Leg-yield question!

Sol

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 May 2009
Messages
4,133
Location
Shropshire, England.
Visit site
Can anyone give me any tips on how to stop Danny trailing his hind quarters when I ask him for leg yield?
He moves over nicely, crosses over nicely, just his shoulders go and.... his quarters eventually follow!
crazy.gif


Did think of just using my whip either to press or tap his quarters over in time - except he'd just either freeze or take off in a straight line (he isn't a fan of the whip) so that's no good! I've also tried asking him over, if he doesn't stay straight then asking him to carry on in a straight line and asking him to go over again when he is. But he just gets moody and then refuses to go across
mad.gif


Any ideas?? Would like to do more lateral work with him, but don't see much point in doing it wrong all the time!
tongue.gif


Mini eggs for all
grin.gif
 
only think i could suggest, is taking more of a contact with the outside rein (rein your going towards) as you see alot of people who let there horses fall out through thier shoulders which means the quatres are trailing..
smile.gif
you could also try playing with the steepness of how quickly you go across. If they are going more forward in the leg yeild then they will be more enclined to stay straighter through the body, then once youve established the straightness you can ask for a steeper leg yeild...
laugh.gif
does all of that make sense ?
tongue.gif
x
 
Oh I did a little of this in my lesson on Sat. I was shouted at for letting my horse turn into a banana! Correct leg yield only has bend at the pole so I wouls straighten the neck and raise your inside hand, don't shift your outside leg back or take more contact in the outside rein if he is rushing/falling out just establish the trot again and ask slowly. You're right you will gain nothing if he just keeps on doing it wrong, we tried it on a circle at first then on a straight line, it's hard!!!! and I'm no expert just relaying what I was told on Sat so hope it helps
smile.gif
 
im not a dressage person...so dont know if i do this all wrong, but it works for me/my horses! lol

(if im going from right to left)
iuse my right leg further back to push hindquarters accross, but keep my hands still and a strong contact with right hand to stop their front end turning to the left...i also use a little bit of left leg forwards at the shoulder to try and stop the front end moving accross too much, and moving quicker than the hindquarters? so between both my legs i kindof keep them moving together and to the left... if that makes sense?
crazy.gif
sorry if im talking gobble-de-gook!!
smile.gif
but it works for me and i get nice straight leg yields with my method...lol xxx
 
i'd mix it up with a little shoulder-fore and then shoulder-in to keep control of positioning of the front end and the hind end. also, i'd stick with trying a few steps of leg yield, then ride forward straight for a few strides, sideways again, straight again, etc. you said you'd been doing that, it's the right thing to do.
he must accept the schooling whip, i'd try stroking him with it in hand for ages and then from the saddle, so you can give him a stroke or tap with it to get a reaction when ridden. ditto he must accept and respond to the leg, it sounds as if that's the real problem tbh.
edited to add: what are you doing with your weight and your shoulders? try turning your shoulders slightly more or less (not possible to say which as i don't know what you're doing now!) and check where you are looking, and try weighting your seatbones slightly differently. most horses will want to step across/under a more weighted seatbone imho.
 
Been doing a lot of work on not letting him fall through his shoulders so unfortunately, I don't think it's that! (but would make sense, and would be much simpler!
tongue.gif
)
May try playing with the steepness though, might help!
Thanks
smile.gif
 
Thanks, will give that a go!
smile.gif

I find it harder on straight lines as he likes to try to fall out through his outside shoulder anyway, and I find it harder to tell when he's doing it on a circle because it's too much for my small mind
tongue.gif
Maybe I will have to try harder!
crazy.gif
 
I tried that...
blush.gif
I got ignored!
mad.gif
Rude pony seems to think that sideways is sideways and I ought to like it either way! If I get too tough he just stops all together.... so I'm not sure, but I do know what you mean! Thanks!
 
Will give both of those things ago! I can see a lot of the problems we have revolve around the fact that he's not 100% willing to do as I say and accept the aids, which does need sorting but not 100% certain how to go about it!
He's a sensitive sod and not entirely sure how to go about using the whip with him either. Introduce it in his stable which is enclosed and safe, or outside? but outside he has been known to just bolt at the sight of it which is a pain
mad.gif
I carry one more often now when I ride, but don't use it though he still uses it as an excuse at times to be silly - if he sees it/it comes near him he'll buck or shoot off even if it doesn't touch him! O.o Never use one when jumping as it's pointless.
Any ideas how I go about that one!?

I usually keep more weight in my outside seatbone - something I was told to do in a one off lesson years ago and it worked then and usually works so just made sense! As for shoulders... I don't tend to pay much attention to them, and I /try/ to look where I'm going!
crazy.gif


Thank you!
 
Mine trails his hindquarters on the right rein and falls out through his shoulder on the left. Trainer says I have to ride each side differently at the moment. So on the right rein I pick up shoulder in/fore as I come off the short side, and then ask him to move across, thinking in my mind that I am aiming to get his quarters to the track first. On the left rein I ask for some counter bend on the short side, and then keep him very straight (no folding at the shoulder!) when asking him to move across, still imagining that I want his quarters to get to the track first. Hard work, but we're getting there.
 
Generally everyone else has mentioned the obvious (and quite right) things, but another thing you can try is coming off a 10-15m circle and going into leg yield, because it engages the hind leg, so its easier to step under. Ask him for a little, go straight for a couple strides, circle again..leg yield again..slowly take out the circles, so you're leg yielding and going straight (but literally for a few strides) and then work on getting the straight parts out
laugh.gif


Does he lose forwardness? Sometimes that stops them staying straight, in which case..keep your outside leg on, but quiet so he doesn't lose impulsion or forward motion, and when he starts to stop going forward, ride him in a straight line with lots of impulsion and forward motion.
 
Thanks everyone! (sorry, far too lazy to reply individually now, but have read all!
tongue.gif
)

Think I need to basically get him out of being a lazy sod and make him listen to me. We seem to always get either one thing or another at the moment and never a bit of both! So in this case either forwards or sideways (though sideways doesn't mean he comes back too much, just that if I asked for any less it'd mean he'd stop up on me!)

I have some things to play with now though, so hopefully we'll get somewhere! And I'll stop being so soft....
smirk.gif
 
Start by slight positioning to the outside and move his quarters in off your outside leg, staying on the track. It is easier to be aware of what the shoulders are doing and keep them under control and the fence/wall helps to stop them running forward so they go more easily away from the leg and under with the hind leg. Don't let him bend his neck infront of the withers. Riding a turn on the forehand can show him how to move the hindquarters away from the leg.
 
Top