Stays on right lead??

BillB · Postby **BillB** » Sat May 28, 2011 3:37 pm

What could be bothering a horse that stays on his right lead even turning for home? Usually they are on the left lead and switch to right once they get going straight

vet gave him a going over ..lameness exam..didnt find anything...he was in third nice & just drifted back..probably got tired??

wilf · Postby **wilf** » Sat May 28, 2011 4:37 pm

Probably has a nagging left hock or a blind suspensory troubling the horse,keep us posted. Does he respond to bute?

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Sat May 28, 2011 4:38 pm

Is this something new or has he always stayed on his right lead?

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Sat May 28, 2011 4:44 pm

http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0 ... ing-leads/

BillB · Postby **BillB** » Sat May 28, 2011 4:55 pm

This is something new for him....5th race ...he has not been burning up the track...works great.....36 flat ..49ect..but in a race he starts out great..till the run for home & fades...now this lead thing

Bucks Jester is his name

zinn21 · Postby **zinn21** » Sat May 28, 2011 5:32 pm

If he's hanging on a lead and it's new, something is bothering him. Vet didn't find anything? Get a second opinion. Or just kick him out if nobody can identify the problem.

ratherrapid · Postby **ratherrapid** » Sat May 28, 2011 7:03 pm

if ur saying on the back stretch the horse failed to change onto left lead and maintained right lead around final turn and into stretch, though that does happen on rare occasions, this is highly unusual and a red flag. going into the final turn (depends a little on size of race track) horse will always be fatigued on right and want to change to left. If he refuses there's likely a reason. what did rider say!

if front left fails to show any heat whatsoever and left hind seems ok, and, trotting with rider up without any limp, i'd see if he changes lead at slow gallop at next gallop.

of course when a horse stays on right lead that long, u also have to worry whether horse injured right, so that bears some checking also, possibly.

Edit--note possible exception--occasionally a horse will fatigue on left lead around final turn and merley prematurely switch to right e.g. at quarter pole instead of 3/16th. would this possibly have happened?

BillB · Postby **BillB** » Sat May 28, 2011 9:00 pm

I dont think he went left & then swithced back to right....just stayed in right.......plan on checking closer on left side to see if something bothered him & he did not want to switch??

ElPrado · Postby **ElPrado** » Sun May 29, 2011 7:39 am

Something is bothering left front or right hind.

griff · Postby **griff** » Sun May 29, 2011 9:36 am

I'm not sure switching leads is all that natural when a horse is going full out unless he has been well trained to swithch leads and also suspect the jockey could help here with a or better signal to switch.

when you said you had him vetted, did the Vet X ray his ankles and knees?? Chips are far too common in young horses.

griff

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Sun May 29, 2011 11:59 am

It could be something subtle as acute navicular disease in its early stages. Navicular is a common problem with young racing and event horses. Did your Vet use a hoof tester to rule out the hooves? I've had no experience with racehorses so lead changes has never been something I've thought a great deal about. From what I've read, there any number of problems that your horse could be experiencing. Most of those issues have been posted. If you haven't done so already, I'd take a hoof tester to the hooves and rule them out first. Then I work my way up the leg if you truly believe it is a physical problem.

A couple of articles I've read indicate that during high intensity training or racing, breathing can effect whether a horse changes leads. Fatigue is another reason.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sun May 29, 2011 2:38 pm

Could also be an uneven shoeing job. But mark my words, there is a REASON the horse wouldn't switch. Too bad he can't tell you what it is and you can't get a CARFAX on it.

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Sun May 29, 2011 5:04 pm

Off beat suggestion, but maybe an equine chiropractor could take a look? Some type of back or neck soreness might be something to look for.

ratherrapid · Postby **ratherrapid** » Mon May 30, 2011 4:27 pm

griff--failure to switch into club house turn is fairly common. i have yet to ever be one one that does anything other than an auto switch going into final turn. unknown why. they just always switch there and usually with very little urging. i'd want to know what the rider says, if he recalls. and whether horse was maintaining right lead 3/4 mile. that would be highly unusual unless there's a serious problem. would also be unusual that if that happened that rider would do anything at the jump off besides make a big bfd about it.

griff · Postby **griff** » Mon May 30, 2011 6:28 pm

I cought one of mine staying on right lead at turn to home.. But that may have been because of the chips we removed from his knees a couple of weeks later, after I changed trainers.

griff