Leg Yeilding- Any Tips?

[Maci]

I had a great lesson today with Mac, except the part when we were to leg yeild! I am a complete lost cause! I think it was a combination of my lack of knowledge in lateral work and Mac's disbelieving that stepping sideways was possible! I never really do any "dressage movements" with him, because right now we need to work elsewhere before we can attempt "fine detail"....

Anyways, can someone explain exactly how to do a leg yeild, because I didn't quite understand what my instructor said to do. I know the basis, but I must have been doing something wrong because he wasn't moving sideways! My instructor said that I made him dead to the leg before we did the exercise, but I want to know how to do it, so I can attempt it correctly!

Thanks For Any Tips!
Maci :)

[barnesp33]

Dear Maci

The problem with riding dressage is that there are a lot of pieces that go to fill in the jigsaw puzzle - it is daunting but it is possible:)

Leg yield is used to get the horse more supple and to respond to your leg. The horse should be straight all the way through the body and neck with only a slight flexion at the poll away from the direction of travel. Your inside leg stays at the girth to ask for forward/sideways movement. Your outside leg is behind the girth to stop the quarters from leading, your outside rein controls the outside shoulder and your inside rein asks for the flexion.

How does Mac listen to your leg in a straight line? If he is a little slow off the leg then trying lateral work will not be easy.

Can you achieve the flexion to the inside on a straight line without the neck bending?

Can you start a circle just with your outside rein without using your inside? In other words can you confidently control the horses outside shoulder?

You should find that when these individual pieces of the jigsaw are in place you should be able to work through to some super leg yield.

P.

[Mike]

Have you had a look at http://www.newrider.com/How_To/Riding_Tips/leg_yield.html it might give you some clues?

[Maci]

Mike: I'll have a look at those pages, and see if they help! I'm sure they will!

barnesp33: Mac is a little slow off the leg, and not as responsive as I would like him to be (we're working on that with transitions, etc.). He keeps wanting to turn or go forwards (which is why I do it in front of a fence). I know I'm giving him mixed signals, and I don't want to screw him up! :( Thanks for the explination- he definitly needs to become more responsive!

I'll try again next lesson (Friday), and until then, I'll work on transitions and making him more quick to respond! The reason I want to wait until my lesson to try again, is so I have someone to tell me if I'm doing wrong and how to correct it (then and there).

I'll Let You Know & Thanks!
Maci :)

[barnesp33]

Dear Maci

Good idea to wait until you have eyes on the ground to check what you are doing, good luck:)

One thing that I did not understand from your reply was the "doing it in front of a fence" comment. Leg yield can be ridden in a number of places in the school but as an exercise it involves forward and sideways movement. What do you mean by this?

P.

[fionahogg]

In leg yield it is important to remember that the horse moves both forwards and sideways. Often the leg yield is performed with too much forwards or sideways movement. Too much forward movement means the horse is not responding to the leg yield aids and too much sideways movement will cause the horse to tense up and thus defeat the object of doing leg yield. Anyway, it sounds like your problem is the former. When you ask for the leg yield the horse should be slightly bent away from the direction of movement and the shoulders should lead slightly - only slightly. If you let the shoulders escape through the outside rein the horse will have too much weight on his outside shoulder and he will be able to get away with not crossing behind as much. So, make sure your bend is OK, then turn down the centre or three-quarter line and ride forwards for a few strides. If you ask for leg yield straight off the turn you will find that after riding the movement a few times he will start to anticipate and the shoulders will start to drift. Then ask for the necessary bend and increase the action of the leg that the horse will move away from. Keep the outside rein still and controlling the outside shoulder, but make sure you allow the shoulder to lead slightly. The outside leg should ensure that the quarters do not swing in front of the shoulders but should only be used actively if necessary. Be careful not to pull back with the inside rein else you will get too much neck bend and this will not allow him to cross over. If he finds it difficult to understand what you mean, you might find it better to experiment to see what type of leg aid he responds to best. He may find a light on - off - on - off aid better or he may prefer a more solid press and then release. Don't just press into his side or he will switch off. Sit slightly on outside seatbone (e.g. if you were leg yielding to the left have more weight on the left seatbone). This will encourage him to move sideways under your weight so that he is more balanced. Just ask for a few sideways steps and then ride forwards again. Gradually build up the number of sideways steps until he can manage it easily. When we were teaching Monty leg yield, he was like, "Eh, you want me to go sideways? Noooo, can't do that!" and it was like he just couldn't do it. But then one day the penny dropped and he realised what we wanted. You might be asking him correctly but he just might not understand fully - until now legs have always meant 'go forwards'!

