Teaching leg yield under saddle

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emfen1305

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So after stopping all riding and lessons due to confidence blip (still ongoing but getting better), I have taken lessons back up with a new instructor. I had a sort of assessment lesson with her where I babbled on about all of my issues and she very attentively listened and recommended some out of saddle reading and in saddle exercises. She then watched me ride but I asked not to canter (not quite feeling it yet) so she just watched me walk and trot on both reins and do some basic circles, changes of rein etc. We have established he has a nice rhythm (always get good comments about that on my sheets) but that I do not provide any contact for him to work in to at all so all of the power is lost, this also means he is not bending properly around my leg and shooting out through his shoulders on circles (these are all things I had posted about before and I am aware of but couldn't fix). The hands are something I am working on, she says I either dont have a contact at all or I am fair too harsh (especially with my outside rein - it is a panic reaction when I think he's going to do something)

She has recommended teaching leg yield as a way to improve his step under and therefore the bend and hopefully will help me develop an even feel down both reins however the poor cob just is not getting it. She wondered whether he is being impeded by his stompy back legs but he is perfectly capable on the ground and he will do it when ridden if I turn his head to the fence and ask him to go sideways parallel with the fence line but if I ask him off the 3/4 line towards the track (or away) then he just does not get it. He tries to run through my outside rein and then stops or goes backwards if I don't let him.

I know I am causing the problem but not sure what to do. I feel like I am giving the right aids (confirmed by the instructor) but he is baffled by it. It is exactly the same on both reins, it's like he can't go forwards + sideways, it is just one or the other. Does anyone have any tips? We ran out of time (she wanted to focus on some exercises to help with my hands instead) but I do want to practice this too. Thanks :)
 
Does he understand moving away from your leg? If not I would first just work on (on a circle or anywhere) just asking him to move away from leg pressure, even just one step. Repeat until he understands. Then for leg yield point your thumbs in the direction you want to end up ask for a step of sideways then forward, then sideways then forwards etc until he starts to get the forward and sideways movement. It's always good to remember that leg yield is a forward movement not a sideways movement. Keep your bodyweight in the direction of travel too.
 
shortstuff99 said:
Does he understand moving away from your leg? If not I would first just work on (on a circle or anywhere) just asking him to move away from leg pressure, even just one step. Repeat until he understands. Then for leg yield point your thumbs in the direction you want to end up ask for a step of sideways then forward, then sideways then forwards etc until he starts to get the forward and sideways movement. It's always good to remember that leg yield is a forward movement not a sideways movement. Keep your bodyweight in the direction of travel too.
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I would say so, probably not as reactive as I would like but we ride lots of squares and he does move away, and he does understand if we are not moving (turn on the forehand etc). He will also move away if I am hacking and go from one side of the track to another but I am fairly sure he isn't crossing his legs, they are just following his shoulders. I feel like I must be blocking him when we are moving so think the forward then sideways might help, I expect my hands are not helping either if they aren't being very clear..
 
Have you tried shallow loops first? I wouldn’t be discouraged if he doesn’t do it off the 3/4 line straight away - for a horse that hasn’t done leg yielding before that’s going to be a little confusing. Try going large, then on the long side come on to the inside track (only a metre or so to the inside). Keep the bend, ask him for leg yield. Most horses naturally drift towards the track, so he’ll probably do it quite easily. If he doesn’t you can decrease the distance you come to the inside - if it only takes one step for him to get back to the track, he’ll do it whether you ask for leg yield or not, because pretty much all horses prefer going round by the fence. Lots of praise if he does a proper step under!
 
Have you taught turn on the forehand? That's an easier step to leg yield.
Another thing I find helpful is to look in the direction I want the horse to go. Really exaggerate it at first. It makes it much clearer to them. It also seems to put your body position in the right place to give the aids.
 
have you tried this from on the floor then you can see exactly what his legs are doing...you can use the handle of your whip pushed behing the girth instead of using your hand as this will give him more the feel of your leg...they are usually easier if you are on the ground..
 
Yes he can do turn on the forehand in both directions so I am hopeful that he does understand just not when we are going forward! He can do it no problem on the ground if I give him some encouragement behind the girth so it must be me, I don't think I am quick enough with the aids, he is either just pushing to the track with his neck bent not crossing his legs or we are at a standstill and he thinks I want turn on the forehand! I just need to be a better rider!
 
My instructor and I are in the process of teaching my cob leg yield.

As others have mentioned, we started with turn on the forehand, and initially taught it from the ground - slight flex of the head towards you (at the poll, not bending the neck), hold the outside rein with it crossing at the wither and use it to stop the horse going forward, then just a gentle, repetitive tap with the whip where your leg would go. We then moved on to me mounted, with the instructor providing back-up if she didn't move from my leg. It only took a couple of goes before she had it down pat. (Well, on one rein. She still prefers to move backwards on the other, stepping behind the outside leg instead of in front of it.)

We've already started to introduce the concept of going sideways by playing with flexion on a 15m circle. So initially circle with her flexed inward at the poll, then change to flexed out after a few strides, then repeat. Then gradually pushing her out of the circle by tapping her shoulder with a crop. (This is all built on teaching her to turn corners while flexed the 'wrong' way.)

She hasn't quite got it yet but, as much as I love and appreciate her, she perhaps isn't as bright as cobs are reputed to be!
 
Have you done leg yielding on a week schooled horse to help you get the feel?
Or could your instructor get on for part of the lesson to teach him and demonstrate to you?
 
Pippity said:
We've already started to introduce the concept of going sideways by playing with flexion on a 15m circle. So initially circle with her flexed inward at the poll, then change to flexed out after a few strides, then repeat. Then gradually pushing her out of the circle by tapping her shoulder with a crop. (This is all built on teaching her to turn corners while flexed the 'wrong' way.)

She hasn't quite got it yet but, as much as I love and appreciate her, she perhaps isn't as bright as cobs are reputed to be!
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Turning corners flexed the wrong way is something else I have been told to do to help with my hands so going to be doing more of that. I just feel like he is all shoulders and lose the hind end completely which is surprising as his hind end is very active but my instructor thinks this is what isn't helping him at the moment. He gets visibly frustrated by it so I try and pick my times to do it but worried about asking him to do it and then him not doing it and me not pushing.
 
wren123 said:
Have you done leg yielding on a week schooled horse to help you get the feel?
Or could your instructor get on for part of the lesson to teach him and demonstrate to you?
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Think I might ask her to do that for next time just so she can feel what i feel (or not, he will probably be able to do it with her!)
 
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