Leg Yield 

A leg-yield is the first stepping  stone to movements such as shoulder-in, haunches-in(traverse),haunches-out(inverse),  half-pass, pirouettes, and any other movement in  which the horse is pointing in one direction but moving in another.

Steps

Trotting

  1. Know that the secret to leg-yielding is in timing. In order to really get a feel for it, it is necessary to begin without being mounted. Have an assistant in the ring that can have her hands free. Begin by walking in a straight line with your assistant walking on your left. Have her put her hand on your ribcage (approximately the same place a riders leg would be if you were a horse). First, have her push gently on you every time your left foot is on the ground. You will notice that you bend around the pressure, but can continue to walk in a straight line without much trouble. Then, have your assistant begin to push you gently when your right foot is on the ground. You will find that you have to step over in order to stay upright.
  2. Mount your horse. Start at a rising trot (posting). The signal will come when the horses outside shoulder (the shoulder toward which you want to go, in this case) is up.
  3. Keeping your body straight, when the horse's outside shoulder is up (when you are rising), shift your hips to the outside as though you are going to stand in that stirrup. Your inside leg will automatically come in against the horse's side. With a surprisingly small amount of pressure, you will cause the horse to step over (you are acting like your assistant's hand on your side.)
  4. Get the horse to take one or two steps at a leg-yield, then allow them to move straight and forward again. Make sure to praise the horse.
  5. As the horse learns the signal, you will be able to perform a leg-yield by simply shifting your weight slightly to the outside

Walking

  1. Ride in a straight line.
  2. With your core muscles, lighten the seat bone which is on the hind leg that you want to cross over. For example, if you are leg yielding to the left, lighten your right seat bone by scrunching up the right side of your core, making sure that you keep your upper body straight.
  3. as the horse's hind leg is off the ground, push with your right leg, (when using the example above) and move your left leg out of the horse's way so that he can cross over and move sideways.
  4. Keep pushing in until the horse moves sideways with its head facing forwards.
  5. Pat the horses on the shoulder so it knows it has done well.
  6. Don't practice too often or the horse will get bored.
  7. Try to keep the horses brain active.
  8. Practice doing it weaving in and out of cones.
  9. The cones might need to be further apart as the whole side length of the horse will need to fit between it.
    • Note: As you are practicing the leg yield, make sure that your horse does not simply fall onto the shoulder that is the direction that you want him to go, make sure he stays balanced and straight, crossing over the hind leg to reach into your hand and stretch through your outside rein. the steps do not have to be fast, but rather even and rhythmic with your horse's gaits.



Tips

  • Keep your hands straight. Do not pull the horse one way or the other. If you ride with contact (pressure on the reins) you may feel the inside rein loosen slightly. If this happens, move your outside shoulder forward slightly by twisting your ribcage. Make sure the pressure on the reins is even at all times.
  • Make sure not to fall to the inside (move your shoulders in over the hip you are moving away from).
  • If the horse is having trouble, try starting from a circle. Also, try looking to where you want your horse to get to. If your horse knows you want him to go to the outside, he will.
  • Do not over-bend your horse to the inside, keep more pressure on the outside rein than the inside (because as you push the horse from the inside, they step into the outside rein). the spine should be aligned properly and not bend in either direction
  • If you get frustrated, do something else instead.
  • If your horse keeps popping his shoulder to the outside, go straight on the quarter line (between center-line and the rail) and then while you are leg-yielding, pretend you are almost trying to get the horse to bend to the outside with your outside rein, but don't actually bend your horse to the outside.

Warnings

  • Make sure you know the basics first
  • This article is not meant to replace a riding instructor.
  • Since this movement is based in simple physics, it will work on any horse at any time, regardless of the level of training. Applying it with significant force can make a horse step sideways to get out of danger if the situation cannot be avoided. Use with caution
  • Make sure your tack is well fitted and on properly
  • leg yielding without horseback experience is dangerous and highly insensible and not safe.
  • Horseback riding is a dangerous sport. Never ride alone.

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