leg yield – Horse Listening

Leg Yield/Shoulder-Fore – A Great Way To Your Horse’s Back

We know why we want a supple back.

Think of the back as the gateway to all things good in horse riding. A supple back allows energy through the horse's top line. It releases tension, loosens muscles - allows instead of blocks. The up-and-down action of the back creates space for the hind legs to reach underneath the body, which will in turn promote better balance - whether on a turn or straight line.

But most importantly, the supple back allows the horse to carry you, the rider, in a more healthy fashion. Which is something we should all be interested in.

Consider the opposite: the clenched, unmoving back. Tightness. Rigidity. Blockage. Hind legs out behind the horse's center of gravity. Lack of balance. Bracing neck and on the forehand.

That image should be motivation enough to make you want to put in the effort it might take to learn how to get the horse to "work through the back."

While there is definitely much more to the supple back, the exercise below can help you get started at a basic level. These two movements combine to give you a sort of road map, if you will, to begin to find your horse's back.

1. Start with the leg yield.

Do it on a circle, in trot.

Use your inside leg at the girth, and stay evenly balanced in the saddle. Leg yield outward so that the circle becomes a little bit larger, bit by bit. The idea is to get the horse to lift through the rib cage (in response to your leg), lift the inside shoulder and shift weight to the outside. The horse's legs may or may not cross over each other - in this exercise, the cross-over is not required. Just a shift to the outside is fine, especially at the beginning.

You might notice that it is somewhat easier to get a bend to the inside if you can get the leg yield going well. The horse will already be reaching underneath the body deeper with the inside hind leg, and will be able to maintain better balance into the bend. Without too much fuss happening from your hands, you should feel the bend begin mostly thanks to your leg aid.

So now, your horse is stepping outward and the inside bend is developing.

Enjoy this for a few strides. Lighten your contact at this point, lighten your seat, and allow more energy through the horse's body while still stepping out and bending.

You're looking for a bouncier feeling, a swingier back... basically, more freedom of movement and energy.

Once you feel you have a nice bend and some easy steps outward, you might find that your outside rein "fills up" on its own, and suddenly, you have this wonderful neck rein on the outside rein, which will naturally lead you right into #2.

2. Shoulder-Fore

Now that you've activated the hind end, you can see if the front end can become lighter and straighter.

The shoulder-fore is a basic but excellent way to line up the horse's front end so that it leads slightly to the inside (and works on the bend again). Click here for the shoulder-fore aids.

Using your outside neck rein, bring your horse's shoulders just a little ahead of the hind leg tracks. In other words, the horse's front leg tracks should fall slightly to the inside of the hind leg tracks.

You're still on the circle, you just did the leg yield out, developed a bit of a bend, and now, using the outside neck rein and outside leg behind the girth, you bring the shoulders back in towards the middle of the circle - just a little.

If the leg yield was going to create a bulging outside shoulder, this shoulder-fore will quickly avoid the problem altogether. You'll notice that the outside shoulder straightens up a little and the front end lightens a little.

The straightening action will align the horse's spine and once again, you'll feel the trampoline-y feeling of the back that is active, round and engaged.

When You Get Good

Try it on one side first, then the other.

Then, switch sides - go right, then left, then right. Go off the circle and make it fun by finding new turns and circles in different places in the arena. Use serpentines, tear drops, S-changes... get creative!

Common Problems

When you first start with the leg yield, many horses will misunderstand the leg aid to mean speed up. If your horse quickens the legs instead of steps out, half-halt the speed, and regain your initial tempo. Then try again. It may take many repetitions for a horse to learn to step sideways away from a leg aid. Be patient, clear and reward often.

Another common problem is that the horse will continue to lean into your leg as you apply the leg aid. Many horses naturally lean into pressure. If your horse leans into your leg, come to a walk. Apply your leg aid again, and get the horse to leg yield at the walk. When the horse is responding, go back to trot.

While finding your horse's swinging back might be a difficult challenge, the feeling of floating energy that comes with suppleness is something you'll never want to go without ever again after you've found it for the first time. The bonus is that if you can listen carefully enough, you will realize that your horse will appreciates it too!

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From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success:

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Click here for more information.

12 Riding Quick Tips – #7: Four Leg Yield Variations (Diagrams)

The leg yield is the first lateral movement taught to young horses or novice riders. In fact, it is so essential that it should be taught very early in a rider's career.

Early Stages

At the beginning, all we want is for the horse to step away from the rider's leg. It may be from the halt, or at the walk, or in the trot. It may happen on a circle or on a straight line. Essentially, if the rider applies some leg pressure, the horse should step away from the pressure.

This aid plays an important role in helping the horse learn to balance around turns. Horses commonly lean into a turn or circle, "falling" to the inside as they come around. The rider can use the leg aid to keep the rib cage "up" through the turn, which also encourages a deeper inside hind leg stride, which then results in a much better balanced turn. It also allows the rider to keep her own balance through turns and circles.

