Improving horses response to leg

[Flying_Form]

Just recently bought a 9 year old ID mare who is absolutely gorgeous and so willing to learn. She has mainly been used for hacking and for a bit of fun by her previous owner and is quite green in terms of her flatwork. I was wondering if anyone would have any advice on introducing lateral work to her? She’s quite sensitive to leg and when I put leg on (especially behind the girth) to move her haunches in or ask for bend she tends to just move forward, sometimes thinking that if I put my leg behind the girth I’m asking her to canter even if we’re just walking! (Great for our walk to canter transition ?? not so great for accepting my leg)

curious if anyone has any advice, ideas or exercises to help introduce that to her? I don’t need her leg yielding across the arena or doing pirouettes!! I just want her to understand that leg does not always mean go up a gear.

Thanks

 

[Equi]

Start on the ground, get her used to moving away from pressure rather than forward and introduce voice cues like "over". Eventually get in the saddle and have someone at the head to stop the forward, but you doing the leg action to move away. Start at a halt, then a walk etc. If she thinks "forward" calm her down again, bring everything right back to a woooah..ask again. When she gets it even a tiny bit right lots of good girls and ask nothing for a while to let her process it.

 

[milliepops]

I also start on the ground if the horse has a mental block. Then progress to something either like a turn on the forehand or leg yield. ToF can be helpful just as a linking step between turning them in that way on the ground and transferring it to ridden work, I don't use it much apart from for that.