Leg Yields
By Kellyn
Leg yields and half passes are fancy terms for making the horse move sideways. Many people think that leg yields and half passes (or side passes) are the same thing, but they’re actually very subtly different. In a leg yield, the horse is bent in the direction he’s coming from, so he’s looking where he came from. In a half pass, the horse is looking where he’s going, or he’s bent to the direction of travel. The leg yield is much easier to do than the half pass for this reason, but they’re both fairly simple to do.
I start most things on the ground, simply because it’s easier and it goes faster that way. So I would first teach the horse to turn on the forequarters, and then teach him to turn on the hindquarters, and then for a leg yield all you have to do is combine them. So for the turn on the forequarter, the cue is to apply pressure where your leg would hang, and to turn on the hindquarters the cue is to hold a rope or pressure along their neck where your rein would go. So to leg yield, simply do both at the same time: apply pressure where your leg would go, but also apply pressure where your rein would go on his neck, and this will make your horse step to the side.
Always remember when teaching your horse something new to take it slowly; even one step is a step in the right direction, so don’t forget to reward often! Also, don’t forget ask, tell, insist, but remember to keep it consistent and fair.
Another comment in this exercise that can also be applied to other maneuvers is not to keep constant pressure, but rather apply pressure (ask) and then release when you get the response. Never keep constant pressure anywhere, that will only serve to dull your horses senses and make him less responsive.
