Question: Are diagonals the same as leads?
Answer: No, the horse’s legs will move in the same pattern whether trotting on a left or right circle. It is the rider that needs to be aware of what pair of legs he or she rises to while posting the trot.
Leads refer to the front leg which a horse reaches out further with as it rounds a bend at a canter or gallop. When a horse is rounding a corner he will be better balanced if his inside front leg is leading.
If a horse is going in a right hand circle he will need to lead with the right foreleg. The left foreleg will take a shorter stride. The footfall pattern of a left lead will be a sideways mirror image of a right lead.
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