These movements really aren’t that advanced, but most trainers would like you to think that you can’t possibly do this without their help. Your bending practice becomes critical when you start. Whether you are riding western or english, this is the same movement.
Most people know how to bend their horse, but do you know the difference between a leg yield and a half pass? When you see someone doing these movements you may not be able to distinguish one from the other. We are going to discuss half pass and leg yields.
There are three concepts that you have grasp in order to get this to work correctly:
The horse needs to move forward (or backward) as much as they move sideways.
The bend in the horse when performing a leg yield is away from the direction of movement.
The bend in the horse when performing a half pass is with the direction of movement.
Your horse needs to be able to ground drive.
Well, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The way to teach these movements to the horse is on the ground using your rope halter and lead rope. This is an exercise that requires a fence, or arena wall to accomplish. We approach this in stages, on the rail, in the open, and in the saddle. In the first two steps, we don’t worry about the bend in the horse.
Step 1: On the Rail – Introducing Lateral Movement
Face your horse into the rail. Move your horse off of pressure away from you. Don’t let your horse back up. Use your lead rope to move the horse sideways. Direct the energy of the tail of the lead rope at the mid-section of the horse. Don’t make a big deal about this.
Look for the front and rear feet to cross over while the horse is moving sideways down the rail. Reward immediately when the horse begins to move sideways. Lower your posture and reward the horse. It’s important to watch the feet and make sure that they cross over while the horse is moving sideways. Don’t ask for too much at first, get one good step, then two, etc. You need to be able to do this from both sides of the horse.
Now go to the other end of the horse. Turn your horse around and have the rear of the horse on the rail. Ask the horse to move off pressure as you did in the above exercise. Don’t let the horse walk forward off the rail. Use the lead rope to move the horse sideways. Look for the front and rear feet to cross over while the horse is moving sideways down the rail. Reward immediately when the horse begins to move sideways. Lower your posture and reward the horse. You need to be able to do this from both sides of the horse too.
This will look a little rough at first, but with time and practice you will get the horse to yield to pressure correctly and you can move off the rail and work without the wall to restrict movement.
Step 2: In the Open – Lateral Movement with Forward Motion
You have to have your horse soft and working very well on the rail before you can successfully move into the open or your horse will drift too much to accomplish anything.
Move out into the center of an arena, round pen, or open area. You will approach this the same as you did on the rail. You have an added dimension of no support from the rail to keep the horse contained. The horse needs to move forward with as much movement as they move sideways. This is how you teach a leg yield from the ground.
Bend your horse slightly towards you and ask the horse to move off pressure as you did in step 1. Don’t let the horse walk backwards. Begin by ground driving your horse forward while walking near the horse’s mid-section. Use the lead rope to move the horse sideways – twirl the rope at the horse’s mid-section. This is the same as your leg being on the horse. When you get in the saddle, the horse can relate the energy of the rope to your leg asking for lateral movement. Once your horse understands energy from the lead rope, use your hand in a chop chop motion at the horse’s midsection – this is energy too.
At first, your horse is probably going to disengage and move their hindquarters away from you. Keep with it and watch for signs of forward and lateral movement together. Reward this behavior immediately. Look for the front and rear feet to cross over while the horse is moving laterally. Reward immediately when the horse begins to move sideways.
If you can introduce this in steps, the horse will learn much quicker. You need to be able to do this from both sides of the horse too.
Step 3: In the Saddle
We are assuming that you have been successful with the previous two steps and your horse is under saddle. We are also assuming that you have control of your body and can move with the horse and understand weight distribution of your body on the horse; forward, backwards, and side to side. You need to be a rider, not a bag of potatoes. We are going to introduce your leg to the horse to ask for direction.
Leg Yield
While on the horse, bend your horse to the opposite direction you want to move. Hold the rein loose on the side you are moving and with a slight bend on the opposite side. Ask for forward movement with your seat. Distribute the weight in your seat 70% in the opposite or off "cheek". By distributing your weight this way to teach, you help the horse find what you are asking -- you open the door for them with the loose rein and free them up to make the lateral steps.
Sit tall, don’t lean your body, stay in a riding posture. Ask for lateral movement with the opposite leg (the side with the bend). This is surprisingly easy for the horse to comprehend. Reward immediately when the horse begins to move sideways
Half Pass
The half pass is different from the leg yield in that the horse is bent into the direction that you are moving. This is much more difficult for the horse to accomplish. Don’t work on this until you are solid with the leg yield or you may just confuse the horse.