When you say, doing it in front of the fence, do you mean he has his head towards the fence, shoulders on the track, hind legs on the inner track, bent round the outside leg and moving forwards and therefore crossing the legs? Like an inverted travers? This is how we first taught Monty it was possible to cross his legs over, as when we tried going from the three quarter line to the track he would just fall out badly and not cross over - this was his major habit!

Hope this helps!

Fiona

[Maci]

Thank you fiona for the explination! To start, Mac is first learning to step sideways on my leg cue (from a halt). We're doing it in front of a fence/wall, so he doesn't go forwards. Once I can get him to sidestep off my leg successfully, I'll then start doing it at a walk. One step at a time! ;)

Maci :)

[barnesp33]

Dear Maci

If I understand you correctly you are facing the fence and asking your horse to totally sidestep away from your leg. If this indeed the case then this is far too demanding for you and your horse.

The leg yield along the fence, or known as "leg yield, head to wall" can be very useful but care must be taken not to hold the horse to the wall with the reins, they are prone to simply turning and walking on. Are you pointing straight at the fence or at an angle?

Or you may be meaning a different movement, similar to turn on the forehand, where his front legs stay on the spot, marking time, (the outside one walks a small circle) and the hindquarters move around the forehand. This would make more sense.

The full pass is where the horse is asked to move totally sideways with minimal if any forward movement. This should not be performed before a lot of other work has been put in place.

P.

[Maci]

Yes, you do understand correctly- we are facing the fence, and sidestepping (trying at least) without any forward movement! Glad to hear it's not me (well it probably is us both, but it's refreshing to hear someone say it's not fully our fault this time, but the exercise is too "advanced" for us).

We are facing straight at the fence, but his nose is not touching it (we are a few feet back). He won't move sideways no matter how much I encourage him with my seat, weight and legs. Then my instructor says to bend his neck away from the direction we are moving, but then he turns. :confused: My instructor must have been screwed up that day, because nothing she was saying was working for me (or the other girl I was with). Ahhh, I'm so confused, now?!

Maci :)

[barnesp33]

Dear Maci

Please do not get confused:) This is the possible problem of getting advice from others that sometimes seems to contradict your own instructor.

Leg yield is a lateral exercise and as such must have forwards and sideways movement. As a basic exercise for you to start with, moving completely sideways is way too difficult - and I do not mean to be rude about you or your horse:)

Best thing is to talk to your instructor about this and maybe get them to demonstrate what they had in mind - I always feel it best to be open and ask.

Keep smiling

P.

[Maci]

You're not being rude! :) Now that I realise it, the "leg yeilding" we're doing is more difficult than the actual exercise! You need a responsive horse and stronger aids to do a sidestep from a halt, and I don't have either....yet!! I'll talk to my instructor and see what she wants, because she was really confusing me last lesson!

Thanks for all your help! I'll let you know how things go on Friday, my next lesson!

Maci :)

[Maci]

I'm so mad and sad at the same time! I'm cross with Mac, but I'm sad that things aren't going the way I would like them too! Ahhh! I asked, it was demonstrated and I tried an actual leg yeild (at a walk) and Mac just wouldn't move! That made me upset! :( To top it off, he wouldn't stay on the track when I was trying to pick up a canter with him! :mad: He kept turning in and wanting to be with the other horses! To make the whole lesson crap, he was falling on his forehand most of the time (which was very uncomfortable!)! I'm so upset with him, I just wanted to cry after my lesson! :( At least he was trotting good, and went over the trot poles well...

I'm going tomorrow just to ride him (hopefully no one will be there, so we can do it alone). Maybe it'll work if it's just me and him! I was so excited about working him, so he's ready for next year's show season, but things aren't going right!

Check With You Tomorrow! Thanks For The Help!
Maci :)

[Katie_85]

Sounds like a pretty bad lesson! Just be glad you are up to doing thing like leg-yield and such. For those of us *ahem me* who are still clinging for dear life at a trot it seems like quite an accomplishment. Hope next time is better!:)

[Maci]

Katie_85: Your time for lateral work will come! ;) I'm still trying to find my canter comfy, and keeping him in it!

Well I went today, and things were better! I don't understand, though- every time I have a lesson with him, it usually turns out "bad", but when we ride alone together, he's great!? Crazy, or what!? :confused:

We trotted well and went over some trot poles, which was good...he almost tripped on one, which was scary!! He was light most of the time, but he was still a bit on the forehand. When I went to pick up a canter, he keep darting in and not staying on the track. :rolleyes: Maybe it's me...anyways, as for leg yeilding, he didn't actually sidestep (we did it at a walk) but he's starting to move over from my leg. He's still kind of walking forwards and on an angle, but we're getting there! At least he's listening! I was happy with the ride, overall, so we took a courtesy jump!

Maci :)