From Leg Yielding to Half Pass

[Tammy]

Heather

Now that we are comfortable with leg yield at walk and trot how do we start the half pass?? My mare is confused and I am not sure how to help her understand.

Also, how can I be sure I am getting a good shoulder fore/ shoulder in and not just a leg yield?

Thanks!

[fionahogg]

Hi Tammy, I'm not Heather, but I'll have a go at answering your questions!
I would say that to teach the half pass you should have a well-established shoulder in. To perform the shoulder in the horse should move in a straight line forwards, but on three tracks instead of two - i.e. his quarters are on the track, his shoulders move in slightly. One track is made by the outside hind leg, another by the inside hind leg and the outside foreleg, and the third by the inside foreleg. The horse should be bent around the inside and moving nicely forwards with no resistance. The horse should move at an angle of approximately 30 degrees to the track. Shoulder fore is the same as shoulder in but the horse may be working on four tracks - i.e. the angle between his nose and the track is smaller to that made in shoulder in. This is different from the leg yield because in leg yield the horse moves both forwards and sideways, and is bent in the direction opposite to that of movement.
To ask for half pass I would establish shoulder in, so you have the correct bend, and then increase the action of the outside leg - plus necessary seat & weight aids which Heather will be MUCH better at explaining :), to ask the horse to move over in half pass.

Hope this helps!

Fiona.

[Fran_C]

Too me the jump from Leg Yield to half pass is too huge, really you should next become established in shoulder in as fiona said, and then I would move on to travers before starting half pass. Leg Yield is a movement that doesn't over stretch the horses muscles because of bending away from the movemnt but half pass requires an awful lot of power and flexibilty from the horse that leg yield doesn't really prepare for! I have been schooling my pony for well over a year now and we haven't started on half pass yet, we went through leg yield then shoulder in and now travers before I even contemplate trying half pass I don't want to confuse Penny and potentially wreck her cofidence in me, half pass is quite an advanced dressage move, and dressage isn't only about teaching your horse "tricks" like flying changes and half pass, you must follow the basic principles at all times. And no i am not Heather either but hey :)

[Tammy]

Thanks Fran C...you confirmed what I had alreay figured out. We are not yet ready for half-pass!
Fiona, you give excellent answers here on the board. Have you ever considered teaching novices?