Importance of Lead Changes When Jumping Your Horse

Lead changes are important when jumping your horse because they have a huge affect on the horse's balance. Teach your horse how to do lead changes correctly with guidance from a horseback riding instructor in this video on horse training.

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Hi, I'm Teri Carter of Saddle Brook Stables in Castle Hayne, North Carolina. And today I'm going to talk to you about the importance of lead changes when you are jumping your horse. A lead change is when the horse rearranged the pattern of his legs when he changes direction. Lead changes come in handy when you are on courses and jumping fences, either in shows or just at home, because it affects your horse's balance. Usually the lead change needs to be done in the corner of a course. Sometimes the horse does not change leads all the way around. It changes on the front or it does not change on the back. This is judged in accordance if you are in a show, you get points taken off. Sometimes the horse won't change leads at all. And therefore it is a balance issue while going through the corner, and it can put the horse off balance when it goes around the second corner unto the next line of fences. It is important that your horse be able to accomplish these lead changes whether you are showing or whether you are just at home in the ring because you want to keep your horse balanced before he comes to a fence. And that is the importance of lead changes when you are jumping your horse.