Horses changing leads...
 

How much of an advantage is it for a horse when it efficiently changes leads down the stretch...as opposed to the one that refuses to make such a lead change? TVG's Rich Perloff, who takes pleasure in pointing out such lead changes, once compared it to a man walking down the street with a heavy suitcase in hand...and then switching hands when his occupied hand gets tired. But that can't be an accurate comparison, because the man's other hand is fully rested when he is carrying the suitcase in the one hand...whereas the horse has to use all four legs, no matter what lead the horse is on. Also...are the horses equally proficient when using either side of their body...or do they instinctively favor one side...as humans do? I know that when I swim freestyle, and start on my right lead due to my right-handedness...switching to my left lead during the last lap can hardly be depended upon to deliver an improved performance.

Is there anyone else out there with enough free time to ponder such trivial matters?

I fully believe lead changes matter. Especially amongst your everyday races and not high end horseflesh.



Do I handicap for such things? No. If a horse continually fails to change leads and loses ground, it will show up in your numbers and handicapping anyway.

Think of it as doing push-ups with one arm doing the majority of the lifting...and then alternating with the other arm doing most of the work...it must be that when horses lead with one leg, the other must somehow be doing a little less load pulling...such that if they fail to change leads, they begin to tire one half of their overall action...if they change leads then they can ease the fatigue...

also, the geometry of the turns is involved, which direction the race is running...I believe they lead with the left front on counter-clockwise turns and with the right on the straights...please someone correct me if I am wrong about this, as I am not a horseman and don’t know for sure...thanks.

The horse puts most of it's weight on the lead leg while the other leg is there to stabilize his stride, the suitcase analogy is a very good one and was taught it myself when I was young. Was also told by one of our breeders that they usually learn it from their mothers when they are yearlings. It also can be a sign that there may be an issue that is starting to show it self if they all of a sudden they refuse to switch.
In my handicapping, I make notes of any runners who don't switch at the proper point in a race, and have found it more useful in using that info on beating short priced runners that do it habitually and especially if they are moving up in class.

Great question Thask, especially as I play the bull ring at Hastings quite
often where that might make a big difference.

The lead that the horse starts running on...is it because of "training", or "personal preference"? Do the horses habitually start running on a particular lead because such a running style is instinctively better for them...just as a human starts on a particular "lead" when swimming freestyle? Do horses favor a particular side of their body...as humans do?

When you are swimming freestyle...how much more "work" is your lead arm doing in comparison to your OTHER arm? Will you swim faster if you "change leads" during the final lap?

Just curious Gus, what brought on the sudden fascination about how and why a horse changes leads?....You got a theory you'd like to share?...:popcorn:

Good question. And it begs the “handedness factor”. ...a few folks are truly ambidextrous, but most of us are not...I’m not sure leading and handedness comes into play much for me when I swim freestyle, but it may for competition-level performers...

it could be that horses are “handed” like humans, meaning that one side may have more ability than the other, who knows, but if humans commonly are, it’s not necessarily irrational to entertain the fancy that other animals may also be fashioned as such...

Actually, I do have a new handicapping theory that I might like to share. But to talk about it now would be a little premature...because I haven't fully worked it out yet. Stay tuned...:)

Here in North America they run on their left lead in the turns and switch over when they straighten up, but if you watch in other parts of the world where they run clockwise it's the opposite and finish up on their left in the stretch. It looks a little odd until you get used to it.

When I was a youngster I went horseback riding and was told to always mount
from the horses left side. I always thought it was a joke. But it seems to me watching the paddock before the races, all jockeys seem to be given a hand up from the left side? Why is that?

Most people are right-handed/right-legged.



It is always natural to lead with your dominant hand/arm/leg, and thus has been carried down for decades (actually centuries) with horses and training and everything about it.

Right. But if most are right handed why is the proper way to mount a horse from the left, meaning you put your left foot into the stirrup to mount???

I'm a right/right person in which everything I do in sports, I'm a right lead.


What do I mean by that? When I step into a batters box, it is always my left first, but it is my right that powers it all and can hit it over the wall.



When I play golf, my left leg/arm is the base, but my right is the power to hit it 300+.


When I box, I jab and lead with the left, but my right is the power knockout punch.



The left is always the set up for the right.