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Originally Posted by only11
Do horses only change leads in the stretch??Can they change leads around turns?Do they do it on there own?
And how important is it when it comes to capping the races/ how come i never see a trip note stating " the horse refuse to change leads"
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Horses should run the straightaways on the right lead and the turn on the left. They should swap leads as they start the turn and end it. It does require some coordination to do it and some horses find it hard to do when they are getting fatigued by the top of the stretch.
I follow NY and at Belmont you see alot of horses turning for home on the "wrong" (outside) lead. They can and do switch on the turn but at their peril. They are less balanced that way. It seems to happen alot at Belmont because the turn time is longer than at most tracks.
Horses can change leads on their own (they do it when turned out in a pasture, even as foals) but in a track setting they learn to do it when the rider shifts his/her weight sometimes accompanied by a slap on the shoulder and a tug on the rein. Sometimes they don't swap, even when asked and then you'll see the rider stop shuffling about and just keep riding, figuring that he'll swap eventually. Usually if they don't change leads it's because they are getting fatiqued and can't seem to figure out what to do with their legs.
Changing is important because it "refreshes" the horse, shifting the burden of pushing off to a different set of muscles. The human analogy that best fits is this: You are walking carrying a heavy bag. You carry it in the right hand because you are right handed. You feel fatigued and shift it to your left and get a (short but sweet) burst of energy because you are no longer carrying the burden with tired muscles.
