Leg Yield

[JinglebellJessi & MistletoeMagic]

Hello lovely HHO'ers

Would anyone be able to explain to me leg yield? or know a good webpage for me to look at. I'd like to start doing it with kyra to further her education but i'm worried i don't understand it enough to just jump on and try Thank you

 

[flirtygerty]

Turn horses head in the direction you want to go, outside leg behind girth, to push the hind end over

 

[Herpesas]

If you are leg yielding to the right, you ask the horse to flex his poll to the left and apply the left leg behind the girth. Use your right rein to ensure the horse is not bending it's neck too much (and subsequently 'falling out' through it's right shoulder). Your right leg should stay on the girth. I usually do this after lots of transitions, so that I know the horse is moving away from the leg.

In the early stages of teaching it I usually leg yield back onto the track from the 3/4 line, asking the horse for 2 forward strides and one sideways and repeat until you reach the track. This will keep you in charge of the movement rather than the horse rushing back to the track and getting unbalanced. Once you can do this you can then do 1 stride forwards, 1 sideways; and then one flowing movement.

You can then progress to leg yielding off the track using the same 2 strides forward, 1 stride forwards tactic. Once you can do this I do the snakes and ladders exercise where you mix it up a bit - leg yield off the track to the left, then ride straight, then leg yield left again, ride straight again, leg yield right back to the track. This ensures the horse is listening to you rather than just assuming the leg yield aid means launching itself sideways and means you ride accurately and don't just drift around!

Hope that helps!