The Leg Yield
This exercise works on: contact, straightness, forwardness.
        The leg yield is used as the first main lateral work for horses.  Not as technically demanding as the half pass it is the best to teach the horse the forward and sideways movement required for exercises such as the half pass.  It also requires no knowledge of collection where the half pass does.  The horse should know how to move off of the leg obediently before the leg yield is schooled.

    In the leg yield the horse travels in two directions: forward and sideways.  Four tracks are created by the horse's foot falls: each foot traveling on it's own path however all the paths must remain at the same angle.

The horse moving on four tracks in the leg yield to the left.  The left side is referred to as the outside even if the horse where to be moving off the wall (which would be on the right side of the horse).  The horse always moves away from the 'inside' on the leg yield.
 
    The easiest way to teach the horse the leg yield is to start from the quarter line and yield towards the wall.  After the corner onto the quarter line the rider should straighten the horse and then ask for the leg yield by: placing the inside leg against or slightly behind the girth to move the horse forward, while the outside leg at the girth keeps the horse moving forward, the inside hand indicates the bend while the outside hand leads the way, controls the straightness and speed.  A good way for the rider to get the feeling of the leg yield is to think of one step sideways, and then one step forward.  A half halt through the outside rein will help the sideways step by slowing and rebalancing the horse while the outside leg will help with the forward step.

    The rider must be careful that the horse does not trail his hind end, or lead with it but must stay straight.  The horse must also remain moving forward with impulsion and run through the riders hand.  The horse must also not over bend to the inside.  If the horse is not crossing his legs over enough the rider should use a stronger half halt and think more sideways steps and less forward steps.

    Once the horse is doing the leg yield well from the quarter line the horse can be moved to the more difficult stages of leg yielding from the wall to the quarter line. This is more difficult as horse's naturally want to drift towards the wall not away from it.  Also as the rider develops more control of the angle and severity (how much sideways versus forward there is in the leg yield) she can start to pick a point and leg yield to end up at that point adjusting the angle of the leg yield accordingly.  Once both of these are conquered the rider can start doing the leg yield off and then back to the wall requiring the horse to be very responsive and obedient to the leg and hand aids.