Using leg yields to improve the canter

[Keren@serendipity]

This is probably old news to some of you here, but i thought I'd share. I've recently done a few lessons in which we have used leg yields to improve the canter transition and the quality of the canter itself. I think its a great little exercise and really works well. We begin on the long side of the arena, leg yielding from the three quarter line out to the fence. We generally do this once in walk and then a few times in trot (sitting). Once the horse is moving away from the leg well and in a straight manner, we ask for a canter transition at the end of the long side, canter across the short side and down the other long side, coming back to trot before the three quarter line to start the leg yield again.

My instructor explained that the leg yields firstly get the horse listening to your leg, and secondly it gets them really working the hind legs underneath them, so they are already travelling uphill and you find they jump into a canter and are moving with impulsion and on a good contact.

Interesting stuff!

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

I dream of leg yield! My pony is not bendy. But it sounds like a great exercise.

 

[GaryB]

I did this exercise on my recent trip to Ireland. The horse could do it - I wasn't quite so good!

 

[Keren@serendipity]

Lol Gary im not very good at the sitting trot part of it.

Jane - today was quite cold so our instructor had us do three loop serpentines for a good ten minutes to get the horses bending. I used to do this on Leroy who is highly educated, today i did it with Scout who is so green and not bendy at all. It wasnt pretty but we did get somewhere. Have a go and see

 

[Keren@serendipity]

Twice we missed the canter transition - i am still getting used to Scout - did a 20m circle and got it on the second go. he tends to rush in the canter and fall heavily on the forehand.

However - the time i DID pick up the canter directly after the leg yield - the difference was incredible! He sat back on his hindquarters, didnt rush, and really lifted me up and carried me through the canter.