Today we are going to talk about LEAD CHANGES: What are they? How you can you prepare for them? What makes a pretty and consistent lead change?

What are some prerequisites to a flying lead change?
- You must be able to lope your horse CONTROLLED and SOFT.
- You must be able to bring the horse's HINDQUARTERS underneath himself.
- You must have control of the SHOULDERS, RIBCAGE, and HIPS in all gaits.

Body Control Exercises:

Hip Control:
You want to be able to move the hindquarters in at any speed. Start out at a trot and push the hip off the rail. To build on this, take his hip to the inside while also taking the whole body in a diagonal to the inside.

Speed Control:
Take your horse into a lope. Use your seat to urge him in a quicker lope. Then, hum to cue him to slow down. If he doesn't slow, bring him to a stop, change directions, and lope off again. If he slows to a trot, that's okay - let him take a few steps at a trot and gently urge him back up to a lope.

Ribcage Control:
Traveling in a lope, take your horse's nose to the rail (or outside), while moving his body in a diagonal to the inside (similar to reverse arc).

Lead Change Prep:
Starting at a walk, move in a small circle. You will move in a figure-8 pattern. When you get to the center of the figure-8, start to take the hip off of your current circle, and move it to bend the opposite way and onto the other circle, having his front end follow through to get onto the other circle in the figure-8.

Pick it up to a lope and complete the same exercise, but with a stop in the middle. Move the hip over, and pick up your other lead.

To get your lead change, you'll keep loping through the middle. Side pass the horse, then push the hip over into the lead change.

To Make Your Lead Changes Even Better:
Take your horse in a counter-canter. Then do the same maneuvers you performed before, side passing first, then taking the hip over to cue the lead change. He should want to change as he is on the incorrect lead in the circle.

Once you have your changes going pretty smooth, you are ready to ask for changes going on a diagonal down the arena.

TIPS
- Keep your body upright - DO NOT DIVE into the lead change. It will get your horse off balance.
- Do not allow your horse to rush through the lead change. It can create bad habits like crossfiring.

Lead changes are fairly simple once you have the body control to support them. I hope you use this lesson to go out and try lead changes with your horse.

Until next time, may God bless the trails you ride!
-Ken McNabb

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