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Linda Lashley
Member
Username: Lhenning
Post Number: 167
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 10:50 am: |   |
I am trying to understand footfall sequence as it relates to leads. I feel I may be misunderstanding what is a "left" lead vs. a "right" lead. Here is a link to a video showing a horse at canter. Am I correct in saying this horse is on the right lead?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7302584939441885925&q=canter
I am confused because a right lead should start on the left hind, but what it appears is that the RH is leading. Or is that little jump off on the LH the leading foot?
It is very hard to see this action when a horse is moving at canter. Can anyone give me some ideas on what to focus on in order to "see" the sequence? |
Corinne Meadows
Member
Username: Corinne
Post Number: 645
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 11:12 am: | |
Linda that horse is on the right lead and is departing with the outside left hind. You are correct. When it's in motion it's hard to detect if you are watching. He strikes off with outside hind first...as least that is what I have been schooled. |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana
Post Number: 306
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 12:24 pm: | |
What makes it difficult is that it is a Paso x therefore it does not walk in diagonals like say a TB or a dog which would be:
Left hind
Right front
As in right lead
Right hind
Left front
As in left lead
It is said that it walks in diagonals
If you look closely the horse on the film walks left hind - right front like a cat would walk (choo choo train)which incidentally makes them extremely easy to seat on.
Hard eh?... I hope I explained properly. |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana
Post Number: 307
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 4:42 pm: | |
BIG ooops look closely and you will see LEFT hind LEFT front like a cat ...
Liliana |
Corinne Meadows
Member
Username: Corinne
Post Number: 646
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Friday, Dec 8, 2006 - 8:06 pm: | |
K I got it...it's a breed thing then that he doesn't depart on the outside hind with the diagnol foot leading? It was hard to notice on that horse and maybe I saw what I thought I was going to see! LOL |
Chris Stevens
Member
Username: Stevens
Post Number: 189
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Dec 11, 2006 - 10:39 am: | |
There's a great book by Susan Harris on Horse Gaits. Lots of pictures and clear concise descriptions. I don't think she goes alot into the "gaited" horses, although she does describe pacing, but I haven't looked at it for awhile.
Chris |
Chris Stevens
Member
Username: Stevens
Post Number: 190
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Dec 11, 2006 - 10:46 am: | |
Umm, I just looked at the video and it sure looks to me that she walks "normally" and does not pace. She also does strike off on the left/outside hind into the canter. It looks like a little trot step first which may be the source of the confusion.
Remember that the correct walk is a 4 beat gait so there isn't any diagonal to speak of.
Chris |
Ella
Member
Username: Ella
Post Number: 24
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 8:09 am: | |
The outside hind is just a push - like a runner pushing off starting blocks. From there you will see the inside legs (back first and then front) reaching further forward than the outside counterpart.
Unless you really break apart the canter it really looks as thought the first step is the inside hind reaching forward. Many miss the outside push that allows that inside to reach forward.
Ella  |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana
Post Number: 310
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 12:38 pm: | |
With all due Chris it has to be a four beat as they have four feet!
However a Paso’s walk is characteristic and different to an Arab, Spanish TB etc., that do walk in diagonals... |
Linda Lashley
Member
Username: Lhenning
Post Number: 168
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:11 pm: | |
I think I was missing that push from the outside hind and that is what led to my confusion. My horse is not gaited and I did not mean to use a video of a gaited horse.
My horse has cross-cantered on a lunge line and my instructor brought it to my attention. I had never really paid attention to that before, so I needed to understand what a proper canter looks like to help my horse know when he is going correctly.
I thank you for your help.
Linda |
Erika L
Member
Username: Erika
Post Number: 609
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:38 pm: | |
Liliana, I'm a little confused...you are talking about a Paso walking, but the video I get is a Swedish Warmblood doing canter departs. Am I on the wrong video? |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana
Post Number: 313
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 2:39 pm: | |
What started me off was after riding a Paso and it was sooo comfy...
A few years back when I was a trainer and occasional judge at the local shows (I hated disappointing people that had worked so hard and for a silly little mistake they had to be disqualified, I haven’t the heart) I had to develop a good eye for leading legs etc. , which in deed can be very confusing...but oh ever so important in show jumping.
Mmmm miss the good old days, there are no riding trails or shows here! And venturing out on the roads… what a scary thought. I am playing with the idea of custom making a trailer to take them to the beach as now I would have to ride on freeway to get to it. |
Chris Stevens
Member
Username: Stevens
Post Number: 191
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 4:52 pm: | |
Liliana: As I said a "correct" walk is 4 beats. Perhaps it would have been clearer to say 4 distinct even beats. A faulty walk may become pacey and compromise the 4 beats becoming 4 uneven beats to the point of being nearly 3 beats.
Yes, they have 4 feet, however as I'm sure you know the trot is a 2 beat gait as the diagonal pairs move together.
Linda: cross-cantering usually refers to the horse being on one lead in the front and another in the back. It still could be 3 beats, however, instead of the outside fore and inside hind moving together, the outside fore and outside hind move together. My experience is that cross-cantering is the correct lead in the front and the incorrect lead in the back.
I really recommend the Susan Harris book on Horse Gaits. Amazon has it available. |
Liliana Velasco Ariza
Member
Username: Liliana
Post Number: 314
Registered: 5-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Dec 12, 2006 - 7:35 pm: | |
Got me Erika,
I guess I should have not use the term Paso cross. However as we know we have cold blood which would be Shire Clysdale and mostly the horses with feather on the legs and the Hot bloods like Arabs Andalusian and the like which through centuries of selective breeding produce the warm bloods.
The Paso Fino of Peru originated with the Horses brought by the Spaniards to America including of course the Andalusian.
The Swedish Warm blood although it originated in the Stromholm stud in 1621 in Sweden it is indeed a selective breeding from horses as varied as Turkish Russian, German and towards the end in the 20th century they included Andalusian and Friesian.
So really what I meant is simply that it is a “gaited” horse as they are known in the USA.
Thank you for pulling me on that one. |
