Horse Articles: Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder Part 1: Solve Every Horse Problem

Leg Yields Without the Legs

What we'll cover: Moving diagonally (aka "leg yields") and speed transitions. What we'll build: Smooth diagonal movement, a pronounced fluidity from walk to jog to lope and back down again; "politeness" and seemingly imperceptible cues for "leg yielding" and speed transitions. What we'll fix: Horses that are stiff or want to leap through their transitions, horses that drift and/or ignore our cues, horses that just trod along "going through the motions."

Prerequisite training: Ability to move hips and shoulders independently

Note: Throughout this article, I'll use the phrase "leg yield" to describe what happens when your horse moves diagonally ("laterally"), or forward and sideways, and away from your leg. While we as Lyons trainers use our reins to accomplish this movement (as opposed to making the request with our "active legs"), I make use of the classic phrase here ("leg yield") because that's how the particular movement is most widely known.

Note also that there are as many different types of lateral movements as there are horses and trainers, (half pass, haunches-in, haunches-out, etc.) with "leg yielding" being one of the more elementary movements for horse and rider. So as not to be confused, correct leg yields require that your horse carry his body relatively straight; he'll bend a bit at the poll, looking slightly away from the direction in which he moves.

Once you're accomplished at the prerequisites listed above, (the ability to move the shoulders/hips) smooth, fluid and effortless leg yields are easier than you think. The cool thing is, teaching this material will fix several other horse "issues." For instance, does your horse drift against your leg? (You wanna go left but he pushes to the right like a car with half a flat?) Does he brace and throw his head when picking up a trot, like he's affronted that you'd even ask? And, when you ask for a speed transition, are your cues obvious to everyone in the arena – or subtle like your horse is reading your mind?

With this training session, let's get our horse moving laterally like a champ – but let's also teach him to travel ramrod straight when that's what we want and to quit darting left then right like a leaf falling from a tree. Let's get him listening for our next cue rather than ignoring us altogether and let's put buttons on him that give us smooth, effortless speed transitions and make us look pretty darn cool to boot.

First hop on your horse and test something out: When you ask him to walk or trot off, does he drift left or right instead of forward in a straight line? Really concentrate, maybe close your eyes and feel: Does he push or bow against one of your legs or the other? And if you pick out a tree in the distance, do you end up at the tree – or in your neighbor's yard? Straight lines aren't a natural thing for a horse; lazing from one side of the yard to the other is far more typical.

Next, when you ask for a speed transition, from a walk up or down to a trot, from a trot up or down to a canter, does he stiffen, throw his head and lumber ahead – or flow into it like water poured from a bottle?

Finally, when you ask for diagonal movement, does he drag a hip or move his shoulder only begrudgingly? Be honest. A well-trained horse should skate about like a crab on ice – moving at any angle, effortless.

Now, stop. Stop and re-read those last three paragraphs – don't gloss over this stuff because really thinking about it, diagnosing your situation by answering these questions objectively, is a big part of what you're learning here. Me telling you to do x, y, or z doesn't move you ahead as a rider. Telling you to pull a rein or place a foot just so might allow you to mechanically move your horse about the arena – but you'll look programmed, robotic – and you won't have any idea why you're doing what you're doing. Nor will you understand how to fix a situation not specifically addressed here in this short article. Trust me, most of the horse training takes place in your head. So, think about the questions I ask above so that you'll have some barometer to measure your progress.

Also be aware: It's pretty darn hard for a rider to fix one thing without effecting something else. Softening your horse through his speed transitions (breaking him from the habit of bracing and becoming rigid as he lifts into a lope, for instance) will also make it easier to get a particular lead. Teaching your horse to better turn left or right also teaches him to travel straight. Teaching stops effects your collection, teaching your horse to give to the bit teaches him to stand tied. Teaching him to respect your "personal space" and to move his shoulders away as you approach also makes him more polite at feeding time. You get the idea; the list is endless. Any positive experience with our horse will pay dividends. (Conversely, it also explains nightmare horses, too, but let's not go there.)

Now, the really neat part of this particular exercise we're about to go over is this: It's darn near idiot proof. I can't always say that – there are some things that really take concentration. Not this one. In fact, over-think this prescription and you'll only make things tougher. Trust me here, put your brain on light simmer when you ride through this work; you'll come out miles ahead. Why? Because, unlike loping to the aforementioned tree, asking him to consistently travel with his body at precisely a twenty-seven degree angle (or whatever) is something truly bizarre for a horse. It's tiring, makes absolutely no sense and he's more likely than not to tell you to go stuff it. You getting on his case, and cramming this down his throat will cause further resistance. No, for this to look good, he's really got to work with you. Pretty lateral movement requires an advanced degree of collection, balance, understanding and willingness out of your horse and for that you need a partner, not an adversary.

