"What is A Wrong Lead and A Right Lead at Canter?"

"Wrong lead?"

        I often hear this during Yana's horseback riding lesson when they are asked to canter.
        "Wrong lead Yana", her instructor would say. "Slow down and try again."
        And after a couple of tries, Yana would get it right.
        "There you go!" says her instructor. "Good!"
        As an onlooker, I can't really tell the right lead from the wrong lead. On the other hand, Yana can tell the difference when she watches other riders - but says she still can't feel the proper lead when she rides.
        After researching, I find the easiest explanation about the proper lead at canter to be as follows.

    Leads at the Canter

What is a Lead? When a pony canters, his front and hind legs on one side reach out ahead of the other, like a person skipping. If his left leg is ahead, he is on the left lead. If his right legs are ahead, he is on the right lead.
Why Should a Pony Canter on the Proper Lead? When a pony canters around a ring, or on a turn, he should be on the correct lead. His inside legs must be ahead, so he can balance safely around the turns. If his outside legs are ahead, he is on the wrong lead. (You can try this yourself if you skip with one leg in front of the other. It is easy to turn toward the leg that you are leading with, but if you turn the other way, your legs cross and you can't balance as well.)
How Can You Tell Which Lead Your Pony Is Cantering On? Your pony must be on a steady canter, and you must be sitting deep and tall.
1. Take a quick peek at your pony's inside shoulder (the one toward the center of the ring). You  may see the tip of his toe coming out in front of the shoulder. If you see his toe, he is on the correct lead.
2. Take a quick peek at both shoulders. When the pony is on the inside lead, the outside shoulder moves first and shorter, and the inside shoulder moves second and longer.
Caution: Just take a quick peek. Don't ride along with your head down looking at the shoulders or lean forward to look. That could put you off balance. With more experience in the canter, you will be able to feel the difference between a correct lead and a wrong lead.  

(Source: The U.S. Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship - Basic for Beginners) 

image via the fun learning

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