*Click on the diagrams to enlarge.

A) Leg Yield Facing The Rail

You can position your horse so that he is diagonally facing the rail. Then leg yield down the rail, keeping that position. This exercise may be helpful to teach your horse that the sideways movement is expected, because the rail itself will encourage your horse's sideways movement.

B) Leg Yield On a Line, From A Quarter Line to the Rail

Start on the rail, going right. As you pass A, come off the rail and head down the long side of the arena parallel to the rail - but off the rail - in a straight line. Use your inside leg to ask the horse to step away from your right leg (leg yield left), to the outside, until he is back on the rail.

The key to this leg yield is to keep your horse's body as straight as possible while the horse steps forward and sideways. The horse's head can be straight or flexed slightly to the right. You can increase the difficulty level by starting at the center line and heading to the rail, requiring more sideways movement.

C) Leg Yield On a Line, From The Rail to the Quarter Line

This leg yield is more difficult than the first. You start on the rail (on the long side of the arena) and step off it toward the first quarter line. You can continue to the center line to make it even more difficult. The horse's body should be straight and flexion can be straight or slightly to the outside.

D) Leg Yield On A Circle

The leg yield on a circle (or turn) can be the initial step toward achieving a head-to-tail bend. You can use it to expand the size of a circle, asking the horse to step sideways-out - which will encourage the inside hind leg to stride deeper underneath the body. This increased engagement of the inside hind leg will help maintain balance through the turn, and develop carrying power.

In all of the leg yield variations, you are trying to establish a forward-sideways movement. A leg yield can't be only forward, nor only sideways. It should have equal components of forward and sideways (hard to do). Both front and hind legs should cross over as the horse maintains a straight body. If you lose the forward inclination, stop asking for sideways and re-establish forward. Try for sideways when you have a fairly free and energetic gait on the straight line.

Love The Laterals – An Explanation

Once you've got a pretty good handle on "forward", some suppleness over the back and strong, pure gaits with good rhythm, it's time to move on to the side-to-sides of horseback riding. The reason? Well, you need sideways almost as much as you need back to front.

Here are brief explanations (there could be a lot more detail!) of what each movement means and requires the horse to do.

Leg Yield

This is the most basic of the lateral movements, although it is not necessarily easy to develop at first. The horse moves away from your leg with a straight body while his legs cross over in a diagonal movement. The leg yield should take the entire length of the ring so the horse doesn't need to move too quickly. There should be more forward movement than sideways.

The leg yield is done off a straight line. You can start the leg yield at the quarter line, with the horse moving parallel to the rail to help you gauge straightness as you ask him to move diagonally away from your leg. The idea is to keep your horse straight while he moves sideways, front and hind legs crossing over in each stride until he gets to the rail. The horse's head may be straight or slightly flexed to the outside in this movement.

If you have a young or inexperienced horse, you might need to take plenty of time developing this movement before the rest on this list. So just get started but be patient enough to wait for your horse to fully understand what you mean by a leg aid that asks for sideways movement.

Half-Pass

This is a more advanced version of a yield to a leg. The major difference is that the horse is bent in the direction of the movement (not straight). The flexion is in the direction of the movement and the body has a bend to the inside. The front end may lead slightly, to keep straightness. Both front and hind legs cross over until the rail is reached.

This movement is called the "half" pass because there is still considerable forward movement while there is also sideways movement.

Full Pass (Side Pass)

The full-pass is rarely used in modern dressage but it does make a strong appearance in the western disciplines (called side pass) and can be invaluable in the training of the horse. In dressage, it is called the "full" pass because the horse moves completely sideways in this movement. There is (next to) no forward stepping. Rather, the legs reach to the side, both front and hind legs cross over in a steady rhythm, and the horse moves directly sideways.

The full pass can help you "find" your horse's hind legs and encourage the inside hind in particular to lift and step sideways - this is something that is difficult to isolate in other movements.

Shoulder Fore

The shoulder fore is a lateral movement that is generally taught on the rail. It is designed to help you straighten your horse even while he is moving straight ahead. Of course, you can shoulder fore anywhere in the ring, especially when you feel that your horse is moving his shoulder too far to the outside - whether you are on a straight line or a turn.

The shoulder fore is called a "four track" movement. This is because the horse's legs create four tracks as he moves forward down the rail. Each leg has its own line of movement because the horse is on a mild bend (to the inside of the ring) which keeps his shoulders just to the inside of the hips.

Shoulder In

The shoulder in is a "steeper" shoulder-fore, in that it has a deeper angle and more bend in the horse's body. This movement is different from the shoulder-fore because it is a three-track movement.

Because of the increased bend, the horse's legs travel on three lines, with the inside front being most to the inside, the outside front and inside hind on one line, and the outside hind on its own line furthest to the outside.

