Leg yield help

[Summit]

I have an exracer who is 19. I’ve had him 5 months.

I don’t know much of his history, only that I don’t think he’s done an awful lot. This is fine with me as I bought him purely for hacking and to look after (I’ve had a ten year break).

He doesn’t seem to understand yielding but instead breaks into trot. I would like him to understand what to do as it would be helpful on the roads.

Any advice please as I think I need to approach this as if he was a young unschooled horse. I don’t have access to an arena or field to practice in so anything I do needs to be done out hacking

 

[Mule]

I wonder if you are half halting enough on your outside rein.
If you half halt before you put your inside leg on he should be less inclined to run through your aids.

 

[ycbm]

Commonest mistake with leg yield is to try to lead the head over in the direction you want the horse to move. To start with, the head needs to be bent away from the direction you want the horse to move.

 

[tatty_v]

As well as the correct bend, I have to remind myself to soften the leg and knee on the side I’m asking him to yield towards and also to keep encouraging forwards (my pony tends to grind to a halt so forward momentum is a good thing!) Sometimes I think they find it easier in trot than walk. Also once you’ve had one or two quality stems, praise and straighten up.

 

[scats]

Does he understand the concept of moving away from a leg rather than moving forward?

 

[Hallo2012]

start it in hand, then progress to doing it mounted with a ground helper then finally to just you mounted.

but you need to go back another step and start with turn on the forehands, in hand then mounted to ensure like scats says, that he understands that leg can mean sideways.

 

[Carrottom]

Because ex racers often associate all leg aids with increase in pace in can help to have someone on the ground as well when you start to teach moving away from your leg.

 

[Littlebear]

If he is confusing the leg going on with going forward instead of going sideways, try bringing your leg back from your inside hip as the adjustment in weight in your seat bones is usually enough to get them to step sideways without it being a 'leg on' aid, hope that helps x

 

[JFTDWS]

I always start lateral work in hand - it should be intuitive by the time you get on them, because they understand about moving sideways away from pressure. I also teach side passing before leg yield too, for the same reason.