Instructions
Train your horse to "leg yield" at the trot. In a leg yield, your horse moves sideways and forward along a diagonal line. To teach your horse to leg yield from left to right, begin the trot on a straight line. Push your left leg and seat against her to move her sideways. Shorten your right rein slightly to guide her. Do the opposite to leg yield to the left.
Practice the leg yield at the trot until your horse is quiet and responds to light leg pressure. This may take several days of training.
Ride the leg yield to the left four or five strides. Trot straight for one or two strides. Leg yield to the right for four or five strides. Again, make sure your horse responds to your cues before you move to the next exercise.
Teach your horse to do right and left leg yields at the canter using the same leg, seat and rein cues you used at the trot. Once your horse accomplishes the yields at the canter, you are ready to teach him to lead change.
Begin the leg yield at the canter. When your horse reaches the change point, feel her step down with her lead leg. As she comes up for the next stride, simultaneously reverse your leg, seat and rein pressure to switch her lead. You may have to exaggerate your leg pressure until she understands your cue.
How to Train a Horse to Change Leads
If you are a fan of dressage, jumping, Western riding or reining, you know the signature of a well-trained horse by a smoothly executed lead change. A rider with subtle cues can direct her horse to change leads on the mark or ask him to dance across the arena by changing leads every other stride. You can teach your horse this advanced movement. The key is in your timing and patience.