While on the horse, bend your horse into the direction you want to move. Hold the rein with a slight bend on the side you are moving and loose on the opposite side. Ask for forward movement with your seat. Distribute the weight in your seat 70% in the opposite or off "cheek". I like to think of my seat driving the horse laterally.
Sit tall, don’t lean your body, stay in a riding posture. Ask for lateral movement with your leg, the leg opposite of the bend. Reward immediately when the horse begins to move sideways.
And when you get real good at this, don’t get too smug, your can teach your horse to do these exercises with backward movement too.
In order to successfully saddle up and ask your horse to carry weight you have to expose the horse to everything that they are going to need for this experience.
Can you yield your horse? Have you exposed your horse to the tools; tarp, bag, balls, etc.? Can you longe your horse? Can you ground drive your horse? How is your horse’s posture? Can your horse stand still and calm? If you answered no to any of these then you’re not ready to get on. But, you should be getting ready.
How do you know when you’re ready to get on? The horse is going to tell you. By this we mean that the horse will have been exposed to enough situations that this will just be another exercise. Your horse must have a good posture, be calm and relaxed. Don’t put a time limit on this. Don’t wake up tomorrow and say "Well, my horse is two I better get on today". Can you bring your horse up to you while you are above them and practice throwing a leg over without having the horse run off?
Get a saddle pad. Let the horse smell it. Rub it on the horse’s back, legs, and belly. Reward the horse. Place the pad on the horse’s back, take it off. Reward the horse. We discuss how to do this in the section on approach/retreat. Make sure that you can do this without the horse getting upset. Keep at it until the horse is desensitized to the pad going on and off it’s back. Throw the pad on the horse’s back. Did the horse remain calm? Reward the horse. Do this until the horse is calm and can handle the movement without reacting.
Use your lead rope or longe line to simulate a girth around the horse's belly. Rub the horse all over their belly and girth area with the rope. Use the approach/retreat method of introducing this to the horse and remember to reward the horse for appropriate behavior. If you have a 22 foot longe line and a 12 foot lead rope -- put the longe line around the horses midsection and ask the horse to longe with the rope (Longe Line) around it's belly. Move the rope around while the horse is moving. Don't be afraid to let go of the rope if things aren't going like you had planned. You should move the horse until it is desensitized and able to move "softly". By that I mean the horse should be relaxed and not head high or scared.
Put the saddle on the horse. Get the horse used to the saddle coming on and off. Tighten the cinch so that the horse can get used to the pressure in the girth area -- but not too tight at first. We like to round pen or free longe the horse with the saddle on the first few times so that they can get used to it away from us. A green horse may "crow hop" or buck these first few times and we would rather let them work this out on their own.
You should also longe your horse off your 12 foot lead rope and 22 foot longe line with the saddle on. You will find that this will focus their energy and thoughts on the task at hand rather than the new saddle on their back.
Ask the horse to plant it's feet correctly by pushing/pulling on the saddle horn. You want to teach the horse that when you are getting ready to mount, they need to have their feet under them and ready to carry your weight.
There's much more to it than this, you also need to prepare your horse for you being on their back. Another helpful exercise is longeing from above the horse on the rail of a fence or arena. This gets the horse used to your body being higher than they've been used to seeing you.
After you feel that things are going well, put one foot in the stirrup and practice adding weight to the saddle. Hold onto the mane and the lead rope at the same time. If things aren't going well, all you have to do is step back off the horse. Bounce up off the ground and stand in the stirrup on each side of the horse. Don't throw a leg over yet. Reach back and pet your horse's rear all over. If you are clumsy, you are going to get this area with your leg when you finally get on. Work it out this way first. Get the horse used to the idea that your leg is going to come over their back by moving your arms in this area.
Be careful not to kick or gouge the horse with your foot in the stirrup. You can ruin days of good work by not paying attention here.
Do this from both sides of the horse. Remember, don't rush it -- the horse will tell you when it's time to throw a leg over by being calm and quiet. Learn to read their body language and posture. When it feels right all you have to do is bring your leg over and sit like a sack of potatoes -- don't be an active rider at first. Let the horse find its feet and walk around with your weight. Don't restrict forward movement.
The most important thing to remember is to reward the horse for appropriate behavior. (c) 1999 Natural Horse Supply, Cloudburst Farm, and Rhett & Marilou Russell. Reposted with permission.
