Send them somewhere.

I'm figuring out that part of problem with lead departures is that I'm trying to bridle her up and pick her up instead of kicking her forward with my legs and making her go somewhere. Its also helping her move out in her circles. I'm letting her and the two year old lift their head up and go forward, really forward and move out. I see too many people, including myself sometimes spend too much time messing with the horses face and driving them up in the bridle. They say, well, I'm trying to keep him off the front end. But speed will help keep the horse off the front end without so much wrestling around getting the horse confused and mad or just bound up.

It is ultra important that the horse is giving to the bridle but trying to make them travel in a way that isn't natural for them can be a waste of time. It works out better to get them soft in the bridle- but you also have to pitch them away and let them carry themselves in a way thats natural even if it means packing their head a little higher than you like- as long as the horse isn't getting scared and bracey and raising up. That even goes for the turn arounds- they need to be where they can turn the best.

Letting them go a little faster and sometimes quite a little bit faster - of course without scaring them to death- in the circles and fencing seems to really clean up all the manouvers and keep them off their front end without making them mad. Speed takes care of a lot of problems.