I have trouble telling what lead I am on?

There are a couple of different things you can try. First, have a trainer or friend in the ring. Pick up the canter, tell them if the lead is correct or not, and they will tell you. Work on transitions. It is best to ask your horse to canter when they are bent properly. If you feel like their head is turned to the outside or they don't have a strong inside bend you are more prone to picking up the wrong lead. Another way to work on this is to canter on a circle, and do some transitions. Since a horse is constantly turning on a circle, you wil have an easier time feeling which lead is correct. If you have to look for your lead, especially at a show, make it look as least noticeable as possible. It is obvious and bothers me so much when I see people clearly look down right in front of the judges for their leads. Good luck!

Have someone lunge your horse while you ride. Have then pick a leg, and you call out 'now' every time that leg hits the ground. Start at a walk, once you can feel all 4 legs, move to the trot, then canter.

You need to be able to feel what lead your horse is on, not look at what lead its on. You should also be feelong the lead from the horses hips, not looking at its shoulders.

Another tip is to feel your upper body/shoulders. The lead side is going to push your shoulder forward a tiny bit. I was at a show years ago, the rails on one end of the arena where high enough,I couldn't see the horse, just the riders from mid torso up. A student was going by and I told her she was on the wrong lead. She couldn't figure out how I knew, but her shoulders were tipped the wrong way.

A few days isn't really enough time too get the feel down, but its a start.

Good luck!

I agree to have someone be there so you can tell them what lead you are on and have them tell you if you are correct or not.

Get a feel for it. Feel it in the way you rock your hips as you push your horse forward in the canter.

I'm not sure if you have certain cues for which lead to pick up, but the way I have my horse (and know of other horses being trained) is to squeeze with the outside leg because even though they'll lead with the inside leg, to pick up the canter they start with the back outside leg. Once your horse understands your cue properly, you'll be able to pick up the correct lead all the time!

Horses are fast learners and with practice you'll be able to feel which lead you're on in no time :)

Get cantering on a very large circle, on the correct lead. Then go straight for a while, do a simple lead change (pull back down to trot) and then change direction and circle the other way. Do a few circles then simple lead change on the straight and get a big cantering circle again.

The feeling of the leading leg is more pronounced on a circle. Use your eyes the first few times to double check but see if you can just feel it.

Once you're feeling it right every time, you're all set.

Try making a small 10 meter circle and bending to the inside. If the horse has trouble then you are probably on the wrong lead

When I was younger, I used to have the same problem. My best suggestion would just to spend a lot of time in each lead and try to get a feel for it. You'll get it eventually, it just takes a while. :)

Pick up your canter, guess the lead by feel, have someone on the ground tell you if you are correct or incorrect, repeat until you get it. If you don't have a helper, you are going to have to look down, but don't do it until you guess.

Notice the position of your own legs in the canter. When your horse is on the correct lead, your legs mirror theirs in position meaning your inside leg is further forward (just a fraction). At least, that's how it is for me, and that is one part of how I feel the lead. Also feel for smoothness of the gait in the turns. A horse on the wrong lead can often feel "off" or "clumsy" through the turn if they are incorrect.