11/25/2025
Leg-Yielding
Leg-yielding should be included in the training, it is the best means of making a horse supple, loose and unconstrained for the benefit of the freedom, elasticity and regularity of his gaits and the harmony, lightness, and ease of his movements.
Leg-yielding can be performed “on the diagonal” in which case the horse should be as close as possible to parallel to the long sides of the arena, although the forehand should be slightly in advance of the quarters. It can also be performed along the wall, in which case the horse should be at an angle of about 35 degrees to the direction in which the horse is moving.
In leg-yielding, the horse moves forward and sideways on two tracks away from the riders inside leg. Leg-yielding is performed in walk and trot. It is generally considered the easiest of the lateral movements and should be taught before shoulder-in, haunches-in and half-pass. However, some will argue that leg-yielding should be called a two track movement, not a lateral movement, as it does not require bend.
Leg-yielding is an exercise that loosens and supples the horse as he responds to the sideways-driving aids of the rider.
The crossing of the legs, especially the slightly increased lowering of the inside hip, facilitates the loosening effect.
Leg-yielding is particularly useful in the warm-up phase but can also be helpful at moments of correction throughout the work when the horse’s response to the sideways driving aids is not as desired (haunches falling out).
Leg-yielding is also a rudimentary tool to straighten the horse before he has learned shoulder-in and is ready for collected work.
For the rider, leg-yielding is of great benefit.
For many beginners, this is really the first time they become fully aware of the fact that they have two reins and two legs and how to use them independently from each other. They realize, for instance, that a horse slowing down cannot be corrected with the sideways-driving leg. Most important, it makes riders aware of the cooperative effect of the aids and how they should harmonize together.
Aids – in General
The horse is basically kept straight; however, the inside rein is shortened and flexes the horse slightly away from the direction of movement and just enough that the rider can see the top of the inside eye and nostril. (This side is called the inside, irrespective of whether the horse is facing the rail or into the arena.) The outside rein has to keep the neck straight at the shoulder.
The rider’s weight is shifted more onto the inside seat bone.
The inside leg should be moved a little behind the girth to cause the horse to step sideways and cross over. The outside leg has to be behind the girth as well to prevent the angle from becoming too great.
Simplified, the inside aids create and the outside aids receive.
Both reins have to harmonize in such a way that the inside one keeps the horse sufficiently flexed and supple in the lower jaw and poll to avoid resistance and stiffening in the neck; the outside rein has to prevent the horse from over bending the neck and falling through the outside shoulder.
This can become more of an issue in the trot, where the added quality of impulsion lacking in the walk requires more skill from the rider to keep the horse straight. Moreover, the horse must be encouraged toward a forward and downward tendency, which is contained by the outside rein.
This is of the greatest importance when leg-yielding is done in the walk, particularly with novice riders, so that the horse’s top line can open up, thus allowing the desired relaxing and suppling.
When the weight is shifted onto the inside seat bone, the rider’s torso must remain perpendicular behind the horse’s withers.
Care must be taken not to collapse the inside hip or to tilt the torso to the inside.
Both these faults would weaken the riders outside leg and make it largely ineffective.
Sometimes it may be helpful to bring the inside shoulder a little in the direction of the horses inside hip.
This puts additional pressure on the inside seat bone and supports the intent of the outside leg. The inside leg should be brought a little behind the girth with adequate pressure to make the horse step sideways and to cross over.
The aid should be given just as the inside hind leg is about to leave the ground.
With green horses, it may be necessary to put the inside leg somewhat more behind the girth to convey a clear message to the horse.
Head to the Wall
Considered by some to be the easiest and most plausible format to start with a green horse or a beginner rider. The rail provides an obvious guideline for the angle.
Generally, this should be about 35 degrees sufficient to get maximum benefit from the exercise; however, initially, it may be quite in order to ask for only 20 degrees. This will not induce much
crossing of the legs but will allow the student to learn the application of the aids without running into any major problems caused by over using any single aid.
The rail also helps the student to be effective with the outside rein without becoming too restrictive, for the rail helps in keeping the horse on the desired track.
On a Circle
This is probably the most effective leg-yielding format.
The additional difficulty of staying consistently on a curved line induces a more pronounced crossing over of the inside hind leg and consequently somewhat more lowering of the inside hip. When attempting leg-yielding in this format, it very quickly becomes obvious whether the rider has acquired good coordination of all the aids.
Horses which are inordinately stiff in the back and neck require specialized work for loosening up the tight musculature. They can benefit from leg-yielding on a circle; however, with this work there is significant deviation from the normal concept of leg-yielding.
For example, the horse’s neck should be bent quite a bit to the inside as much as necessary to induce longitudinal stretching just in front of the withers, resulting in complete relaxation of the
muscles along the underside of the neck. In addition, it is useful to activate the
inside hind leg with the whip, causing accentuation of the flexion of the joints.
Frequent half-halts should be used to prevent the horse from rushing away from the aids and to gradually get him accustomed to this work so that he will eventually relax and swing through his back.
Patience and feel are required, and breaks are important for the muscles so as not to fatigue and overstress the horse.
There’s no “wow” feeling to a correctly ridden leg-yield.
If your horse glides smoothly along the desired line while maintaining the alignment and the tempo, you’re doing it right.
If you find yourself drawing your inside leg back because he isn’t moving away from it, or you’re pulling on the inside rein to stop that falling-sideways feeling, you either need to reinforce the obedience to your inside leg or correct the alignment.
Let the geometry help you to assess the correctness of your riding and training.
