If you only had time for one exercise - one movement to do every single ride - what would it be?
I’ve thought about this a lot. And after years of training horses from green to Grand Prix, the answer is always the same: leg yields.
Not shoulder-in. Not transitions. Not half-halts. Leg yields.
Here’s why.
Why Leg Yields Change Everything
Monica Theodorescu, the German national coach, has said that leg yields are the foundation of all lateral work. The USDF Training Level tests include leg yields for a reason - they’re the gateway to everything that comes after.
But it’s not just about preparing for higher-level movements. Leg yields done well will:
- Improve your horse’s response to your leg (the foundation of everything)
- Create looseness through the ribcage (where most horses hold tension)
- Develop straightness (by teaching you to control each body part)
- Build carrying power (the inside hind has to step under)
- Reveal asymmetries (you’ll feel which direction is harder immediately)
One exercise. All of those benefits. Every ride.
The Problem With How Most People Do Them
Here’s the thing - most leg yields I see aren’t actually accomplishing much. They’re just horses drifting sideways with their shoulders leading and their hindquarters trailing.
The four most common mistakes:
1. Too much angle. If your horse is at a 45-degree angle to the wall, you’ve lost the benefit. Think 15-20 degrees maximum.
2. Shoulders leading. The horse should move parallel to the wall, not falling through the outside shoulder.
3. No bend. Yes, leg yield is technically “positioning” not “bend,” but there should be a slight flexion at the poll away from the direction of travel.
4. Rushing. If your horse speeds up to escape the difficulty, you’ve lost the exercise.
How to Do It Right
Here’s my five-step framework for a leg yield that actually improves your horse:
Step 1: Establish forward first. Start on a 20-meter circle in working trot. Make sure you have a clear, rhythmic, forward gait before you ask for anything lateral.
Step 2: Create the flexion. Ask for a slight flexion to the inside (away from the direction you’ll be traveling). You should just be able to see the inside eye.
Step 3: Move the barrel. This is the key. Instead of thinking “push the horse sideways,” think “move the ribcage over.” Your inside leg at the girth asks the barrel to shift toward your outside rein.
Step 4: Catch with the outside rein. Your outside rein prevents the shoulder from leading. Think of it as a wall the shoulder can’t fall through.
Step 5: Maintain rhythm. The tempo should not change. If anything, it should feel slightly slower and more deliberate than your normal working trot.
The “Stairs” Exercise
Here’s what I do every single ride, usually in the warm-up:
- Track left on a 20-meter circle
- Leg yield out from the circle to the track (4-5 steps)
- Straighten for 4-5 strides
- Leg yield back in toward the circle (4-5 steps)
- Repeat 3-4 times, then change direction
It looks like stairs if you drew it from above - hence the name.
Why this works:
- Short sets (4-5 steps) keep quality high
- The straightening moments let you evaluate what happened
- Both directions get worked equally
- It’s easy to fit into any warm-up
What You’ll Notice Over Time
Give this a few weeks of consistent practice. Here’s what changes:
Your circles improve. Suddenly the inside hind is stepping under instead of falling in.
Transitions get cleaner. A horse that moves off the leg laterally will also move off the leg forward.
Collection becomes possible. You can’t collect a horse that doesn’t respond to the leg. Leg yields build that response.
The whole horse loosens. That swinging back, that soft ribcage, that throughness everyone talks about - it starts with lateral mobility.
The Honest Truth
I know leg yields aren’t exciting. They don’t photograph well. Nobody posts leg yield videos on Instagram.
But the Grand Prix movements everyone admires - the half-passes, the pirouettes, the passage - they all trace back to this one fundamental exercise.
Do it every ride. Do it well. Watch everything else get easier.
Want a complete 28-day program to transform your horse’s suppleness and responsiveness? Check out From Stiff to Supple - my step-by-step system for building the foundation that makes everything else possible.
