What good hands are and what they are not:

Many people have a misconception about good hands. They think the rider’s hands should “give” to the horse’s mouth. This is a big mistake.

In reality the horse’s mouth should give to the rider’s hands.

Set your hand solid to ask the horse to “give”. If he doesn’t, bump the bit until he does. As soon as he gives, quit bumping and slack the rein.

Refine until the horse will give to the slightest pressure.

IMPORTANT: In most cases, when taking up slack in the reins or to put pressure in the horse’s mouth (laterally or vertically) DO NOT BEND YOUR WRIST to take up slack or apply pressure. Instead, MOVE YOUR ELBOWS BACK. Yes, bring your hand back toward your hip by moving your elbow back.

Also in most cases, DO NOT bring your hand back to the MIDDLE of your stomach or your chest.

Flying lead changes and suppleness:

To get good consistent flying lead changes, the horse MUST be supple. If the horse is stiff, he’ll often pick up the wrong lead.

To get the horse to give laterally at the trot, set your inside hand (and bit) SOLID and drive the horse into it with your legs. As soon as the horse gives, relax your hands and legs.

This needs to be done while going forward and also backing up in reverse. Suppling while backing up helps alot. First take the horse’s head to the side laterally. Then make contact with BOTH reins and ask for the back up.

To get the horse to give vertically at the trot, set your hands (and bit) SOLID INTERMITTENTLY (set and release) and drive the horse into it with your legs.

The “set and release” is done by closing and relaxing your fingers. Your wrists are relaxed but straight. As soon as the horse gives, relax your hands and legs.

IMPORTANT: Drive the horse “to” the bit to collect him and give to your hands. However, DO NOT drive the horse “through” the bit or “past” the bit. This is really, really bad. Call me if you don’t understand this.

Shoulder control to help flying lead changes:

The shoulder control exercises helps with suppleness as well as shoulder placement when doing lead departures and flying lead changes. Pretty much critical.

When watching the video, pay close attention to my hand position… both hands. My feet too.

I press the indirect rein against horse horse’s lower neck or shoulder. This takes his head to the outside as well as moving the shoulder AWAY from the rein. The spur presses and released to aid in this. The spur is applied far forward.

The opposite rein (direct rein) leads the horse in the direction you want the shoulders to go.

As alway, pressure and release of pressure. Tiny on and off.

How I use my spurs:

I start by using only “leg” pressure. I gradually introduce spur pressure.

If a horse responds well to leg pressure, there is not much need for spurs.

I have found the majority of horses will require spurs if a higher degree of training is expected.

However, most top performance horses require the use of spurs. Many trained horses only need to know you have the spurs on and they’ll preform well without the need to use them.

I almost always use my spurs with a “press and release”.

I turn my toe out and press. As soon as the horse responds correctly, I release. I often release as soon as the horse even slightly does the right thing. Oftentimes, I use the press and release with each step the horse takes. Repeat over time until its exactly right.

I use my cues sometimes light. Sometimes strong. If I don’t get a good response, I might roll my spur up the horse’s side as a reminder to pay attention.

The spurs I normally use have a 2 inch shank with a 10-point rowel. This rowel is medium sharp for an average horse. On a super sensitive horse, I use a dull clover leaf style rowel. On a super unresponsive horse, I’ll use what’s called a rock grlnder rowel. These are sharp so good judgement is a must.

At times your reins may be needed to help the horse understand how to respond to your leg or spur.

Rollback into the correct lead:

Trot along side a fence. About 6 to 10 feet away from the fence. If you’re too close, the horse can’t turn his front end. He’ll swing his butt out instead.

Use the direct rein to bring the nose. Use the indirect rein (outside rein) to bring the shoulder. Use the outside spur (half-way through the turn) to bring the horse’s ribcage and hips.

Cluck to ask for the lope. Ask for the lope when the horse is half-way through the turn. If he refuses to lope, pop him on the outside hip with the end of the rein. For the right lead, pop on the left hip.

IMPORTANT: Train your horse to respond to the “cluck”. Cluck to the horse. If he doesn’t respond, pop him on the butt with the end of the rein. When asking for the left lead, pop on the right hip.

Hindquarter Control For Lead Changes:

Start on the ground. Take your thumb or hoof pick and press on the horse’s side near the rear cinch.

Press and the instant the horse take a step away, release the pressure. Repeat step by step. The end goal is the be able to control the hindquarters step-by-step.

Don’t make the mistake of holding the pressure with no release. This will cause the horse to move away erratically.

Get in the saddle and use your spur duplicating what you did on the ground.

IMPORTANT: If possible, refine this process until the horse will move his hindquarters away from your CALF pressure alone. Press with your calf and follow up with the spur if needed.

Flying Lead Changes On An Untrained Horse:

This is simply a test to see if the horse has a natural aptitude to do flying lead changes.

It seems simple to do but it’s more detailed than that. To start, have a rein in each hand.

Pick up the left lead by making contact with the horse’s mouth and moving the hindquarters to the left. Keep the shoulders stationary or maybe even move them a little to the right. While the horse’s body is in this position, “CLUCK” to ask for the lope.

If he won’t lope from the “cluck”, pop on the outside hip with the rein. If you want the left lead, pop on the right hip.

