And We Now Have a Leg Yield

It's not like we had NO leg yield. We've been showing at First Level all year so the judges have been scoring something. It might not have been a good leg yield, but at least it resembled a lateral movement ... if you squinted.

I took two lessons with Chemaine in September, and since then, things have gotten much better. I don't think Speedy's leg yield is going to be getting any 8s at our next show, but I am hopeful that we might start getting some 7s.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian - 2012

My rides on Speedy are always evolving. I remember so clearly when it was just 20-meter circles. Then we started adding changes of direction across the diagonal. When we started doing figures of eight with that one straight stride in the middle before the change of bend, I thought now we're doing some dressage!

Little by little the exercises have changed - we rarely do 20-meter trot circles any more. Now it's 10-meter circles followed by a shoulder in or serpentines with counter bending to soften Speedy from poll to tail. And of course, we work on the leg yield.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian - 2012

I usually begin the rides with some general flexing and counter flexing just to get Speedy's shoulders moving, and I am also now asking for some shoulder in at the walk which is a bit of a leg yield. I finish the walking part of the warm up by schooling the leg yield. On Saturday, Speedy finally gave me a leg yield at the walk that had a smooth rhythm and was not heavy on the outside rein.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian - 2012

We went on to the 10-meter trot circles with some shoulder in and then schooled the 10-meter trot circle followed by a halt and a 10-meter trot circle going the other way. When I felt like he was listening to my outside rein, I asked for some leg yields across the diagonal.

They weren't perfect, but there was the beginning of some rhythm to them, and we finally made it from one corner to the other without falling into a walk or feeling the need to buck or rear. 

The thing that has helped the most was getting control of the outside shoulder. I started riding the leg yield into an almost counter bent outside rein. Instead of having a little inside bend, I keep him pretty straight. By keeping him firmly on that outside rein, he can't bulge through his shoulder rather than step over with his inside hind leg.

When I felt him lean on that outside rein, I gave him a half halt and said HAUNCHES with my inside leg. Looking at his haunches to make sure I am getting them over has also helped. Overall, it feels like I am pushing his shoulders one way and his haunches the other!

I know Chemaine will see improvement this next weekend. Riding with her every month has definitely helped us improve. Now, if she'd just consider moving to Bakersfield ...