leg yield, help!.....

Really? All those views and no response? Well I'll tell you how I do it, may be wrong but works for me! Easiest to start in a school, come down the 3/4 line and leg yield back to track as the horse will naturally amble over that way. Keep hands forward at all times, if it doesnt work then sometimes people pull back without thinking, this will block everything so try not to. So hands forward, inside leg on the girth pushes the horse over, outside leg slightly behind the girth just "holding" the horse straight. Hold the neck straight with the outside rein, against the neck and just play with your inside fingers so that the horse softens to the inside slightly but doesnt look to the inside, if this makes sense. If the horse scoots over too quickly then ride some forward steps then try again, if the horse doesnt move at all then just keep trying and when you get one or two steps sideways ride forward again and lots of praise.

To come away from the track just reverse the aids so that the pushing leg is your outside leg.

Start in walk :)
 
in addittion to the great advice above, may I add that the timing of your application of you inside leg is vital. you must apply your inside leg, saying "step over" right when the horse is lifting THAT leg forward. To do that, you need to know the step order of the horse in walk (and later in trot). When you feel the barrel of the horse kind of roll to the right, for example, that means that his hind left is now reaching forward. Right at that instant is when you apply the inside leg so that you can affect that reaching hind leg and make it reach more UNDER the horse (sideways). At the same instant , you kind of "receive" the horse on the outside rein. That means you close that hand ever so slightly on the rein and think of the horse stepping his shoulder forward and into your outside hand.

If you lose forward impulsion, abandon the move, get good forward steps and try again. Reward your horse after only one or two sideways steps, so that he knows he ison the right track, and remember that leg yield should be as much forward as it is sideways.
And don't overbend your horse!
 
^ I wouldnt lift the outside leg away at all, you dont want the shoulders to fall out, or just drift back to the wall.
You want the body straight, it needs to be delibrate, slow and controlled. Keep your contact a lot of riders have sloppy outside reins IMO, yes they move sideways but they dont leg yield at all.
 
You should be flexing to the inside - enough so you can see the corner of the horses eye. Do not drop outside contact & shift your weight slightly to encourage horse to step over.
 
Brummyrat, how can you make a horse leg yield backwards:confused:

i thought leg yield was to the side not backwards:confused: im confused now
 
By forwards she means that sometimes when horses are doing lateral movements they become stuffy and lack impulsion and deliberate steps so rather than keep asking for the leg yield, ride a few strides of striaght normal active walk then ask again. Also the inside leg should be the one to move slightly back asking the horse to step accross and the outside leg should be gently on the girth controlling the amount of movement and preventing the horse from rushing, the outside leg also maintains the walk as yeg yield should be a progressive movement, I.e should be gradual and not a huge step side ways in one go. Hope that helps
 
I'd just like to add weight into the outside seatbone to help lead the horse and not constrict by leaning in

And look UP :p Biggest common mistake is looking down into the neck and willing it into their heads, I'm a sucker for that :D Looking down constricts them and will make them come back at you instead of moving forwards and flowing over :)

Lots of great tips in here though!
 
Dora5 said:
By forwards she means that sometimes when horses are doing lateral movements they become stuffy and lack impulsion and deliberate steps so rather than keep asking for the leg yield, ride a few strides of striaght normal active walk then ask again. Also the inside leg should be the one to move slightly back asking the horse to step accross and the outside leg should be gently on the girth controlling the amount of movement and preventing the horse from rushing, the outside leg also maintains the walk as yeg yield should be a progressive movement, I.e should be gradual and not a huge step side ways in one go. Hope that helps
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Sorry - I'd disagree with that. I've been taught that all lateral movements have effectively the same leg positions (leg yield, shoulder in, half pass) it just differs how you apply them. In leg yield you are asking the horse to flex slightly to the inside so you must adopt the leg position for inside bend (inside leg on the girth, outside leg behind the girth). The inside leg asks them to step across and the movement is received by the outside leg.
I'd agree with LOOK UP, otherwise I find myself contorting into all sorts of weird positions which block the horse.
Also don't try *too* hard - walk the horse over with your hips, keep your seat supple and don't block the horses movement. If it all goes t*ts up go straight, take a deep breath, reset and try again.
Some horses find it easier in trot than in walk.
 
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