leg yield - falling out through the shoulder

[tryingdressage]

Hi can anyone advise

We are working on leg yeild with my mare and she falls out through the shoulder every time, Ive been working on it and tried several things to correct this but I still cant get her to do it correctly - does anyone have any tips or excercises I can do to improve this??

[Bay Mare]

How are you asking for the leg yield? Which aids are you using?

It could be how you're positioning your body or even how you're sitting.

[Dancinglite]

Sounds like not enough outside rein/leg.

[tryingdressage]

lol if I use any more outside rein or leg she goes straight on or stops - I called my old instructor who wont come to my new yard as its too far and I dont have a school so reliant on the field and looking for an instructor who is any good who will teach on grass is proving interesting :(

I ask generally by using my inside leg on the girth putting it on and off to encourage her to step over and i play lightly with my inside rein - the outside rein is kept on a contact and my outside leg goes on if she starts to drift - I have noticed I tend to drop[ my inside seatbone to push her over which I have been working on correcting - she moves away from the leg really nicely just not how it should be done

[Dancinglite]

It is a fine line between using the outside rein to prevent the horse from falling out and allowing to horse to move over. The outside leg if placed too far back will indirectly cause the outside shoulder to fall out as the haunches are pushed too far to the inside. The outside leg is there to monitor the bend and while it shouldn't be jammed on the horse, sporatic driving allows the horse to take advantage of the times it is away from the horses body.

[dressagexreo]

First you need to go through your check list.
1) is my outside leg positioned further back than my inside , and is my whole outside body very straight?
2)am i hanging on my inside rein? if so let it float lightly
3)does my horse have forward, alignement, submission?
These three things are a MUST!

And usually when training lateral movements there not going to be perfect the first month. And always remember that a training arena is not a competition arena. Just because you start a movement in the training arena does not mean you HAVE to finish it. Try this...

When she is starting to drift out the shoulder, go straight forward for a couple strides and then try to go lateral again. Alot of people make the mistake of tapping with the crop to get more cross over, but that is not completely necessary when your basically just trying to get her to go aligned and over, the cross over will come but she MUST be aligned. If this isnt working keep doing it but use a bigger outside half halt to stop the oustide shoulder. You can practice doing this in a turn on forehand or do a little leg yeilds while on a circle. Just so you get the hang of half halting that outside shoulder.

Remember a leg yield is used to increase the amount of throughness over the outside of the horse. They should cross over and take a straight step forward with the outside and you should feel her lift her back right into the rein. If she starts to hang do a little "chut chut" with the bit and then push your core at her and tell her to carry herself. A hanging horse is not a correct horse.

Hope i help :) please email me if i didn't make much sense:)

JaclynXReo

[Stella2]

dressagexro - not my question, but I found your account really interesting. Could you explain in terms for a novice at dressage what you exactly mean by "push your core at her and tell her to carry herself"?

[dressagexreo]

Yes i can...

OK, so in dressage there are two kinds of submissions. lontitudinal and lateral. So... lontitudinal is when they submit over there backs and into connection. Lateral is that they are soft left and right of their necks. In order for a horse to be completely submissive you must have these two kinds of submission... SO with that said, a horse needs to go over its back (lontitudinal), to get that your going to sit up tall tuck your butt under and push your core at her. This could mean flex your abbs, push your stomach and flex... but trust me a horse feels any little thing... Now, if you first try this with your horse shes most likely going to fuss and do hoppy motions (what my horse did)... but you have to keep your position in place and keep asking that same question... maybe help her figure out what your asking with a little wiggle wiggle of the bit... BUT wiggle wiggle NOT wag wag, haha... anyways... once shes finally accepted lontitudinal submission that means she is completely over her back and relaxed into frame... ( you may want to start this on a longer rein.. its hard for horses to do it in an up frame for the first half month or so..).. now that you have her lontitudinal submissive she needs to carry herself.. meaning she should be weightless in your reins... Thats where the "chut chut" meaning like a squeeze squeeze of your fingers comes into handy... and if she is stiff you can take her neck right and left but that lontitudinal submission HAS to be there... so you do "chut chut" and core that will shock her off the bit and she will hold herself.... im sorry if this is not making sense it would be so much easier to show you if you were ON a horse... ... questions?

[Stella2]

Excellent answer dressagexreo - as you know I've pm-ed you :)