[lacy]

I think this is what my barn manager called it.

When I work my mare in the round pen, or lunging (she is not broke yet), she will change the leads of her back legs.

Its kind of hard to describe, I will try to get a video of it. But, when she is cantering, she looks like she skips in the back end and will change the leg that she leads off with, but her front legs stay the same.

What causes this? My barn manager said that it is just lack of muscle and her being young. Is this true?

BUT- one a good note, we have worked in the round pen and I have ridden her in the saddle for the past 3 days in a row. She is listening more to me and feeling more confident under me

[EmazingCasper]

LOL wow. I have never heard of this, but I'm not half knowledgeable of the things I should be. I think that would be interesting to see...

[redhotchilipepr]

Yep...we call it cross firing and it is really hard to ride. The thing you have to work on it keeping all four legs on the same lead. Everytime they change it you stop them and ask for that lead again. It may take a while but this will help also make sure you keep the same tempo and speed. We have a horse as school that does that...she is getting better now. Another thing that caused her to do it was if she got going too fast when loping/cantering she would cross fire the back everytime. Now she is a lot better. I hope this helps and let us know how it works out.

[Berlunz]

it has many names, cross firing is what we call it here. It is not uncommon for younger horses to cross fire and its much like teaching them to canter on the correct lead up front when asked. Make sure you are setting her up to start the canter correctly (leading off from the back leg so she has to pick it up from the back correctly) and then keep her moving forward at a nice pace. If she swaps them stop her up and start again, if she picks it up wrong do the same. It might be a lack of muscle or it could be development and something is a little off because she is growing. If it continues after corrective measures and time it might be worth getting a chiro out to make sure she is aligned and is capable of cantering correctly.

But yeah some horses do go through a cross firing phase while growing up. They will also cross fire when you start teaching flying lead changes, they will swap up front and stay off behind and its one heck of a thing to ride when they do.

[SaddleUp158]

My coming 4 yr old does this all the time. He has done it for the past year, but we have not worked on cantering much at all. Mainly just walking and trotting, bending and working on becoming supple. THen he got the entire summer off. I am making an appt for him with the chiro just to make sure he is 100%.

[Bernardo]

My old gelding did that on the lungeline or in the round pen all the time. He never ever had an issue when riding him or when he was free lunged. My trainer and I just think its because my gelding was so strong in the hindend it was hard for him to balance him in a small circle on the lungeline. I barely cantered my gelding on the lungeline because it was more work to keep him going ahha.

That being said, cross cantering DOES indicate a lack of balance and strength. I never let youngster do it in the round pen or on the lungeline, I stop and ask them to lope off again. I want them to learn how to use themselves correctly. It's very common for young horses to cross canter however, just because they do lack strength simply because they are growing still.

[Circle C]

I see a lot of WP horses cross firing on the lunge line... why do you think that is?

[lacy]

Ahh, HGS I love you lol

Thank you guys. Thats what I thought it was as well.

I am assuming that it is from inexperience and her age. But as some of you say, if it is from having too much strength in the back end, do you still fix the cross cantering the same way?

Just putting that in there because I have had a few people say that they would hate to sit her sliding trot once I train her in it. She has A LOT of power in her back end and can stop on a dime.

[Bernardo]

Originally Posted by lacy

Ahh, HGS I love you lol

Thank you guys. Thats what I thought it was as well.

I am assuming that it is from inexperience and her age. But as some of you say, if it is from having too much strength in the back end, do you still fix the cross cantering the same way?

Just putting that in there because I have had a few people say that they would hate to sit her sliding trot once I train her in it. She has A LOT of power in her back end and can stop on a dime.

I've never really TRIED to fix it when I knew they were too strong. It's had to balance a small circle without the help of a rider than your the strong. I just ended up trotting my gelding a lot.

However if say a yearling does it, its more likely from a lack of strength. LOTS and LOTS of backing helps.