Post by Elaine on Dec 3, 2007 12:43:13 GMT
Hindquarter yield (ground & saddle) 
In this exercise, the idea is that your horses front feet will roughly stay in the same place, and his hind feet move move in a circle around his front feet.
For HQ yield, stand on ground, near your horses hip.
Have just a headcollar/halter on horse, with a longish lead rope.
Rub you horses back as he stands still on a loose rope.
When horse is quiet & relaxed and standing still, pull lead rope very gentle, and ask him to turn his head around towards you a little, while he stands still.
After this, look at your horses side, and image when your heel would be, if you were riding, and your foot was behind the girth.
With your horse relaxed, standing still, & head turned towards you a little, touch taht spot with the tip of one very light finger for half a second. Then take your hand away and wait for 5 seconds, doing nothing. Your horses will probably just stand there, he might twitch his skin thinking a fly had just tried to land, or he might you at you with a puzzled expression on his face.
Bring the tip of that finger up again, and touch that same place for another half a second gently.
What you are looking for, is for your horses to move one or both of his hindfeet sideways, away from where you are standing.
The *split second* you see that your horses is thinking what you are (move hindfeet sideways) whether its him shifting his body weight a bit sideways, or actually moving one hind foot sideways, stop everything, and rub his back as a reward.
Otherwise, keep doing that very light touch, be patient and give your horse time to figure out what you're asking. (ie, dont nag by prodding your horse quickly, that gets a bit annoying for the horses)
After while your horse will figure this out, and instead maybe of ten asks, he will start to move after maybe 8. After a while, it'll be down to one light touch, and the back legs move sideways. (They can shuffle, or cross over behind, but ideally the back leg near to you should cross over in front of the over back leg)
Once its perfect on the ground, do the same in the saddle.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ask your horses to stand still.
Ask him to turn his head slightly to the near side.
Wait a few seconds (i.e. dont rush the while thing)
Put your left leg back, put light pressure on with your heel, and you should now have a nice one stape hindquarter yield. Then give him a rest and tell your horse he's fantastic.
Have fun
In this exercise, the idea is that your horses front feet will roughly stay in the same place, and his hind feet move move in a circle around his front feet.
For HQ yield, stand on ground, near your horses hip.
Have just a headcollar/halter on horse, with a longish lead rope.
Rub you horses back as he stands still on a loose rope.
When horse is quiet & relaxed and standing still, pull lead rope very gentle, and ask him to turn his head around towards you a little, while he stands still.
After this, look at your horses side, and image when your heel would be, if you were riding, and your foot was behind the girth.
With your horse relaxed, standing still, & head turned towards you a little, touch taht spot with the tip of one very light finger for half a second. Then take your hand away and wait for 5 seconds, doing nothing. Your horses will probably just stand there, he might twitch his skin thinking a fly had just tried to land, or he might you at you with a puzzled expression on his face.
Bring the tip of that finger up again, and touch that same place for another half a second gently.
What you are looking for, is for your horses to move one or both of his hindfeet sideways, away from where you are standing.
The *split second* you see that your horses is thinking what you are (move hindfeet sideways) whether its him shifting his body weight a bit sideways, or actually moving one hind foot sideways, stop everything, and rub his back as a reward.
Otherwise, keep doing that very light touch, be patient and give your horse time to figure out what you're asking. (ie, dont nag by prodding your horse quickly, that gets a bit annoying for the horses)
After while your horse will figure this out, and instead maybe of ten asks, he will start to move after maybe 8. After a while, it'll be down to one light touch, and the back legs move sideways. (They can shuffle, or cross over behind, but ideally the back leg near to you should cross over in front of the over back leg)
Once its perfect on the ground, do the same in the saddle.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ask your horses to stand still.
Ask him to turn his head slightly to the near side.
Wait a few seconds (i.e. dont rush the while thing)
Put your left leg back, put light pressure on with your heel, and you should now have a nice one stape hindquarter yield. Then give him a rest and tell your horse he's fantastic.
Have fun