Travers (Haunches In)

This is a four track movement with the haunches coming to the inside. The front end of the horse should stay parallel to the rail while the hind end steps in enough that there are four tracks showing. The trick here is to avoid letting the horse bring the hind end in while stepping out with the front end, thereby making it a leg yield (with a straight body) with the head and neck pointing to the outside. The horse should be bent to the inside of the ring, with even more bend than the shoulder in.

Renvers (Haunches Out)

The opposite of travers, the renvers teaches the horse to step to the outside with the hind end, while keeping the front end parallel to the rail. You must leave enough room for the hind end to swing out toward the rail in this movement. Once again, there is a bend in the direction of the movement (toward the outside in this case) so the horse cannot be straight in the body or travelling diagonally along the rail.

The lateral movements are at times really difficult to get a good handle on, but at other times - when everything seems to fall together - the best feeling you can get! "Listen" to your horse carefully before and after the lateral movements and see if you can feel the difference. The whole purpose of lateral work is to improve the basic gaits, so feel for better engagement, swing, and bounce to your horse's gait after each exercise. You know you're on the right track when you can feel your horse loosen up and become more supple overall.

Do you have any preferred lateral movements? Which ones are you working on at the moment? Post in the comments below.

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

If you enjoyed the above article, you'll find many related chapters about horses and riding. Your favorite Horse Listening training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback (or digital) book.

From Horse Listening Book 2: Forward And Round To Training Success

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Instantly order online. Click here to learn more.

Bend: How to Drift Out on Purpose

It is true that we regularly deliberate about the evils of overusing the inside rein.

It is also true that we constantly discuss the importance of the horse responding to your outside aids and how they regulate the impulsion, speed and bend of the horse.

But there is a time that it is perfectly fine, or almost advisable, for you to allow the horse to drift to the outside.

When It's OK To Let Your Horse Drift Out

Have you ever found yourself heading into an ever-decreasing spiral after a sudden sideways step to the inside? Maybe your horse spooked momentarily and did an exit-stage-left - at which point, you fell into the turn with him and almost encouraged the turn to become a tighter-tighter circle that left you unseated and both of you confused.

Or maybe you were indicating a mild turn or heading into a corner, but your horse misinterpreted your aids into thinking that he should drop the inside shoulder and "fall in", thereby reducing the arc of the circle you were intending to follow.

Or your efforts to create an inside bend were met with a braced jaw and heavy weight on the rein.

In any case, you felt a stiffness on the inside aids. You knew that just going with the flow was not conducive to maintaining balance, but you went along because there was seemingly not much else that could be done.

The "Drift-Out"

Letting the horse escape ever so slightly to the outside might be just what you need in those moments.

Although we do go on and on about keeping strong outside rein and leg aids, a brief softening of the outside aids might be just the ticket to allow your horse to shift his weight from the inside to the outside. Use a corresponding inside leg to support the horse's rib cage, and you might find him stepping away from the inside leg, softening on the inside rein and balancing more to the outside (which would then begin to even out his balance).

If you dressage readers think that this sounds suspiciously like a leg yield, you'd be right!

The difference here is that you'd be doing a leg yield on a turn or circle, not just on a straight line.

Similar to the straight leg yield, the legs should cross and the body moves to the outside. However, in the drift-out, you might actually encourage the horse to take a deeper bend through the body. After all, you are on a turn or a circle, and a bend is necessary to allow the horse's inside hind leg to come deeper underneath the body. During a turn, the leg can support the horse's balance better and successfully counteract the force of gravity.

The Aids

It is always better to begin the aids before the horse has fully committed his weight to the inside.

1. Start with your inside leg and seat. In the rhythm of the gait, apply pressure with your leg (can be the thigh and calf) at the girth. Use your seat to push forward toward the front of the saddle.

2. Maintain or if possible, soften the pressure on the inside rein. Be sure you are not pulling back.

3. Soften (but do not completely release) the outside rein and leg aids.

4. Encourage or allow the horse to step to the outside, crossing the legs within the rhythm of the gait.

5. Do this for two to four strides. You might need to repeat this exercise several times to benefit from it. However, it is not necessary to drift out for too many steps in a row, as it is a correction and not a way of going.

Good signs

You know you're on the right track if your horse increases the depth of his bend with less effort.

He might lighten up on the inside rein. His rib cage might actually shift back in alignment with the body and certainly, the leaning pressure on your inside leg will be alleviated.

You might notice that the outside rein "fills up" with the bend of the neck and that there is a place for your outside leg to lie comfortably against.

You will probably feel the shift of the weight to the outside. Maybe your own seat will feel more evenly balanced over the center of the horse.

*****

Once you get good at drifting out, you will find a bend quicker and with less effort. You might want to explore the same idea in all the gaits, including the canter.

As with any correction, too much of a good thing might not make it great. Too much drifting out will result in the horse not responding to the outside aids, becoming crooked to the outside.

(In that case, you could try a counter-bend and drift in! The exact same principles would apply in the opposite way. But this can be a topic for another day.)

Have you ever intentionally allowed your horse to drift out? Let us know how it worked out.

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