Glenshee Equestrian Centre

(click on image to view full size) I thought I would discuss the Indirect Rein of Opposition in Front of the Wither next. I had planned on discussing this rein aid last, as it is the most difficult to use correctly and also the most problematic for less-experienced riders and green or unbalanced horses. However, I’ve decided to discuss it now, as it shares some similarities with the more basic Indirect Rein and they are often considered to be the same, though they are two very distinct rein aids. Because the technical name of this rein aid is a mouthful, I will refer to it in future as “the Indirect Rein in Front.” The Indirect Rein in Front is a rein of opposition, which means that it creates its effect by opposing forward impulsion. How much it opposes is up to the rider, but it is important to understand that reins of opposition have a blocking and somewhat collecting effect on the horse, and should be used conscientiously. Technique: To use this rein, the ride...

(click image to view full size) Like the Direct Rein , the Indirect Rein, also known as a Neck Rein or Bearing Rein, is a simple unilateral action of the hand, making it a basic yet effective aid for horses and riders of all levels; it is called an “indirect” aid in that it produces an effect on the side opposite from which it is used. Also like the Direct Rein, this rein will affect the horse’s lateral flexion, but has little or no direct effect on the horse’s longitudinal flexion, and will not produce collection. Technique: As its aliases imply, this rein aid bears against the horse’s neck while also applying a slight pressure on the corner of the horse’s mouth on the same side. This has the effect of bending the horse slightly to the side on which the rein is being used while simultaneously displacing the horse’s balance to the outside shoulder, so that the horse is inclined to move forward and outward with its opposite shoulder, away from the pressure of the...

(Click on image for larger view) The Direct Rein, as its name implies, is a simple, unilateral action of the hand that produces a corresponding effect on the horse on the same side . It is also, somewhat imprecisely, called an “opening rein” or a “leading rein,” though these terms refer specifically to the rein in its respective capacities as an outside "opening rein" or an inside "leading rein," not to the rein aid in general. This is the rider’s primary rein aid, and is most commonly used for basic bending, turns and circles where the horse’s head is gently taken in the desired direction by a rein that leads to the inside. In fact, the vast majority of rein aids a rider will apply, no matter what level or discipline one rides, will be direct rein aids, making this the foundation rein aid in all English riding. Technique: By opening the rein to the side, a soft pressure is applied to the inside* corner (and possibly bar) of the mouth. Sometimes a ...