Yeah, so if it takes so much from the horse, how can it be idiot proof on your end? Because this is one of those times when you really need to let your horse tell you when he's ready to move on and for him to find the best way to carry himself. He needs time to figure things out and build the necessary balance and muscle. Your progress will be made through consistency and simple repetition: The horse learns a simple sequence and begins putting his body into the position he needs to fulfill your requests: He learns that "B" always follows "A," he learns how to get ready for "B." Simple. This, as opposed to us forcing our horse to – from the start and before he's ready – to assume a particular shape that a book somewhere says he should be assuming in order to complete a task.

Remember, the steps we ask the horse to take aren't necessarily hard for him. What makes it hard is the resistance he naturally throws up. Ask for lateral movement and he'll tense up and resist because it's simply "in him" to resist. Make him understand through repetition that life is easy when he travels in a particular way (you'll "stay out of his mouth") and he'll soon become your willing partner.

(Note: I'm presuming that you've nailed the prerequisites listed at the beginning, that you can move your horse's shoulder left and right independently from the hips and vice-versa. If not, stop. Go back and get that control: Read "Steer the Tail" for hip control; read "The Clockwork Exercise" for shoulder control. There are other articles so sniff around, but those two make a good start. Visit Horsemanship101.com/Articles.)

You will find rather quickly that your horse will travel beautifully in one direction and drag his shoulders or hips in the other. That's normal – in fact, look for it in order to learn from it. Ask yourself "If Dobber travels so well to the right – why does he suck traveling to the left – what's he doing different?" Travel the good direction and make a mental note of how he carries his head, shoulders, ribs and hips. Up? Down? Upright or dropped and sagging? Soft? Rigid? Pushing against your leg or bent away? What you'll undoubtedly find is that (in the good direction), he keeps his hips lined up (seemingly effortlessly) directly behind his shoulders which are raised. Well, "duh," you say. Okay – try going the opposite direction and you'll find the hip dragging and sluggish, the shoulder may move at best begrudgingly. You'll feel more like you're turning than moving diagonally. It's important that you make a "muscle memory note" of what feels right and what feels wrong. It's all the same to the horse – so if you don't care, he certainly won't.

The good new is, as I've typed before, your horse has only got two "ends," the front and back and we use this to our advantage: If the front is too far to the left, we have two choices: Move the shoulder back to the right – or move the hip to the left. This is a simple concept – but you'd be amazed how you can ride for years before making this connection: If he won't move his darn shoulder, we can get the same result (a straight horse) by moving his hip. (If he was shaped like a triangle we'd be in trouble, but I digress.) So keep this in mind as you practice this material and you'll save a lot of gray hairs. Don't have a stroke if you can't get a hip moved – if the shoulders move easier, fix your alignment with them instead. If one door's closed, try another.

The exercise you'll practice here, in a nutshell, is simply this: You will ask your horse to transition (from a walk to a trot, from a trot to a walk, from a trot to a lope, from the lope back to the trot) – but only when he's traveling at an angle. That's it!

Why the diagonal transitions? This is us using our brains. By asking for the sideways movement (with one rein, mind you), we're causing the horse to "not line up" his body (read: skeletal system) as he does when he lumbers impolitely straight ahead into his next gait. We've all felt this: We ask for the trot, the horse moves into it with all the grace of a jackhammer. Instead, we'll insist that he remain tractable.

Here's what you'll do: As you ride forward (begin first at a walk), pick up one rein and ask the horse to move diagonally. Keep the lateral movement and gradually increase your speed into the jog. Release your rein, ride directly forward and reward your horse: Exercise completed. After releasing your rein, travel forward only as far as it takes for you to relax momentarily on that rein (telling the horse "That's all I wanted, thanks") before picking the rein back up, asking for diagonal movement, simultaneously slowing back to a walk. The direction you "go up" and then "come back down" doesn't matter – though I strongly suggest that you find a rhythm ("Up and to the right twice, back down to the left every other time," whatever) because counting keeps you objective. Objectivity keeps you proactive as opposed to reactive – and calling the shots is always better than reacting to what the horse throws at you.

Use just the one rein – and do not cheat. Cheating here, by using two reins, causes the horse to line his body up, making your goal (of relaxed travel) completely impossible. Don't do that. Do what it takes to guide the horse with a single rein. (Your "off" hand can still hold the rein – just be careful that it's not in any way calling the shots or applying pressure.)

If either of you are green on this concept of riding diagonals, they're really just a matter of first asking the hips to take a step over, then lining up the shoulders. In this particular rendition, you simply ask for this while applying more gas. Before long, the horse will begin to anticipate and he'll bring both front and back over at the same time. The trick to this specific exercise is really not the mechanics – after all, how long does it take for me to explain "Ask the horse to move diagonally into a trot, travel straight two beats, then pick up your rein and slow diagonally back to the walk"? Just twenty-five words by my count. No, the trick today lies in the timing of your release. (Releasing when the horse relaxes teaches the horse to stay "easy" through his transition. In turn, that gives us the benefits listed above.)

