Leg yeilding...

[Rips]

I need tips on keeping my horse straight when leg yeilding - shes very good at it in walk and trot - good movement, crossing over well.

If say I'm yeilding to the right, my left rein is asking for a little bend she tends to curl her hindquarters a little to the left aswell (as if I was circling to the left) as long as I keep a good contact the right rein rein and straight and against her neck she does move well in the desired direction though. I've tried keeping my leg back on the outside to keep her straight but she just looses impulsion then.

Might seem strange also, but is there a pole pattern I can ask her to leg yeild across - or is that too dificult? She used to have a problem with impulsion when yeilding but I overcame that by asking her to yeild around a pole she was never allowed to cross, it worked well because she had a target so to speak - boundaries. She will yeild around objects almost completely laterally.

[asha]

Try these couple of exercises, begin to change the rein normally across the long diagonal, change bend, and yield across. Also ride up long side, half circle to cl the leg yield across.
I don't think it helps to put o/s leg back as eventually you'll get the dreaded quarters leading! When i had same problem with my mare, my RI told me to imagine i was looking staight through a window at point i wanted to yield to, that really helped too.
Sorry never heard of pole patterns, good luck.

[Rips]

Thanks asha :) yes outside back definately didn't help! Will try :)

[cvb]

Rips

a) what leg aids are you using to ask for the leg yield
b) where are you asking for it ? (e.g. quarter line to fence etc)

When I went to Sweden I rode in lessons for a while - they approach leg yield slightly differently and it helped me a lot.

I wonder whether your "tends to curl her hindquarters a little to the left aswell" is actually that she is leading too much with the shoulder rather than that she is curling the HQ ? I think you are saying that she is not "straight" enough in the LY - but perhaps you are trying to straighten the wrong point ?

The way they were teaching LY in the classes I was in was across the diagonal. Turn across the diagonal and ride 2-3 strides straight before asking for any yield. SO if you are LY to right, you are changing the rein across the diagonal from right rein to left rein....

(Remember that you need slight flexion away from the movement, so need to change the bend towards the end of the straight strides...rather than waiting for X)

Now, after your 2-3 straight strides, use the left leg *on the girth* to ask for the horse to yield.

We tend to try and take the rider's leg creating the yield back slightly, to ask for the cross - using it ON the girth is more correct and seems to get a way better result...

[Rips]

Aids, 'pushing' leg wrapped against side, yes mostly at the girth gives constant 'move-over' cue. (though as you said I tried to push it back slightly to keep her straight, with no improvement)
Other leg gives sqeeze - squeeze at the girth, controls pace. Sometimes I can keep that leg off totally though to really exaggerate moving laterally.

I started yeilding from the centre midline to the outside track ending at before the corner but she'll yeild anywhere - shes very responsive to moving away from the leg. She'll yeild off the track too and around objects and even on hacking she just won't keep as straight as I'd like. I mostly practise moving her from one side of the lane to the other, shes much stronger yeilding to the right.

Sounds right about leading with the shoulder, I give my 'move away' leg cue first though before flexion - you say ask for flexion first (a little before X) I'll try that. Its probably back to our old bone of contention, hindqarters not engaged enough and so leads more with shoulder :o: though I vaguely remember being told that collection was not *essential* for LY?

Thanks :)

[cvb]

collection is not essential - watch western horses doing it on slack reins and thats clear !

I was thinking - the "across the diagonal" approach may seem counter-intuitive if the shoulder is leading, but I've found it to be very useful. I think its because you already have the direction and intent moving across (the diagonal) and then its just the style in which you cross that changes. I think you get a "straighter" leg yield, and once you get that feel you can ask for it anywhere e.g. as shoulder-fore up the centre line ;)

You don't need to leave it too far towards X before you ask - just give yourself some straight strides first to get that direction clear...

[KateWooten]

collection is not essential - watch western horses doing it on slack reins and thats clear !


Slack reins doesn't equal uncollected. You can have collection on no rein at all - 'the hol grail' according to the very odd klaus Ferdinand Hempfling.

[cvb]

Slack reins doesn't equal uncollected. You can have collection on no rein at all - 'the hol grail' according to the very odd klaus Ferdinand Hempfling.

OK, so its just my *brain* that is slack today :rolleyes:

What I should have said, to be more precise, is that *I* have done leg yield in long, low uncollected mode. Its an interesting test of the rider in that you *have* to use weight, seat, legs for straightness and for the lateral movement :p if you are at buckle end...

it's also an interesting test of your training, as the horse needs to understand the difference between leg=forward and leg=sidewways as you are not using the reins to say "no, not faster"...

[KateWooten]

yes it is a great test of training isn't it ! I think I'm really great at leg-yielding LOL ... I push with a leg, pony moves over ... and I find my reins getting shorter and shorter ... the poor pony has his head bent to one side ... it's like I feel I have to grit my teeth, not breathe and hold him straight ! Where do I think he's going to go ?? I don't know !

I'm going to have to force myself to chill out and leave the darn reins alone, like you say - I bet the poor pony can do it, but I bet I can't resist grabbing a hold of something ! Arrrrgh.

[Rips]

yes it is a great test of training isn't it ! I think I'm really great at leg-yielding LOL ... I push with a leg, pony moves over ... and I find my reins getting shorter and shorter ... the poor pony has his head bent to one side ... it's like I feel I have to grit my teeth, not breathe and hold him straight ! Where do I think he's going to go ?? I don't know !



Hehe - I know I felt like I was trying to micro-manage every bit of Mo trying to get it properly at the start :o moving enough, crossing enough, neck ever so slightly bent but not too much etc :D I had to do it in sitting trot so at least I didn't have to bother about rising aswell!

Thanks for the help CVB and KW - just when you get something to work towards it seems you get busy :rolleyes:

[OneStepCloser]

Does the same problem happen if you leg yield away from the fence to the centre line? It may be that she is just running to the fence through her shoulder.
Maybe you are asking for too much bend from your rein. Try forgetting about having a slight bend to the inside and just ride straight and move her off your leg, you may find she bends a little herself. Also make sure you yourself are straight and not collapsing either hip or twisting your body.
If you are riding a leg yield and she starts to bend too much, abandon the leg yield, ride straight for a few strides then go back into a leg yield, repeating this everytime you loose that outside shoulder.
Good luck, hope this helps.