As a review, a lead refers to the footfall pattern a horse performs in a stride at the canter (or lope). For instance, if the horse is cantering a circle to the left on the left lead, the horse would initiate the first step of the canter stride with the right hind (beat 1), the second step of the stride with the simultaneous striking of the ground by the left hind and right fore (beat 2), and the final step of the stride with the left fore or leading leg (beat 3) followed by a suspension phase with all four feet in the air. Concurrently, the canter on the right lead would be initiated by the left hind, then the simultaneous step of the right hind and left fore, with the last step being the leading right fore followed by a suspension phase. When counting the steps of the canter, the stride will count as "1, 2, 3 and" with "and" denoting the suspension phase.
Probably one of the easiest ways to introduce leads is to have an experienced rider demonstrating the leads while mounted. Ideally, you would want to demonstrate leads on an easy-to-ride horse that has a distinct three-beat canter and can perform simple lead changes and the counter canter. It also helps to wrap the diagonal pairs of legs in different colored leg wraps, i.e., wrapping the left fore and right hind in red and the right fore and left hind in yellow. This allows an experienced horseperson to talk about colors without confusing the issue with left and right. For example, as the horse lopes on the left lead, you can describe the red hind leg as beat 1, the yellow pair of legs as beat 2, and the red front leg as beat 3.
After the rider is comfortable sitting the canter, it is time to develop some feel for the steps of the canter in the rider's seat. Asking the rider to close his or her eyes will help the rider establish a feel for the canter. Initially, it may be easiest for the rider to tell the instructor when the leading foreleg is hitting the ground. Ideally, you would like the rider to count the steps of the stride out loud, beginning with the first hind step. You can help the rider by calling out "1-2-3 and" in time with the steps of the stride, letting the rider associate the beats with the feel of the horse. Changing directions will help the rider learn the feel of the horse on the different leads as well. You can also use a visual exercise where the rider looks down at the shoulders and tells you when the leading shoulder is reaching forward. However, this can create a bad habit of the rider leaning forward and to the inside to recognize a lead.
For more help with the canter, watch this eXtension HorseQuest training video.
