Teaching a yearling to yield its forequarters — to move its front end away from the handler while keeping its hind feet relatively planted — develops control of the front half of the horse and is the complement to hindquarter yields. Together, the two exercises give the handler the ability to move any part of the horse away from any position, which is the foundation of full directional control from the ground.
The forequarter yield is introduced from a position at the yearling's shoulder, facing forward toward the horse's head. Apply light pressure on the lead rope to bring the nose slightly toward you, creating a bend in the horse's neck, then use the free hand to apply light pressure on the horse's shoulder or neck — tapping or pushing gently — to suggest that the front feet step away from you in an arc. Initially even one step of the front feet moving away while the hind feet remain approximately in place earns a complete release.
The key distinction from the hindquarter yield is that in the forequarter yield the hind feet are the pivot point rather than the front feet. The horse steps its shoulders away from the handler in an arc around its own hindquarters. If the horse moves all four feet in a circle rather than pivoting on the hinds, the exercise has not been clearly differentiated from movement on a circle, and clearer physical indication of where the pivot should be is needed.
Forequarter yields are practically useful for positioning the horse at gates, for moving a horse that is crowding the handler's space, and for beginning the lateral education that will eventually develop into leg-yielding, shoulder-in, and other more advanced movements under saddle.