When you begin – on the average horse who can already move his shoulders and hips as prescribed – what you'll find is this: You can get the movement – but the horse is testy. Or stiff. Or he lumbers through his transitions. Or he anticipates (not in a good way). He'll carry the hip way out here or the shoulder way over there. It'll feel clunky. You'll find yourself using the second rein (again, a big no-no). You'll start and stop with hesitations between the movements and move with all the grace of rusty gate. Ignore all these things and keep at it. Practice intensely for twenty minutes, take twenty minutes off and repeat. Do this for several days and you'll be amazed at the control you'll build.

Here's something very important: The first few times you do this, you can release when the horse simply moves diagonally through his transition. He moves diagonally and begins trotting while doing so, you release the rein, done. However, after you've done this several times, and the horse has the concept of "We start or stop trotting ONLY as we move diagonally," then begin "not releasing" until you're moving diagonally, you've made your transition AND you feel some softness (that is, a relaxation) from the horse's neck/body. Keep your energy up; keep the horse moving diagonally; keep him aware that "something is expected."

A caveat: If you've completed the diagonal/transition – and the horse just won't soften his grip on the rein – and seconds are ticking by – just drop the rein and try the whole thing again going the opposite direction. (Alternatively, you could also ask for a disengagement of the hip using that same rein – that's another good fix.) What you don't want to happen is to simply ride around, waiting and waiting for the horse to relax, allowing him to "get used to" hanging on the bit. You're better off dropping the rein entirely and staring over on the other side. Also, remember to look for very small improvements and build on them.

The horse should only ever transition (up or down) when he's moving diagonally. However, what you'll find, once you get out and ride the exercise, is that the horse will throw you a million curves. He'll do goofy things you'd never thought possible. So, rather than saddle you (so to speak) with a long list of fixes that would be difficult to remember, I'll say this: Use your common sense, keep things as simple as possible and keep your eye on your objective which is simply: Get the horse to transition only on his diagonals and don't release the rein until he relaxes. What matters most is that you keep your eye on the ball, that you keep with it and that you stay consistent. Trying to factor in a long list of "What-ifs" will only serve to confuse the both of you.

I will give you one fix and that's this: If your horse drags his hip to the inside, cure this by spending the next few training sessions insisting that it actually lead through the movement. That is, insist that your horse bring the hip not straight behind the shoulders, but have that hip really lead the shoulder by several inches. Getting that hip "better than it needs to be" will cause the horse to carry it properly at more relaxed times because he'll become more accustomed to really reaching with that back leg. It also puts you into the role of "proactive" rather than "reactive" rider.

Now, here's something you'll find yourself doing – and YOU SHOULD NOT: You will look at something ahead of you like the gate and attempt to move diagonally relative to the gate. Instead of moving diagonally, however, your horse may simply turn – and you'll suddenly be facing away from the gate. As a human, the natural thing to do would be to stop, point the horse back toward the gate, and start over – but don't do it. Remember the bottom line here is simply to get diagonal steps. If you find your horse veering off, don't line him back up – just keep asking for that diagonal step. Lining him back up will cause you to make about half a dozen corrections that only serve to muddy the waters.

On a related note, here's something to be concerned about: Quite often riders think they're moving diagonally – when in fact, they're simply turning. Guard against this by laying down a rope, walking along it a few feet – and then watch to make sure that both sets of legs (front and back) move off that rope diagonally – as opposed to turning (front then back) away and off the rope. Try this simple solution once and you'll see exactly how it makes things crystal clear.

What you'll find by your third or fourth session, is that a horse that used to drift now travels straight – because your proactive riding has kept him tuned into you. He doesn't float around sans purpose anymore – because you've kept him active and in the game. (And, too, he begins to see a simple straight line as a relief from all the wacky crab walking.)

Practice this exercise until the horse begins to read your mind. The first day you practice, it'll be clunky. By the third or fourth day you'll be amazed at how the horse actually begins to move into his trot from the walk or slow to the walk... as you pick up the rein, almost as you think it. This anticipation is a good thing. It's what you're looking for and a process you should foster as a horse trainer. The two of you have begun to look like a team.

This article is part of the "Ask a Horse Trainer" series. To read more, or to find a clinic or Certified John Lyons horse trainer near you, visit horsemanship101.com.

About the author:

Keith Hosman: If your horse won't speed up, slow down, stop or turn, you missed the latest training methods from Josh and John Lyons. Have you lost your confidence? Want a horse to brag about? Invest one weekend to make big changes with John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman. Keith is based near San Antonio, TX and is available for clinics, private sessions and training. He frequently conducts clinics and demonstrations — with an event coming soon to a town near you. For more horse training articles, or to attend a clinic or find a John Lyons trainer living in your area, visit horsemanship101.com now.

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