Polo Tips
by Tom Goodspeed
Geoff Palmer in action. Photo by L. Bremner
Ok, I know how to shift gears on this thing, but how do I change leads? By the way, what are leads?
As a quick review, while you are cantering or galloping, your horse is on one lead or the other. If they have both of their legs on the right side of their body going further forward than their left ones, they are on the right lead which is better for them and you when they are turning right. They get better traction so to speak when they are on the proper lead for the direction they are turning.
What about the straight away? Which lead? To the horse, it doesn’t much matter, but some players feel that the right lead is the better lead to hit off of on their off-side. I think your main focus is to be aware of which lead you want, just prior to turning. A lot of horses will switch to the correct lead at speed, making it easier for us. To learn how to do lead changes, start with what we call simple changes. Map out a figure 8 in your ring or on the field. You pick up a right lead with the circle to the right. Then as you come around to the middle or diagonal line of your figure eight, you straighten your horse out, pull back to a trot, change the frame of the horse slightly to the left while you stay on the straight line. You then ask with your right leg (squeeze or kick if necessary) and a little tug on your left or inside rein. The horse should then pick up the left lead. You continue this drill, learning how to collect or slow your horse, change the horse’s frame slightly so that they are bent into the new direction just prior to asking for the lead change. Once you get fairly comfortable with the simple changes, you can begin to work on flying changes. This is changing leads at a canter. To do this is pretty much the same procedure, except for that you slow or collect the horse just a little but not down into a trot. You put some pressure on your inside rein and your outside leg. You have to focus on a single stride to ask for the change. If you sit deep, use a pretty firm leg and shift your upper body just a little, the horse should make the change fairly easy. Some horses are much easier to do the changes on. You should not throw your upper body too much, as you may throw the horse off balance and only get the change in the front legs and not in the rear. That is why you sit deep and use leg, to signal the rear legs as well as the front. This is a little complicated and may require that you get with an instructor or player that can help you with the changes. If your horse is not willing to pick up a particular lead, be careful. It might be a sign that they are a little sore or lame on that side. Be aware if your horse usually does them easily and one day begins to refuse one side. Some horses are just one-sided or one-leaded and will change at speed when necessary, but seem indifferent to doing changes at any other time. So avoid getting into a battle with your horse trying to get a lead change. If the above instructions are not helping, get someone to help you. Happy Polo!!
Photo: Geoff Palmer
Photographer: L. Bremner
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