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Question re: reins and steering

3K views 8 replies 8 participants last post by  FutureRN 
#1 ·
So I know this might be a common sense question, but I'm having a hard time understanding something. I'm still a beginner and am trying to improve my steering at the trot and canter.

My trainer said now that I should start to advance from a beginner that I will begin using less reins and more leg to steer. So I get that to move the horse right, I will open my R rein and put pressure on my L leg. And vice versa.

So how will I begin to use less rein? Just by putting pressure on the opposite leg? Do I still open the rein a little bit, just less pronounced than before? My trainer is telling me that I need to create a tunnel for the horse to follow through (ie: my hand/rein position needs to be a small area for him to follow). How do I do this and still direct him where to go?

She is also telling me to drop the weight into my R leg while pushing with the L leg (to go right), and turning my bellybutton to which way I want to go. Is this using your seat?

Thanks for the help!
 
#3 ·
You still use your reins, but not for steering. They will be used for flexion instead.

When I go to turn right I use my left leg to turn the shoulder, my left rein is held to help stop my horse popping his shoulder out, my right leg sits at the girth to stop my horse falling in on the corner and my right rein asks for a little bit of right flexion.
 
#4 ·
As you star using your seat more, the horse feels your intention through your legs and weight, so the reins become something that confirms what the body is saying. When you are a beginner , your body has less control and sometimes it is saying one thing to the horse while your hands say another, and the beginner can more easily learn the basics of steering by the rein before the control if the body. So, since the beginner is sometimes giving the horse conflicting messages, the rein has to be stronger to get the message clear enough for the horse to respond correctly.

Once you start to be able to make your body match your hand, things get clearer, and thus easier.

I think your instructor is doing a good job with you.
 
#6 ·
Think of your hands, legs, seat, hips, balance, voice, etc. as means of communication. Does that mean you must use all of these means every time you want to communicate? No. The more means of communication you have at your disposal, however, the more likely you will be able to communicate your desires if one method does not work.

The first means of communication most people use in turning is the reins working on the bit. The thought is that the horse will go in the direction his face is pointed. While this need not be the case, it generally works.

As we develop our riding and our relationship with an individual horse, we may begin to use more subtle means of communication. Relating this to the written language, we may think of using shorthand or brief notes rather than writing in complete sentences and paragraphs.

In addition, if two parties are quiet and relaxed, a whisper can be as effective as a shout as a means of communication. Sometimes, a whisper may even be more effective because it aids the listener in remaining relaxed and less resistant.

How do these things relate to riding with reins and legs?

I try to teach riders from the beginning how to ride with their whole bodies. I strongly emphasize how sitting relaxed and in balance and moving with their horse makes it easier for the horse to move. It also allows the horse to relax which makes it more receptive to changes in the rider's position and way of moving.

To turn, I teach the rider to bring her outside leg (left if turning right) back slightly while not raising the heel. I, then, tell her to rotate (not lean) her whole body to the right looking slightly ahead where she wants to go with the eyes in her head and imaginary eyes in her chest. Many things happen when this is done, but let's just concentrate on the reins and legs.

The hands move to the right as the upper body rotates in that direction. This may be likened to steering with the reins. If this subtle action does not bring about the desired result, the rider can emphasize the rein effect. Keeping her right elbow against her side, she can rotate her lower arm and hand outward creating a leading -- or what some people call at direct -- rein. At the same time, her left hand should release an equal amount of rein pressure. The pressure created by the right hand should only be temporary. As soon as the horse begins to respond, the rider's hands should return to the "neutral" position for the turn. If necessary, this auxiliary action may be repeated.

Now, think of the legs. The outside (left) leg which was moved back slightly, helps indicate to the horse that he should not swing his haunches to the outside of the turn. At the same time, the inside (right) leg remains on the horse to give the horse something to bend its body around.

All of these things as well as others work in unison to guide the horse in turning right. Any of these things can be exaggerated slightly to help the horse become aware of them. Emphasizing any of these thing too much, however, may bring about unwanted results causing resistance in the horse.

As the horse becomes accustomed to responding to these subtle cues, one or more aspects may be omitted while still communicating the same message. For example, the horse may still turn right even if the rider is no longer holding the reins.
 
#7 ·
What the others have said is true. However, I'm a lower level rider myself, and the horses I ride generally are not well-trained horses. My own horse can be trained the way I like, but other horses might not be so willing.

Also, since I ride my own horse about 3 hrs/week and have an old back injury, we've modified things a bit. I'll share it with you as food for thought. I think it is important to always remember that horses respond in the way they have been trained, and not all are trained the same way.

When I took riding lessons, the lady who taught them taught turns as "Seat, leg, reins if needed". That is fine, but my seat is not very consistent or sensitive. I may wiggle around to relieve tension in my lower right back, or twist around looking at something and want my horse to ignore me...and how fair would I be to tell my horse, "Turn off of my seat and balance except for all the times I don't want you to do so"?

So I'll still look in the direction of turn, but I don't really expect my horse to turn off of that. I then nudge with the outside leg. Assuming she isn't too excited to listen, she'll make a medium turn off of that. If she is a bit more excited, lazy or I need a tighter turn, I'll add neck reining to that, or an opening rein. My approach is western, and it is my job to keep slack in the reins unless my horse forces me not to. So neck reining would be moving my one hand with the reins over 4-6 inches and letting the outside rein rest against her neck. If I am using two hands, then it is my responsibility to keep slack in both reins, and I'll move my right hand 3-6 inches to the right (and not back...if anything, slightly forward) and invite a right turn (having first asked with my leg). That will generally buy me a sharper right turn.

If she is excited or I want a tight turn, then she'll get steady pressure with my left leg, my right hand will go out about 6 inches and I'll use my pinkie to pull back on the rein. Worst case, I'll take out all the slack and pull harder. I can't remember the last time I did, but it remains an option if needed.

This approach may differ greatly from others. If you were going to ride my horse, I'd tell this to you in advance so you would know what she was expecting. One of the horrible things we humans do to horses is expect them to respond the way WE were trained, and not ask if they had different training - or none at all.

Most of the lesson horses I rode were too dull from beginning students to turn with anything less than hard leg pressure. The poor animals had so many conflicting signals given them that they had largely turned off their receivers - and who could blame them? However, if ridden consistently for 30 minutes, you could see them begin to recognize that maybe this rider could be listened to...

Your instructor is right. The posters above me are right. So am I, although I do it a bit differently. How subtle you want the horse to be depends on how subtle and consistent you are willing to be. VS Littauer was an English riding instructor who taught jumping. He deliberately taught 3 levels of control depending on how experienced the rider was, how frequently the rider rode, and how much subtle control was needed to get the job done. He would have placed someone like me, riding 3-4 hours/week instead of a day, at the lowest and simplest system of control. That isn't meant to insult me, but it recognizes that it isn't fair to ask my horse for refinement that I don't practice often enough to support.

The right way to cue a horse to do something is a balance between the horse's training, the rider's ability, their time together and their goals. A caring rider thinks about those things, and modifies their style according to what they can properly ask of their horse. He should also recognize that a strange horse may have never been taught the cues he uses and be willing to adjust accordingly. IMHO.
 
#8 ·
^^^^^^ You guys are so good! Easy to understand explanations.

Here is a suggestion that has helped me. It may sound odd but what the heck.
Plop your saddle on a saddle stand and loop a rope or reins onto something (a chair works well) at about the level where they would be on the horse. Visualize being on the horse and directing the horse with the use of rein, legs and body. Maybe this would help you "get the feel" of these cues without confusing yourself or the horse??? Sort of a brain to muscle coordination thing.
 
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