Horse Training Tips – Colt Leads

Dear Friend and Horseman,

Welcome to another issue of my "Training Tips" newsletter. Before we get started with the training tips, I thought I'd better let you know I have just released my latest training videos plus I've added some videos by top trainers that I highly recommend.

Topics include cutting, reining, working cow horse and foundation training. After you finish reading the new training tips, you might want to take a look at the new videos. I think you'll really like them.

How To Teach A Green-Broke Colt Correct Leads

When you're riding a colt that you've just started, you'll notice that he almost always takes the same lead, no matter which direction he is loping. This is normal. Just like people who are left or right handed, most colts will be left or right leaded. It's not a big deal or something you should be overly concerned about.

All you really need to do, is get your horse to lope on his bad lead until he gets comfortable with it. Once he gets used to loping in either lead, then you can start adding refinement to his lead departures.

Of course, the problem is getting him to take the bad lead to begin with. In this issue I describe how I get a colt to do that.

OK, Let's Get Started

Let's say the colt won't pick up the right lead.  I trot the horse alongside the fence, placing the fence on my right. My horse will be parallel and about 6’ from the fence. From the walk or trot, I'll turn the colt into the fence.

Halfway through that turn, I'll kick him with my outside leg (which would be my left leg) and I'll cluck to him to pick up the lope. If he won't pick up the lope, I might swat him on the butt with the end of the rein. If I can get him to turn to the right and pick up the lope at the same time, he is almost forced to pick up that right lead.

Note: I should point out, if you have to swat the colt on the butt to get him to pick up the lope, make sure you swat him on the side “opposite” from the lead. In other words, if you want him to pick up the “right” lead, swat him on the “left” hip.

Also, its important to handle your reins correctly when doing this. Let's say you're going to turn the colt into the fence to the right.  Cross your reins and put them in your right hand. Have your right rein shorter than your left rein so you can turn him into the fence “nose first” with a direct rein.

Have the end of your rein in your left hand so that when you turn into the fence, halfway through you can pop him on the butt.

The timing of this is pretty critical.  Halfway through the turn — while he's facing the fence - use your outside (left) leg.  Right after you bump him with your outside leg, you swat him on the butt with the end of the rein using your left hand. If you want, you could use a bat to pop him on the hip, instead of the rein.

Sometimes you’ll have a horse that will pick up the correct lead – but then take a couple strides and switch to the wrong lead again. The way you fix that is to ride him into a circle “immediately” after he picks up the lead.

If he won't hold the “right” lead, you’d turn him into the fence, jump him into the right lead, and then lope him into a circle to the “right”.

Here is the sequence of steps to pick up the right lead:

1. Ride parallel to a fence on your right

2. Turn to the right, into the fence

3. Halfway thought the turn, kick with your outside (left) leg

4. If necessary, swat on the outside (left) hip with the rein or bat

5. Go into the lope 

6. Circle to the right to encourage him stay on the right lead 

If you’ll be consistent with this procedure, it will have your colt picking up the correct lead almost every time.  However, when you first start this, you have to make sure you don’t over do it. Repeating it two or three times each direction, is probably enough on a particular ride.

Don't do it so many times in one ride that you scare him half to death. Do it just enough to give him the idea and that’s all. If he gets it, great.  If he doesn't get it, wait until the following day to try it again.

That way you'll keep him calm and your progress will be smoother.

In my new video, Foundation Training For Turns, Circles and Leads, I show you exactly how to do this.

Until next time, take care.

Larry Trocha
www.HorseTrainingVideos.com