The leg yield is a great exercise for suppleness, balance, coordination, and straightness. Leg yields are introduced at First Level, but they are a great suppleness exercise for horses at all levels! Here is an exercise to help you improve your leg yields!
The Staircase Exercise
The purpose of this exercise is to develop a more correct leg yield, have a better understanding of the leg yield aids, and to correct horses that want to fall through the outside shoulder and not stay pushing forward in the leg yield.
Start by making a turn up the centerline. Once the horse is straight on the centerline, ask for a few steps of leg yield. The moment that things “fall apart” in the leg yield ride straight ahead (parallel to the long-side) and correct the issue. Then resume the leg yield.
This is a great exercise to correct horses that run through the outside shoulder, or loose impulsion in the leg yield or for horses that don’t stay round and over the back in the leg yield. It is also a great exercise for the rider to really learn the correct aids for the leg yield!
Remember that in a leg yield, the horse should stay balanced between two legs and two reins. The horse should not fall through the outside aids nor should the rider abandon the outside aids even though the inside leg is the primary aid.
The aids for a leg yield are:
- Primary aid – the inside leg to push the horse over
- Secondary aids – the outside rein and the outside leg
- The inside rein – (remember that leg-yield has slight flexion, but no bend)
Common mistakes in the leg yield:
- Rider leans to the side
- Horse bulges through outside shoulder
- Rider abandons the outside rein and leg
- Horse over bends in the neck
Give this exercise a try and let me know if you see an improvement in your leg yields! Happy Riding!
