Yielding???

[Lot1983]

Being an avid reader of 'The Miseducation of Tiny Pony' I have come across the term 'yielding'. I'm not 100% sure what this is or how to do it. Is it that I indicate to Sam that I wish his right leg to go back et voila right leg goes back?

I would really like to know more about this, as you may know Sam was beaten when he was younger, and now he has real issues with letting you in the stable, he knows exactly where to place his head to keep you out (followed by a bite) now he has got better as we are building a bond, but I think that teaching him to yield might help us in this.

P.s Especially as I am dreading summer without my big coat to protect me!:eek:

[mayoguinness]

Well as far as I know, when I yield Mayo I can either put presure on his front or hind qauters. Now if I put presure on his hind qauters his front legs should remain fairly still and his inside hind leg should cross over his outside hind leg. Same with the front, his inside front leg should step over the outside front leg while the hind qauters stay still:) Hope that helps, I'm not great at explaining;)

[*Grey Gelding*]

yeh when im leg yielding i normally come as if im riding up the centre line and instead begin to leg yield back to the track! (parallel to the wall or fencing of arena).
for instance, if you are on the right rein, then you would be leg yielding to the left, towards the track, and your horses left fore and near hind legs would be crossing over toward the track :)

[mayoguinness]

You can also start off doing it on the ground, its much easier to teach;)

[KateWooten]

Yielding is all about softness. Softness in the mind and the body. You can ask your horse to yield any part of him - we're simply asking him to move away from pressure. Not to bolt wildly away, not to stand and think about it and move when he's ready ... but to be ready at any point to move any part of him any way you want.

So, yes, start on the ground. Ask his hip to move away from you. How ? As gently as possible. Simply look at it as if you coulc will it to move ! Well, that won't work obviously ... so now step towards the hip - keep your leadline hand up a little, near his head to be ready to block any movement there if you need to. Still his hip didn't move ? What next ... try raising your hand towards his hip try tapping the air near his hip with a stick, try tapping his hip with the stick, try tapping his hip with your stick harder .... do whatever it takes to get his hip to move .... and .... when it does ... IMMEDIATELY release all pressure.

He learns from the release of pressure.

He got it one time ... shall we go do the same on the other side ? HELL NO! Stay with this one very small thing for much longer than you think.

He learns by repetition.

So, now what did it take to get his hip to move ? Two strong taps ? Does this mean he's a two-tap pony ? Shall we ask next time by starting with our two taps ?? HELL NO ! Whatever he is or isn't, the point is, what we want him to be, which is soft and yielding. So we start again with our softest cue- the really dumb one that no real life horse would ever respond to ... just a hard stare at his hip. Then a step towards the hip, then a raised hand ......... remember to release when he tries for you - even if it's only a little step away - even if it's only a weight shift away ... release.

<<repeat five times>>

Now, this will be about the 8th time ... I defy anyone to do this exactly as stated, and for their horse not to be responding sooner than he was to start with. If he started as a two-tap pony, I bet you, he's now moving away on a 'step towards' the hip.

When he's moving away on a 'look' then you're good to go. Do it al the same with the other hip. Then the shoulders. Then the other shoulders. Then with the whole horse backing up.

[Lot1983]

yeh when im leg yielding i normally come as if im riding up the centre line and instead begin to leg yield back to the track! (parallel to the wall or fencing of arena).
for instance, if you are on the right rein, then you would be leg yielding to the left, towards the track, and your horses left fore and near hind legs would be crossing over toward the track :)

Oops, should have described this better, we can leg yield when ridden in all three gaits, so I under stand how to do it ridden! (thank you anyway!)

But I mean how to get him to yield from the ground, say for example that I wanted him to move over to his left so I can get in his stable?

How to I apply the pressue to ask him to move over, what are the aids?

[Lot1983]

-Stare
-Step
-Hand
-Tap
*shift weight or step*
-Release pressue

Repeat until he will move a leg when I look at it, then go on to teaching the other legs.

is that right?

Do you think it would be better to start with the front or the back legs?

[KateWooten]

Back legs are way easier. But focus on just the one - the one you're looking at. So, standing at his head, in the normal english leading position, we're on his left, yes ? Keep your left hand on the leadrope, but no pressure on it, just loose - hold it maybe 3 ft from the clip ... turn around and look at his left hip and get his left hip to move away from you. When you're done, your end result is his left hoof crosses over in front of his right hoof. Like a little dance. :D

[Lot1983]

Got it, will have a go this evening, mmm, will let you know how it goes!!

Thanks for all the help!

[mayoguinness]

Hope you get on well. It was only today I was teaching a little pony that I've started to do some training with to yield at liberty in the middle of a field. It would have been easier online seeming as she has never had anything done with her before but its not hard to teach, once they get it, its something that pretty much sticks in there head:)

[KateWooten]

Welll ..... how is it going Lot1983 ???

I've just put my pina-colada down and come in from the beach to find out ..... and no info !!! Dreadful :p

Kate (in the Caribbean, just a little homesick for Tennessee!!)

[Lot1983]

Welll ..... how is it going Lot1983 ???

I've just put my pina-colada down and come in from the beach to find out ..... and no info !!! Dreadful :p

Kate (in the Caribbean, just a little homesick for Tennessee!!)

Well, I have been quite lax at having a go to be honest (I am a terrible mother) I always forget to take my schooling whip with me, we did manage to get a step the other day after a point but I think that was more to do with the fact he was turning towards me thinking I had food, and the legs didn't cross.

God, what I wouldn't do to be drinking pina colada in the Caribbean, couldn't we fly over and you could teach us first hand... on the beach... :D

[Lot1983]

Right, we did have a go last night but it was a bit of a disaster, he ingnored my, but I did forget the 'step' stage, I'll have another go over the weekend and see how it goes (I'm going to write the steps on a post-it before I go..):D