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Leg-yielding – A real all-rounder in horse training

Even though leg-yielding is not strictly speaking a "real" lateral movement, it is still a perfect way to start explaining the sideways driving aids to your horse. In addition, it can be a real all-rounder in the training of your four-legged friend, and you should definitely not do without it.


What is leg yielding?

When leg-yielding, your horse moves forward and sideways and should cross as parallel as possible with its front and hind legs. It should also have its neck against the direction of movement and its body as straight as possible and not bent. Leg-yielding can be done with the head towards the rail or towards the inside of the track, but also across a diagonal. On the curved line (circle or volte) it is called sideways crossing.



Why is leg-yielding not a true lateral movement?

In the "real" lateral movements (shoulder-in, counter-shoulder-in, travers, renvers and half-passes) your horse is always positioned and bent in or against the direction of movement. It moves on three or four hoof tracks and one hind leg always steps under the horse's center of gravity. In the leg-yield, however, your horse is always positioned against the direction of movement, bending is not required and its body remains straight. It moves forwards and sideways at a 45-degree angle and each leg has its own hoof track. Only the inside legs cross or step past the center of gravity without bending.


The purpose of leg yielding

Horse legs showing the overstep during leg yielding in Picadera
Photo: Nele Paasch

When leg-yielding, all of the muscle chains in the horse's body are moved and make your horse supple. The oblique and straight abdominal muscles are stimulated, and the hips and pelvis are set in motion. By evenly crossing the inner hind leg, the pelvis arches up and tilts forward. As a result, your four-legged friend's back is also tensed and relaxed. Furthermore, all flexors and extensors around the elbow and the femoral joint are used, which makes the tendons, ligaments and fascia more elastic and, as a positive side effect, improves shoulder freedom. In short, leg-yielding has an incredibly loosening and gymnastic effect on the entire horse's body. It also improves permeability.


Preparation for the leg yielding

All the lessons that your horse learns on the ground beforehand will be easier for him later under the saddle. For this reason, you should also first work on the leg yielding with the help of cavesson work or the classic work on the hand with reins. With the second variant, it is easier to give your horse a framework with the outside rein. The forehand turn is recommended as a preliminary exercise. Here, the horse already gets to know the sideways driving whip aid. Ideally, it is enough if the tip of the whip is held at the level of the horse's knee and you do not even have to touch it with it to make it yield sideways.


Giving Aids in Handwork & Riding

On the ground

Use the braking effect of the rails for your first attempts. Walk on the outside, between your horse and the rails. Place your horse with its head towards the rails, let it bend slightly in your direction at the poll, and then step sideways with the help of the whip. The hindquarters should go far enough into the arena to create a maximum angle of 45 degrees. Make sure that your horse walks calmly and evenly. If your horse gets too hasty, stop it again. It should take its first steps in slow motion if possible. Also check that your horse does not lunge over the outside shoulder. The outside rein will help you here, but you can also use the whip to brake the shoulder. If the leg-yield works well and smoothly at the rails, you can also try it inside the arena, on the curved line (sideways crossing) or across the diagonal.


Rider practices leg-yielding with her horse from the ground during Picadera
Andrea shows her horse Mardi how to leg-yield from the ground: she places the neck slightly inwards, the whip helps her step sideways. Photo: Nele Paasch

Under the saddle

To begin with, start under the saddle with the variant where your four-legged friend is positioned with his head towards the rail, as this will again make use of the braking effect of the rail and will require less rein aid. If you want to let the right leg give way, ride on the left hand and position your horse to the right towards the rail using the right rein. As a weight aid, you can support your horse by putting more weight on the right seat bone. In this case, your sideways driving leg is the right one. The left leg has the job of holding the horse in place, i.e. it prevents the hindquarters from "hurling in". Your left rein controls lunging over the shoulder and overbending in the neck. Correct leg-yielding will therefore only be successful if you use correct diagonal aids.


Rider shows her white horse the leg-yielding under the saddle at Picadera
Leg-yielding under the saddle. Photo: Stefanie Blochwitz

What errors can occur?

A typical mistake in leg-yielding is, for example, that the horse is not only bent in the poll, but also that the neck is over-bent. One reason for this is usually too much use of the reins on the inside rein. If your horse falls over the outside shoulder, the limitation via the outside rein and the protecting, outside leg are usually missing. The sideways-driving leg aid should always be given in an impulse at the moment when the inside hind leg takes off. If your leg aid is too squeezing or tough, your horse will become slower and slower and over time will become dull on the leg. In this case, you will also block your hips more quickly and will no longer be able to accompany your horse smoothly. Many riders bend their hips when leg-yielding and their upper body no longer remains vertical above the horse. So keep checking whether your belly button is at the level of the crest of the mane.


leg yielding to warm up

For a long time, it was thought that it was harmful to warm up your horse with leg-yielding and "real" lateral movements. Scientific studies and practical experience have now disproved this. For every healthy horse, leg-yielding is anatomically natural and doable. It should only be approached with a little more caution with horses with joint problems.


Training Variations in Leg Yield

Leg-yielding is usually done at a walk and trot. At a walk, it is recommended especially in the learning phase, because there is enough time for your horse to take each step calmly and consciously, thus making effective use of it. You also have more time to "sort things out" and to give the aids correctly. At a trot, the floating phase brings more dynamism into play. The loosening and gymnastic effect is increased, but you also have to be faster and more precise in your aids. But you can also use leg-yielding at a gallop; it makes your four-legged friend more skilful, helps him to achieve better balance, and you can use it to optimally prepare for flying changes. Alternating between going straight ahead and two to three horse lengths sideways can bring more variety to training. Transitions in the gaits and speed in leg-yielding promote suppleness, concentration, and leg obedience.


Leg-yielding as a multi-talent in horse training

For a long time, leg-yielding was frowned upon in classical baroque riding and was rarely or never used. However, this has changed in recent years and the advantages of leg-yielding in horse training are now appreciated. Above all, the loosening effect of leg-yielding can be used wonderfully to keep the four-legged friend supple, elastic and healthy for a long time.


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Andrea Blochwitz
Andrea Blochwitz

I am Andrea, a licensed trainer B for classical-baroque riding and examiner for recreational sports. Under the motto: "Fun with horses" I travel around Kiel and the surrounding area as a mobile trainer. A varied and fair horse training is important to me. From classical-baroque dressage, work in hand, long reins, lunging with a cavesson, double lunge, circus lessons, riding in a side saddle, with the garrocha or neck ring, working equitation, free work, calmness training and seat training, everything is possible. I am a passionate show rider and have been able to take part in many horse events and trade fairs. My heart especially beats for my Welsh Cob gelding "Arvalon Mardi Grass", which I trained myself. I am very happy to be able to support the Picadera team as an author and am happy to be available to you with help and advice!

Photo: Stefanie Blochwitz Photography

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