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Thread: Lead changes.
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Old 04-02-2006, 03:47 PM   #1
DJofSD
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Join Date: Jun 2003
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Lead changes.

This topic was originally brought up in the FLA Derby thread.

I can get very technical about this subject, so, let's just start with a simple observation then go on from there.

A horse while cantering or galloping will have a front leg that strikes the ground before the other. Typically, this will be called a left lead if the left fore leg hits the ground first.

When it gets tired or gets off balance, it will change leads. Or, in other words, the leg that was 2nd to hit the ground now becomes the 1st to hit the ground.

When a horse is on a specific lead, there is a natural balance to one direction or the other depending up the lead. In North America where left handed races predominate, running while in the turn means to keep its balance, a horse will run on the left lead. When it's running straight, like down the back stretch, it doesn't make any difference which lead it's on.

One of the great things about having a race on tape or DVR is you can watch then pause or rewind the stretch drive to see when a horse will change leads -- that is if the shot is not too tight preventing you from seeing the legs.

Now, here's some more technical details.

A horse moves in a canter in a three beat motion. In equestrian desciplines, the lead is defined by not the front leg but the hind leg. Which one hits the ground first after the suspension phase, i.e. from the point where the horse is in the air, completely off the ground, which hind leg hits the ground first. After the first hind leg hits the ground, the next pair of legs will hit at the same time. This pair is a diagonal pair of one hind leg and one fore leg on the opposite side. If for example the left hind leg hits first, the diagonal pair is the left front and the right hind. It's the diagonal pair the determines which way is the easist direction for the horse to turn while maintaining the gait.

To illustrate the importance of the lead for running in the turn, try this simple exercise. Get down on you hands and knees. If you're afraid of looking silly or don't want the kids or grand kids looking for a free pony ride, close the door! Then canter and remember that you have to have a diagonal pair to be cantering. Try turning in the opposite direction from the diagonal pair of "legs" -- not too easy! And for one obvious reason: you're attempting to go into the direction that's the same as the last leg to hit the ground which is the remaining fore leg. Ugg. Glad I'm a bipedal.

Some horses will naturally change leads. Others will favor one lead over the other. A well trained horse will respond to a cue to change leads. Most often this is seen on the race track while driving in the stretch when it appears a horse has put it into another gear.
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