Hello and help me understand a flatwork exercise please?!

[Peaandme]

Hello! I'm a bit of a lurker normally but I've seen similar posts in here that have been really useful and I'm hoping someone can help me to better understand a flatwork exercise that we did in my riding lesson last night. The exercise we were asked to do was 1) leg yield down the long side from the three quarter line to the centre line in trot 2) ask for counter canter at X 3) after four or five strides of counter canter, back to trot and balance for the corner. I've not been having group lessons for very long (normally I have lessons on my own horse but due to his enforced holiday I am dipping my toe back into riding school life) and I'm quite shy and find the instructor a bit scary so I didn't want to shout up in the lesson to ask what the purpose of the exercise was and what I should be aiming for! It's not an exercise I have seen done before. I have used leg yield out from the three quarter line to the track followed by a transition to true canter to encourage my youngster to step under in the transition. I assume the counter canter exercise is a similar idea but with the added benefit that it also tests straightness and balance? Am I on the wrong track completely? Any thoughts would be appreciated - it's been bugging me since my lesson!

 

[Mince Pie]

It will test straightness of the LY as no fence to fall towards, also it will be easier for the horse to strike off into CC as the outside hind will be further under the horse's body - for example on left rein you will be moving to the left so the right hind will be more engaged so easier to strike off into left rein canter then back to trot and I assume turn right at either A or C?

 

[Peaandme]

That's excellent thank you! That makes sense. We were just continuing round on the same rein after coming back to trot.