Dumb novice question

[Hovis_and_SidsMum]

But where does my leg need to be to get Hovis to leg yield?
I can't get him to do it for the life of me. I assumed therefore it was because he was struggling with it but my friend rode him over the weekend and he did it perfectly..... so its me!
My instructor is lovely but is more of an expert in jumping so she's struggling to explain what I'm doing wrong.
Can anyone explain in total numpty terms what I need to do?

And whilst we're on the subject and i'm already making myself sound like a total idiot - what is half pass and shoulder fore? I was reading my magazine last night and there was an article with Carl Hester training a lady with a horse of a similar build to Hovis. He was struggling to achieve bend and flexion so it was suggested to do shoulder fore (or was it shoulder in?) with him to loosen him up - what the heck is that? How do you do it?

 

[bex1984]

I can't really help, because I am a novice too, but I find this website can be quite useful: http://www.artofriding.com/school.html

I'm sure someone on here will have a good explanation though!

 

[fairhill]

I find it easiest to start leg yielding by coming down the 3/4 line, and aiming to leg yield back to the fence. Most horses naturally fall out to the security of the fence, so you're halfway there. If I'm going to the left, I use my right leg just behind the girth, and push the horse into my left leg, which is on the girth, and there to keep the horse moving forward as well as sideways.

Start off in walk, and only do a couple of strides before going straight again so that he doesn't just fall out through his shoulder.

Shoulder-fore is basically a half-shoulder-in. Have a read of this site as it explains shoulder fore and half pass far better than I could.
I used shoulder-in and shoulder-fore a lot with my heavy horse to help lift her off her forehand, but it's not easy, and you really need someone on the ground to make sure your angles are right. Basically though shoulder-in is a case of moving at an angle, straight down the arena, and don't try to overcomplicate it!

http://www.classicaldressage.net/members/lesson_pages/shoulder_in.html

http://www.classicaldressage.net/members/lesson_pages/half_pass.html