at the same time. In the gallop the paired legs hit ground at different times, but are on the ground at the same time.) And there you have it.
For an excellent, easy to understand (and see) demonstration of the three basic gaits plus the gallop try this link:
http://www.timberoaksfarm.com/gait.htm

[formula_2002]

PP, thank you for the carring response and the web site, both of which are excellent.

Now lets see if I got it.

When the galloping horse pushes off with his left leg, the horse is on the left lead.

And my little buffalo is on his left lead...

I hope I'm correct!!! Else I'm left out.

Thanks
Joe M

[Hosshead]

Formula, Try thinking of a horses lead like this:- Correct Lead and Wrong Lead. And the best way to tell, is to watch which FRONT HOOF hits the ground FIRST ! CORRECT LEAD on TURNS---Right hits the ground first.--CORRECT LEAD on straightaways---Left hits ground first. I have seen many handicappers, even though they KNEW a horse was running CORRECTLY, use the wrong terminology (right lead/left lead).(they weren't as expert as purple power) But if you use the terms, Correct Lead and Wrong Lead,- ANYBODY will understand you, and know how the horse was running. Sometimes a horse's motion is so fluid, it's hard to tell on video replays. But he MAY be on the wrong lead if he is not holding the turn well, OR drifting in towards the rail, in the stretch. This is a problem for closers (who don't change leads), as they usually move up on the outside, taking aim on the leader. But by the time they get to the pacesetter, they've drifted in so far that they're right on the leader's flank. At this point the jockey can't whip the horse, or he'll run into the leader, and the horse can't fully extend himself enough to pass, so he runs second ! A lot of times, when two horses are in a stretch duel, and Only one is on his CORRECT LEAD, he will win. By the way, looks like your buffalo is on the Correct Lead--for the turn !

[formula_2002]

Thanks, HH, at least now I understand right and left leads...
very helpful response..


Joe M

[formula_2002]

Another way of looking at it.

The horse pushes off with his hind leg and pulls himself forward with his front leg. The first front leg to hit the ground is the "stablizing" leg, while the next front leg is the thrusting leg, pulling him forward.

Push with the hind leg, pull with the front leg.
The front leg that does the pulling is the "lead" leg.

On the turn the outside (right ) leg is the stablizer and the left leg is the "power" leg.

cool..

[formula_2002]

So if I have my engineering correct, on the turns, I would want to put mud caulks on the left leg and no mud caulks on the right.

When in the straight, and backstretch, if it were possilbe,reverse the caulked legs.

I would not want to put caulks on both front legs because the stablizing leg, having caulks on it, would act like a break, and the one thing we dont need in racing is a break, of any kind....

The horse that could be taught to handle this might pick up a some length or parts thereof.
Then it would just be the "simple" matter of designing the variable caulking Mechanism, and getting the racing board to go along with it.

[formula_2002]

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/search-bool.html&r=5&f=S&l=50&co1=AND&d=ptxt&s1=horseshoeing&Query=horseshoeing.

can anyone find those adjustaible caulks here?

[Observer]

Though it's hard to tell which leg hits first on the hind end of your little running Buffalo, on the front end, your Buffalo strikes the ground with his left front, followed by his right front .. which would suggest he is traveling on his right lead .. which would be the correct lead for the straights in American racing.

A horse's stride begins from the back.

Speaking in rights and lefts, not rights and wrongs:

A horse on the right lead would strike the ground:
Left hind
Right hind
Left fore
Right fore

A horse on the left lead would strike the ground:
Right hind
Left hind
Right fore
Left fore

Horses are said to be in a "round gallop" if they are on one lead with the hind legs, and the opposite lead with the front legs .. for example:

Right hind
Left hind
Left fore
Right fore

When a horse makes his lead change, he will for one stride run in a round gallop, as racehorses make their lead change with their front legs before the hind legs switch to the new lead.

Leads can be a difficult thing to see and understand .. but I've always found it easiest to tell people to look for the last front leg to hit the ground (before the stride begins again from the rear) .. and that's the lead.

Left leads are for turning left, right leads are for turning right. For counter-clockwise racing, right leads are for the straights, and for clockwise racing, left leads are used for the straights.

[ranchwest]

Observer,

Thanks for your explanation. I've always found it easier to note when a horse does or does not change leads than to watch the leg action to determine which lead and in the process lose focus on the race, but sharing knowledge the way you have is great.

[Zaf]

Is there any way this can help in handicapping a race. For instance horse led to pace call and faded while not switching leads properly.

Nothing better to think about at this time of night.

ZAFONIC

[ranchwest]

When I see horses with problems that are likely to persist, I try to stay away from them until I have a reason to believe that something may have changed.

[Observer]

It can certainly help in some instances...

Inexperienced horses that fail to change leads have room to improve next time out.

On the other hand, you might have a horse who never fails to switch leads .. all of a sudden today he fails to do so .. it may be a caution sign for next time, especially if he comes back quickly and/or takes a drop next out. This could all signal something is wrong.

It is also good to know which horses seem to fail frequently to change their leads, because there are horses out there who do have a habit of failing to change leads coming out of the final turn. If these horses are constantly failing to change leads, than that's just part of their running style .. but it may be worth noting if they ever do figure out the changing game, because maybe it will help raise their game just a bit more.

I think it's important to realize that horses are lefties and righties, like people ... they tend to have stronger sides .. so a horse may actually be better off running on the wrong lead in the stretch run, simply because he's that much more comfortable on it than if he were to change to the opposite lead. The turns are shorter, and typically less stressful than the fight to the finish, so if a horse is less comforable on his turn lead .. he's better able to cope with it around the turn than a horse that's forced into running on his less comfortable lead for a battle in the stretch.