Reins

[CLAUDIA]

Hello :)

If I were cantering in a clockwise circle, what would be the purpose of putting the inside rein against the horse's neck by moving my hand overtop of and just in front (closer to his head rather than to myself) of his withers, then opening up my outside rein by moving my arm away from the horse? What would be the difference if my inside hand were overtop of his withers but closer to me rather than to his ears? Would there be a difference?

[cynthia]

um... i'd say you'd be using your inside rein too much! ;)

ok, i'm kidding. but i'm a tad confused. why would you want to open up your outside rein when cantering in a clockwise circle? wouldn't you want to give support with the outside rein, using the back-to-front, inside-leg-to-outside-rein model? maybe i'm completely oversimplifying this, but my understanding was that using that much inside rein with *no* outside rein would serve only to cause the horse to bend from the neck, and possibly engage his hindquarters, assuming that you're also using inside leg. but you'd need that outside rein to give him a "stopping point" for the bend, right? perhaps the difference between towards-your-body or away would be the difference between using the inside rein as part of the circle, in concert with the other aids, or simply using more inside rein than is required for the turn.

again, perhaps i'm completely loony. someone correct me if i am! :)

-cyn

[CLAUDIA]

I did make the question a bit confusing, didn't I? I tend to do that every now and then. :)

At my lesson a while ago my instructor was talking about rein aids, and I can't for the life of me remember what she said. She described (and named) three different things to do with the reins and in what situations. The only thing I really remember was the part about opening up the outside rein while moving the inside rein against the neck to get the horse to step sort of sideways toward the outside. And I seem to remember something about the position of our inside hand being either over and behind the withers or over and in front of the withers. At least I think that's what she was saying. I hear myself getting confusing again, so if anyone could help me out here...

:)

[Farm_Girl5]

If your putting your hand closer to yourself rather than the horses ears then your pulling his head back so he can't go forward and your trying to get him to go forward so your actually asking him to go straight up.
If your asking him to bend to the outside - which I'm assuming your trying to do then you need your legs ON a steady contact on the inside rein and to pull outwards on the outside rein not back but straight out.
Is this what your asking???
Kristy

[Chris]

She could be talking about the different rein aids such as opening, direct, indirect. Opening is just simply opening up the rein and moving it away from the horses neck, direct is squeezing back in a direct fashion and indirect is bringing the rein and squeezing is back show it points to your opposite hip bone but doesn't cross the withers.

[CLAUDIA]

Thanks for the info everyone! I still have sooooo much to learn!! :)