When it’s time to change, go from a circle to the left to loping in a straight line. Then ask for the change while loping straight.

To make the lead change to the right-hand circle, slightly bend the horses head to the right. Simultaneously, move the shoulders slightly to the left, move the hindquarters to the right and lift (or bump) the front end straight UP.

Do this as the horse’s hind feet are starting to leave the ground. It’s the same timing as a stop on the hindquarters.

All this needs to happen at the same time. Plus, do this at a medium or fast lope. The speed makes it easier for the horse. You might even need to cluck at the time you ask for the change.

Flying Lead Change Training, Part 1:

The horse MUST be supple. Must be able to move each body part independently from any other body part. Especially being able to move the head and hindquarters in the SAME direction. Example: Bend the head to the left and at the same time, push the hindquarters to the left. Bending the horse’s body in a “C” shape.

The lead is dictated by the hindquarters. Move the hindquarters in the direction of the lead you want. The shoulders need to be stationary. If you let the shoulders move in the same direction of the hindquarters, it cancels out the hindquarters.

Lead departures… Pick up the left lead by making contact with the horse’s mouth and moving the hindquarters to the left. Keep the shoulders stationary or maybe even move them a little to the right. While the horse’s body is in this position, “CLUCK” to ask for the lope.

IMPORTANT: When doing a lead departure, look straight ahead. Don’t look down or lean toward the lead. If anything, lean to the outside.

Make sure your horse’s head position is good. Especially not too high. Do what’s necessary (seesaw or bump) to get it right.

Shape or move the horse’s body with the position of your legs. Pressing with your leg or spur far forward, moves the shoulders. Pressing with the spur far behind, moves the hindquarter. Pressing in-between, moves the ribcage.

If there is no response to your legs, bump with your foot or press and roll the spur.

Be aware, when just starting to do flying lead changes, “speed” will help your horse change. Unless the horse is a born natural, don’t ask a green horse to change leads when loping real slow. It’s very difficult for a green horse to do.

Flying Lead Change Training, Part 2

In competition like reining, the horse anticipating the lead change is a real problem. He’ll want to change too soon in the circle. It totally messes up your run.

To counter act the anticipation, we need to approach and ask for the lead change in different ways… When training, ask for the lead change from the counter canter. Don’t always ask for the change the same way. Mix it up. Change and lope off straight. Change from a counter canter into a counter canter the other direction.

At a show, enter a “paid practice” and school the horse to avoid anticipation. Even set the horse up for a lead change but don’t change. Practice changing on the straight away. Etc.

Don’t let the horse associate a change of lead to a change of direction or vice versa.

Practice body part control to the extreme. Each body part needs to lightly move independently from any other body part.

Trot small circles to the left with the horse bent to match the circumference of the circle. While continuing to trot to the left, change the arc of the horse’s body to match a small circle to the right… then, trot straight forward a few strides before going to the right. Repeat each direction.

Also trot these circles doing a “reverse arc”.

Have this perfected at the trot before you do this exercise at the lope.

IMPORTANT: Be aware, seldom should your body lean toward the direction of the circle. Better to have your weight more to the “outside” of the circle or directly in the middle. Same goes for the actual lead change. Don’t lean into it.

Flying Lead Change Training, Part 3

A “counter canter” is simply loping a horse on the wrong lead. When loping to the right, have the horse on the left lead. We do this to help prevent the horse from “anticipating” the lead change.

Counter canter until the horse is relaxed and comfortable… Then ask for the change.

If the horse doesn’t change, no big deal. DO NOT PUNISH HIM. Simply keep on loping and then ask again. If he misses it this time, ask again with a stronger cue.

After several tries, if he keeps missing the lead change, stop him and move his hindquarters over in the direction you wanted the lead. If it was an honest mistake, no harsh punishment. However, if the mistake was made due to the horse not trying, get more demanding (within reason).

Again, to prevent anticipation, I’ll sometimes set the horse up for a lead change but don’t ask him to change.

Flying Lead Change Training, Part 4

In the video, this is another horse that is green to flying lead changes. He’s a good horse though and went on to win a bunch the following year.

On a horse that’s green, a snaffle bit rigged with a German martingale is a good way to go. Excellent tools for training. The spurs I use have a 10-point rowel. Not too dull and not too sharp.

Suppleness and body control is super important to good consistent lead changes.

Don’t punish a horse much if the lead changes don’t go exactly right. Don’t make the horse dread it.

Occasionally do a lead departure on the wrong lead. This gives you the perfect opportunity to ask for a flying lead change.

Also, don’t forget to lift or bump the horse straight up when ask for the change.

If the horse is doing well, don’t over do it. If you drill the horse too much, you’ll cause him to dread it or start wringing his tail.

The horse in this video was doing great until his owner took him home and drilled him too much. The result was he started wringing and popping his tail. The owner brought him back to me and I was able to fix it. It took 3 months though.

I hope you enjoyed this cheatsheet and got some good from it.

In closing, I’d like to mention… A horse that’s a natural born lead changer is so easy to train for this. A horse that isn’t, can be a real problem.

If your horse has a real problem with the lead changes, I recommend you get my “Performance Training Package“. The flying lead change part of that training, offers MULTIPLE different ways to get the job done. It also covers common problems.

Good luck to you.

Larry Trocha
(209) 642-2804