I have been confused about this one for a long time and I'm hoping someone can clear this up for me.

Canter vs. Leg Yield

Half-halt, one leg on the girth, other leg back, and squeeze.

So how does the horse know the difference?

I find it somehow magically works out well in the trot... but if I am walking I often get a leg yield rather than the canter I wanted.

Can someone help?

Thanks! :-)

Don't forget your body position! In the canter transition you use your hips to do the motion of the canter (so your inside hip goes more forward and up). You're horse can really read your seat so don't forget how important a part it plays.
For the leg yield your seat is pushing sideways.

Think about sitting on your horse sans-horse and think about the motion of the horse in both the leg yield and the canter. They are different motions.

Hope that make some sense!

alright well, the aid for canter is - outside leg back and sqeeze, as well you move into a forward seat posision... and when u leg yield the horse is moving away from ur leg, while you squeeze with the opposing leg to where u want the horse to move, you keep ur hands firm not letting the horses head move to either side, as well holding the opposite rein to ur leg, getting them to move sides using their entire body to move not just their legs. THEREFORE... canter is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!

umm... DUH.

the aids for both are pretty much the same

hmm maybe work on canter transitions one ride and yields another to make it less confusing to the horse?

i personally dont go in a forward seat asking for canter.... i use a full seat to ask

hmm i agree with mad hatter it probably the way you sit when asking and the way your seat bones and weight are distributed

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I know it sounds very silly but I have litterally been puzzling over this one for years!

I do think it must have something to do with the seat. My horses have no trouble discerning canter from leg-yield when I am trotting (full seat for both). It's just at the walk that I sometimes get a leg-yield or haunches-in rather than the canter I intended. So... from walk, it goes, walk --> haunches-in or leg-yield --> oh! canter! I'd rather have a clear signal from the start! :-)

Of course, if I do a lot of walk-canter transitions in a session then there is no confusion... but it seems that the first few are not clear. :-(

Any more suggestions? So, it has something to do with the seat... but what exactly is the difference?

Thanks!

maybe your somehow sitting differently when asking for walk/canter than when you trot canter?

does it feel like your sitting differently?

try sitting very deep like when your asking trot /canter so to the horse it feels the same
even try the both transitions(w/c, t/c) without stirrups as you will probably feel the difference of seat aids your making, as with stirrups it might hide the feel of a slight difference

hope that helps!

Every horse may be different but I found that using my outside leg behind the girth "on and flick up" with my inside heel gives a good aid for the canter while my leg just on for the yield. I kind of lift my heel up an inch or so on the horse for canter. If you horse is used to word aids (like in lunging) you can say can'ter to help your horse as well.

Releasing the leg pressure at the right moment is also key. Releasing as the horse does what you are asking will help your horse define right and wrong.

While seat is part of the deal, it is much simpler that that.

For canter the horse is bending slightly to the inside, your inside leg is at the girth and outside leg slightly behind the girth. Whether you use your inside leg, outside leg or seat to cue the canter depends on your training and your horse's training.

For leg yield the horse is bending slightly to the inside, your inside leg is behind the girth, and outside leg at the girth. The inside leg back is pushing the hindquarters over into the outside rein (and if you want to get precise, you use your inside leg when the horse's inside hind leg is off the ground).

If you are getting a haunches-in you are asking with the outside leg and choking the inside rein and your horse might have too much bend. If you get a leg yield your aids are confusing your horse and she is simply groping around for a 'correct' answer.

Odds are you haven't got your horse set up for a canter transition. You have not balanced the walk enough, or ensured the walk is forward enough, or on your aids enough, or straight enough, or you have failed to prepare for the transition, or you have failed to ask at the right point in the stride, or you have choked up on or dropped contact somewhere. She gets 'better' because she realizes that you are wanting canter transitions, so that's what she does because it was the 'right answer' last time.

Play with your aids to see what you are doing and what you get. Canter as you come onto the long side, 3/4 of the way along the arena do a half 15m circle, come back to trot and go straight down the quarterline for a few strides, leg yield over to the wall (does she offer a canter transition?), do haunches in for a few strides on the short wall coming off the corner, straighten and repeat. Shake it up. Trot before starting the half circle, canter straight down the quarterline. Haunches in for half of the next long side, go to shoulder-in for the next half. Etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Four Leaf:
For leg yield the horse is bending slightly to the inside, your inside leg is behind the girth, and outside leg at the girth.

For leg yielding, your horse should be slightly bent to the outside.

so, if are leg-yielding to the left your horse should be bent slightly right. For a half-pass on the other hand, your horse should be bent in the direction of travel. So half-pass left, horse bend left.

Sorry, I had to correct you so as not to confuse the OP.

it's all about bend! lol

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vintage Lace,

When I've been riding in the equitations the coaches that I've had have taught me this trick for asking for walk/canter
you ask for the canter aid as usual, but then you ask again, like ASK..ASK, the first one starts the movement for the horse and asking again confirms it for them.
If that makes any sense whatsoever!
But I've definitely found that it makes like 100% difference on all the horses I've shown.

VS leg yield is more of a steady leg pressure against the side until the horse moves away from it.

Vintage Lace...Good visual in your description. Minor correction though...you are mixing up the inside and outside aids for leg-yielding. When leg-yielding to the right, the left rein and left leg remain to be the inside aids, therefore when you are bending your horse, you are bending to the inside. For half-pass to the right your inside aids change to the right and the bend is to the right. It's good to give an example with left and rights in it...Thanks! :-)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Four Leaf,

Aha, you are right. And now I understand your description. I was thinking that you were talking about which bend for which direction of travel, lol!

and to think I was concerned with confusing the OP! nevermind myself

so, what I should have said, was leg-yield is bent away from the direction of travel. Half-pass bent IN direction of travel.

that's why I have to read things 5 times before I reply to anything

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Vintage Lace,