Leg yield vs. half pass, redux
All right—so the leg yield vs. half pass. Again.
My original question was why the leg yield comes before the half pass in the training scale. I would ask my trainer if I ever thought of these sorts of questions while at the barn, but I tend to limit my questions to the work we do in the lesson.
But in last week’s lesson we (sort of) half passed at the walk. It was not a “now we will half pass” moment; it built out of what we were working on.
So here’s what I felt as the difference between half pass and leg yield, and why I now (think I) understand their relative placement in the training scale:
In a leg yield to the right, the horse’s haunches are to the left. Every cross step asks the horse to step towards the body—so, in a sense, closing the angle.
In a half pass to the right,the horse’s haunches are to the right. Every cross step asks the horse to step away from the body—so, in a sense, continuing to open the angle and reach even further under and then across the body. The leg yield really only asks the horse to step under the body.
Which is a major difference, and explains (to my satisfaction) why the half pass comes after the leg yield in the training scale. I’m sure there’s more to it, but I’m happy to have figured out this much.
Now to get some books and videos so I can figure things out more quickly…
Chris T says 13 July 2007
Actually, I understand the difference to be…in the 1/2 pass, the horse had a lateral bend in its body, poll to tail. The leg yield is basically straight in the horse’s body.
The horse is longitudinally parallel to the rain in leg yield. The 1/2 pass develops by changing rein on the diagonal, while maintaining the line of travel on that diagonal line, do a haunches out, creating the bend in the horse’s body.