For me, it's easier to see if a horse is either on the "wrong lead",
or the "correct lead", by
simply looking at the front feet.
I.E.- Which (front foot) really hits the ground first. Sometimes you have to slow-mo the video tape to really tell. Some horses have such a fluid motion, that even in slow motion, there's only a fraction of a difference between the time that the two front hoofs hit the ground. Other horses are not as fluid, and are easier to tell.
Usually the only time we can see good video of this, is the pan shot in the stretch. This is where you want your horse to have the
left front foot hitting the ground first. And the sooner he changes leads coming out of the turn, - the better.
On the turns, the right front foot hits the ground first, to counteract the centrifugal force of the turn.
Most horses don't have a problem with that, because it's natural to them.
The problem, is switching back again on the straight away.
So:
On the Turn - Right Front should hit the ground first.
In the Stretch (straightaways) - Left Front should hit first.
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Originally Posted by sniezer
"When a horse is on it's left lead, the left front hits after the right front. ".......
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In other words, the right front hits the ground first.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by sniezer
"It is difficult for a horse to negotiate the whole turn on the wrong lead." .....
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Yes, Very difficult.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by sniezer
"Some horses switch to their right lead as soon as they straighten out for home, ".....
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Yes, These are the ones you want to bet.
When a horse fails to switch leads in the stretch, he starts drifting towards the rail, and can't be fully extended. Many times ends up "laying on" another horse's flank.
Horses that don't switch leads, are running the entire race on the same lead that they run the turns with. Not good for the horse's legs, or the bettor's wallet.
One criticism of 1-turn mile races, is that it's not healthy for a horse to run such a large % of the race, on the same lead.
I've heard trainers say (in s. ca.), that the horses they like to take to the Pomona bullring, are the ones that are good at changing leads, cause there are so many lead changes required on a bullring. And if your horse is good at changing leads, you have a leg up (couldn't avoid the pun), on the competition.
One of the most famous examples of a horse NOT changing leads, and costing him dearly, was Alydar. Even though
I'm a Big Fan of Affirmed,... many say that if Alydar could have changed leads, he would have been able to pass Affirmed in at least one of the TC races, and.........Affirmed would Not have won the Triple Crown. ----- Hoss
