Re: RE: RC: leads-self-select

["Dot Wiggins" <dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net>]

Sometimes refusal to use one lead can mean there is a subtle injury to a
shoulder or hip.  Started riding one nearly two years ago,  nice horse, but
almost impossible to get him on left lead, very uncoordinated, even right
lead was rough.  He would just keep trotting faster.   Had a very good
chiropractor work on him and within 24 hours the change was terrific.  He
would willingly take both leads.
It took time for him to get smoother on the bad side, but he now freely, on
his own, will use either.
He had major misalignments in neck, shoulder and hip, once those were fixed
he was calmer, and much freer in all gaits.   Made a different horse.
Dot

----- Original Message -----
From: <DESERTRYDR1@aol.com>
To: <rno2m@virginia.edu>
Cc: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 1:07 PM
Subject: RC: RE: RC: leads-self-select


> One side of the body tends to predominate in horses, as in people.  The
> horse prefers one lead or one diagonal because one side of the body is
> stronger than the other.  It's important for a horse's balance to be able
to
> canter equally on both leads.  Horses that prefer one lead over the other
> should be schooled on their non-preferred lead, and directed to take it
about
> equally with the preferred lead, otherwise the horse will become
increasingly
> crooked.  The same goes for trotting.  The rider should try to post on
both
> diagonals about equally.  I retrained a horse that could canter in 15
meter
> circles (lunging) on the left lead, no matter which direction she was
going.
> It took about three weeks of concentrated effort on the Longe, correcting
her
> ever time, before she could pick up the right lead and hold it.  She
> developed muscling along her topline from the training also, her owner
> thought she was beautiful when he got her back, because her neck came out
of
> her withers much higher, and she no longer looked like a big horse with a
> skinny little ewe neck sort of stuck on.  jeri
>

>
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