So what can make the leg yield seem so difficult to perform and teach for both the horse and rider? Well, the horse's body must remain parallel to the line the leg yield is moving into. However, there is a bend opposite the direction you are going. Oh, but wait -- it's not really a bend it's a flex, an ever so slight flex; you can't over or under do it. And the horse must remain with body in the exact parallel position; a slight flex, however relaxed, however using the muscles of the hind quarters -- perhaps not yet strong, because if these muscles are to be used properly, the body must remain relaxed

Try telling (demanding) your horse all that if he or she has never done a leg yield or has already developed distaste for it. You have one confused, even frustrated horse. These traits do not make for much of a lateral movement.

So what do you do? This movement, as with most other maneuvers, must be taught step-by-step. The first time a rider jumps he/she doesn't go for the 6 footer although that may be the goal. A rider doesn't even use 2-point the same way for different jumps. For example, when approaching a 6-foot jump, the rider must sit up to the jump and move into 2-point in perfect sync with the horse’s motion as he goes over the jump. A rider that has never jumped before gets a feel for the 2-point position as well as jumping. The rider goes into 2-point several strides before the cross-rail and doesn't leave 2-point until several strides after. This step-by-step method will give hte rider confidence to progress to more jumping and eventually that 6-footer with the perfect timing, position, and ride.

So to get to the point! The leg yield must be approached in the same manner. To ensure that the horse comes to understand this movement as one using and building strength and confidence in the hind end the "true, technically correct" leg-yield cannot be immediately expected. Begin the leg yield teaching the horse to move away from the inside reign and leg.

There are two excersizes to do this:

First, bring the horse into small five or ten-meter circles, using your inside reign to bring his nose in and inside leg asking his body to bend. On a circle this small this overbending will encourage him to move out and away from these inside aids.

Second, teach your horse turn on the

Do these two excersizes alternately and your horse will learn quickly the simple concept of moving from your inside aids and remaining in a relaxed, willing state of mind. The first excersize is what will ultimately lead your horse into the leg yield. The second excersize is simply to reinforce to him that his body should move away from your leg.

From the first excersize you should experience that your horse in the beginning pops out of his outside shoulder... A faux pas!* But not for long. This movement of his shoulder out moves the front ouside leg out. When that front outside leg moves outward, the other legs ultimately follow.

(*The popping out of the front outside (or either) shoulder is bad in performance because the horse could only pop out of the shoulder if he is falling into he forehand. However, by allowing the horse to pop out of the shoulder in the training process, he has horse back up support so he can remain relaxed until he gains the strength and coordination in his hind. Then the hind end truly holds his weight and pushes him forward and he can remain straight (parallel)).

When the horse in learning the leg yield, his legs are crossing over yet by allowing the horse's body to remain bent, this encourages him relaxation he can truly reach in the movement. The horse is feeling what it is to truly maximize and stretch his limbs so that they cross and move him forward sideways. As the horse builds this strength and is learning to stay relaxed in the movement, he will build the strength and confidence to move from you inside leg and hand into the outside aids, remaining straight, confident and balanced in the true leg yield.

Now the horse understands how to cross his legs and is being given the opportunity to build the strength for this so that it ultimately comes from the hind end. The results: the horse performs a relaxed leg yield using all of his limbs so the are crossing over and the hind end is truly strong and the horse is truly confident in a true leg-yield.

Jere Harris is a new English Instructor in Las Vegas having moved here from Georgia. She currently does trainin at Willow Pines Ranch and wrks with Brandi Lyons. Many of Brandi's training techniques have been combined with Jere's knowledge of performance and dressage for this method of training the leg yield.