Leg

by Ginny Creed

Leg-yielding, shoulder-in, travers, renvers and half-passes are names given to work on two tracks, or lateral movements.

As the name suggests, in all these movements the hindlegs follow the forelegs on a different track and so do not follow in the hoofprints of the forefeet - the horse moves forward and sideways.

The aim of work on two tracks is to make the horse more obedient to the aids of the rider, to supple all parts of the horse from the poll through the shoulders and back to the hindquarters and to develop and increase the engagement of the quarters, thereby improving the collection too.

The cadence is also improved and the horse becomes more balanced.

Leg-yielding has already been covered.

It is the exercise, along with the turn on the forehand, that teaches the horse to step away from the rider's leg.

In the leg-yield, the horse is straight, except for a slight bend at the poll.

The horse is looking away from the direction in which he is moving and the rider should just be able to see the eyebrow and nostril of the horse on the inside.

The inside legs pass and cross in front of the outside legs.

Leg-yielding is the most basic of all lateral movements and together with the more advanced movement, shoulder in, is the best means of making the horse supple.

It can be performed along the wall, with the horse at an angle of about 35 degrees to the direction in which he is moving (see Diagram 1 and 1a) or on the diagonal, in which case the horse should be nearly parallel to the long side, with the forehand always slightly in front of the hindquarters.

leg-yielding along the wall

leg-yielding on the diagonal

The most important thing to observe in the leg-yield is that the horse is moving sideways calmly and maintaining an even rhythm, while maintaining at all times the desire to go forward.

In lateral movements, the impulsion is often lost as a result of the rider's preoccupation with pushing the horse sideways and bending him.

When the horse is obedient and proficient in the leg-yield, it is time to begin the shoulder-in.

In this movement, the horse is slightly bent around the inside leg of the rider.

The horse is looking away from the direction in which he is moving, the inside foreleg passes and crosses in front of the outside leg and the inside hindleg is placed in front of the outside leg.

This inside hindleg at every step must move in underneath the horse's body - something he is unable to do without lowering the outside hip.

Because of the increased engagement of this inside hindleg, the shoulder-in is not only a suppling movement but also helps collection.

The shoulder-in is usually performed along the side of the arena at an angle of about 30 degrees to the direction in which the horse is moving (see Diagram 2).

This means that the horse makes three tracks with his hoofprints ie; the outside hindleg and the outside foreleg on another. The inside foreleg makes the third track.

When sitting on the horse, if you look at the horse's outside shoulder, it should appear to move out directly in front of the centre of your seat (see Diagram 3).

Out of the corner

When beginning the shoulder-in, it is best to start after the corner before the long side of the arena.

It is easier to teach if you perform it along a fence or wall so that you can check the angle and tell whether the quarters are falling out or not.

As you come around the corner, the horse should have good contact with the outside rein and should be bent around the inside leg.

As you come out of the corner, the inside rein should guide the forehand to the inside while the outside rein allows the shoulder to move in, at the same time maintaining contact so that the neck does not bend too much.

It is very important that the outside rein gives support to maintain the balance, otherwise the horse will simply bend the neck and fall out through the shoulder.

The rider must place more weight on the inside seatbone. Many riders fall into the trap of drawing up the inside leg in desperation and throwing the weight to the outside, making it difficult for that horse to perform what is required.

The rider's inside leg pushes the horse sideways ie; not too far back or it will push the quarters out. The horse must be bent around the rider's inside leg and this is impossible if the leg is somewhere around the horse's flank.

Near the girth is the correct place for the inside leg. The outside leg can be a little further back and is passive.

To finish the shoulder-in, the outside rein guides the forehand back to the track, with the inside lower leg.

If the horse loses rhythm or impulsion, the horse should be taken back to one track and ridden forward until rhythm and impulsion are regained.

The shoulder-in should then be asked for after the next corner or after a circle, using the bend created in the turns to begin the shoulder-in.

If the horse is inclined to bend only in the neck and not through the ribs, the quarters will usually drift out.

More Responsive

In this case, more careful preparation with circlework and transitions will make the horse more responsive to the rider's aids. The rider must make sure that the outside rein is supporting sufficiently, and that the inside leg is not too far back, thus pushing the hindquarters out.

When the shoulder-in can be performed correctly down the long side of the arena it can be practised down the centre line.

In travers and renvers, unlike the shoulder-in, the horse is bent and flexed in the direction of the movement.

In travers, the quarters move to the inside of the arena. In renvers, it is the forehand that is to the inside (see Diagram 4)

The horse is bent as in shoulder-in. However, it is the inside leg that asks for the sideways movement this time, not the inside leg.

Start again out of the corner.

As the horse is already bent around the inside leg in the corner, the rider pushes the quarters to the inside track with the outside lower leg.

The inside rein flexes the horse. The outside rein supports the use of the inside rein and prevents the shoulder from falling out. The inside leg remains passive at the girth unless needed to create more impulsion.

The rider's weight must remain more on the inside seatbone, otherwise the bend will be lost; you always sit to the side to which the horse is flexed.

The front legs must remain on the track and the hindquarters must remain on the inside track at about a 30-degree angle.

As in the shoulder-in, be satisfied with a few steps at first.

If you have trouble getting the correct position in travers, try it first at the walk so that the horse gets used to travelling in the direction of the bend.

The most common faults with travers, renvers and half-passes are:

1. The rider sitting to the outside of the bend.

2. Too much bend in the neck - remedied by lighter aids on the inside rein with more support on the outside rein.

3. Not enough bend in the ribs - the inside leg must work harder, near the girth, to encourage more bend.

When riding renvers, the horse must be ridden through the corner, then the forehand must be taken to the inside track while the hindlegs remained to the wall. The flexion is to the outside created by light aids with the outside rein and outside leg, while the inside leg (which is on the outside of the bend) asks for the sideways movement.

Finally, the half-pass. If the horse can perform the travers correctly it should have little difficulty with the half-pass.

The half-pass is carried out so that it is parallel to the track or wall along the long side. The forehand should be slightly in front and the horse bent and flexed in the direction of the movement (see Diagram 5).

The flexion and bend, combined with regular and impulsive overstepping should be established to the extent that it can be performed equally on both sides. This is very important and requires diligent practice.

The best way to prepare for the half-pass is again out of the corner before the long side.

As you go out of the corner it is important to think of shoulder-in. This will prevent the serious fault of the horse anticipating and leading with the quarters. Make sure the bend is established around the inside leg, with the inside rein asking lightly for flexion, the inside and the outside rein supporting. The outside leg then asks for the sideways movement while the inside leg maintains the bend and impulsion.

Remember again to sit to the inside of the bend, otherwise the horse will not be able to perform the movement.

Do not ask for too much bend to begin with, otherwise the impulsion will be lost and you will have to ride the horse forward and straight again.

You will find that your horse will be inclined to trail his hindquarters in one direction and be quite happy to lead with them on the other rein. If the quarters are trailing, you may need to use a tap with the dressage whip to make him step under with the outside leg. If the quarters are leading you need to prepare in shoulder-in position and use more inside leg to keep the shoulders in front of the quarters.

Outside rein can also be supportive to prevent the shoulder pushing out.

Remember that lateral work is difficult and tiring for the horse, so don't practise it for too long. Be happy with just a few steps at first. A tired or sore horse can never perform willingly or to the best of its ability.