Leg yield. How do I do it?

[MDB]

Hi all.
Before I start just let me explain that I have never had proper horse lessons (apart from kiddie lessons when I was under 10 years old). I am just a happy hacker and have had horses only 3 years with no schooling experience at all. Because of my location I dont have any instructors available to help. All my learning is done through reading and trial and error and practice.
I want to learn how to leg yield. I have read loads, watched YouTube videos etc. But I am confused as to whether the rider's weight should shift slightly in the direction you want to go, or on the opposite side. Please can you lovely lot explain to me in the simplest way possible (without too much horsey jargon) what aids to use?
Thanks a lot.

 

[Ceriann]

I know you've said you've read a lot but this explains it v simply,with reference to weight. I appreciate what you've said about lessons but is there no one that can help you on this front, as nothing beats someone with an eye for issues etc to guide when you're doing stuff right or wrong. Specific exercises are all well and good but is your position correct, are you even in the saddle and/or in the hand etc? I'm currently dealing with a number of basic issues (in part created by injury but also by simple bad habits) and addressing these is my focus with my instructor. When I get these issues right with my mare she responds so much better to every exercise in every gait.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/leg-yield-ride-perfectly-534133

 

[MDB]

I know you've said you've read a lot but this explains it v simply,with reference to weight. I appreciate what you've said about lessons but is there no one that can help you on this front, as nothing beats someone with an eye for issues etc to guide when you're doing stuff right or wrong. Specific exercises are all well and good but is your position correct, are you even in the saddle and/or in the hand etc? I'm currently dealing with a number of basic issues (in part created by injury but also by simple bad habits) and addressing these is my focus with my instructor. When I get these issues right with my mare she responds so much better to every exercise in every gait.

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/leg-yield-ride-perfectly-534133

Thanks ever so much for your reply. I will take a good read. I live in a remote area and all my friends who have horses (5 people) all have their horses at home and just hack like me and don't do this stuff either. Horse riding is a very male oriented past time here. The guys all ride down the road topless, with reins so tight the horses head are on their chests and carrying wooden sticks for whips. It is all very macho. So I really am on my own i am afraid.

 

[Cortez]

Really, you must find an instructor: trying to teach a horse which doesn't know something that you also don't know is well nigh on impossible. The ideal way to learn is to have a lesson on a schoolmaster, while an experienced trainer teaches your horse, then put the two together.

PS. You live in Spain; of course it's a macho thing! But women ride there too, and the standard of qualified instruction is very high.

 

[MDB]

Really, you must find an instructor: trying to teach a horse which doesn't know something that you also don't know is well nigh on impossible. The ideal way to learn is to have a lesson on a schoolmaster, while an experienced trainer teaches your horse, then put the two together.

Hi Cortez. Believe me if I could I would. I appreciate your point and totally agree. But it won't happen here. This is a very backward and remote part of the country, very rural and there are no riding schools within easy reach. None. People have horses here, but it is mostly men who jump on the back of a horse and whip the living daylights out of it. I think my best bet would be to have a lesson when I am back in the UK next year. But in the mean time I would like to give it a try at least.

 

[gnubee]

In the absence of a good instructor or a horse that already understands, I would think of it more as a leg and rein aid movement than bothering about your weight. As I understand it in theory, a correct weight aid is slightly on the inside seat bone to encorage movement to the other side. However, if you overdo it at all and lean to the inside you will generally end up with a confused horse who will move in the direction of your weight. Conversely, on a horse that doesn't understand leg yielding putting a load of weight down the outside can actually cause him to move under you to rebalance you (imagine you are carrying a sack of potatoes that is unevenly balanced across your back). A skilled instructor can help you with the nuances of weight aids. A horse that 'gets it' will respond to the weight aids it knows and let you off a bit if you aren't quite right. As you are finding your own way, think about pushing the horse over with your inside leg, maintaining a gentle inside bend with the inside rein, and allowing the horse to move over with the outside rein. Once you are getting some sideways movement you can refine and balance it with weight AIDS and subtlety.

I would also recommend that you teach your horse to move away from pressure on the ground first so it is less confusing.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

In the absence of a good instructor or a horse that already understands, I would think of it more as a leg and rein aid movement than bothering about your weight. As I understand it in theory, a correct weight aid is slightly on the inside seat bone to encorage movement to the other side. However, if you overdo it at all and lean to the inside you will generally end up with a confused horse who will move in the direction of your weight. Conversely, on a horse that doesn't understand leg yielding putting a load of weight down the outside can actually cause him to move under you to rebalance you (imagine you are carrying a sack of potatoes that is unevenly balanced across your back). A skilled instructor can help you with the nuances of weight aids. A horse that 'gets it' will respond to the weight aids it knows and let you off a bit if you aren't quite right. As you are finding your own way, think about pushing the horse over with your inside leg, maintaining a gentle inside bend with the inside rein, and allowing the horse to move over with the outside rein. Once you are getting some sideways movement you can refine and balance it with weight AIDS and subtlety.

I would also recommend that you teach your horse to move away from pressure on the ground first so it is less confusing.

I remember, as a child being told to "push him over" when riding in an arena and riding a pony which was trying to cut corners. I didn't know at the time that I was learning to leg yield.

 

[doodle]

Teach your horse "over" from the ground first. Working round them in stable etc. Then teach them over when you touch them on their side where your leg goes. Depending on your horse you may have to start with a poke and work the way to just giving them a touch. Then teach them this while walking round in hand. Same thing "over" and a touch where your leg goes. Then progress to riding. Still saying "over" while you use your leg. You may have to say over every stride but just aim for a step or 2 to start. Think about sitting square and evenly so you don't collapse to he inside. Keep a slight inside bend and I like to think of having my other leg slightly looser to allow the horse space to move into. Then hopefully your horse understands what you are asking which will allow you to feel it and work from there.

 

[Regandal]

Do you have good internet access? If so, YouTube is your friend!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RkH9Q89334 Quite a few on there.

 

[little_critter]

I think the problem here is that even experienced riders can't agree what weight aid to use for leg yield. I'm sure I've read a thread on the British Dressage forum debating just this!
For my two-penneth I don't weight either side, I sit up tall and look ahead, ask for slight flexion away from the direction of travel and ask the horse to move over with inside leg on the girth. My mare tends to fall through her shoulder so be careful to check that your horse is stepping through rather than falling.

 

[JillA]

Take a look through here, especially teaching leg yield from the ground, which is a good place to start. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=teaching+leg+yield
Then bear in mind you have to be able to use your legs individually and learning turn on the forehand is a good way to start that, teaching your horse to move away from pressure of each leg. As with any lesson involving pressure, the key is to keep the pressure there until the horse moves away from it even slightly, and instantly release. The more he learns, the lighter the pressure needs to be and then you have taught him a really valuable lesson which you can use to move both the front end and the hind end at the same time = leg yield. I saw Mark Rashid teach that in a clinic in about 20 minutes - turn on the forehand using pressure from your leg, then move the front end sideways by using pressure from the rein on the neck, out them together and bingo!!!