Recognise correct leg at canter and how to change lead at canter through trot

It is easy to recognise the correct leg at a canter as the horse/pony should strike out with their inside foreleg and this leg will appear to be in front of the outside foreleg. It is important to ensure that your horse/pony is on the correct canter lead particularly when turning or undertaking circles. If the horse/pony is on the incorrect lead, then they are more likely to stumble or fall as they are not balanced. It is generally easier to ask your horse/pony to canter in a corner and this can be undertaken in a round yard or a dressage arena if you have one available. Make sure that your horse/pony’s head is placed to the inside and sit trot a few strides before asking to canter. Keep your body upright and move your outside leg back behind the girth keeping the inside leg on the girth and use your inside calf muscles rather than a tapping squeeze. Should the horse/pony strike off with the incorrect lead, ask them to come back to the trot and try again. Upon changing direction, you need to sit deep in the saddle, gently squeezing and closing the rein slightly until the horse/pony comes back to the trot. Once you have come back to the trot, give the same commands previously used but as you are going in a different direction, you will need to use your opposite legs.