30/ SEPTEMBER 2020 THE RIDER


Whats the Difference Between the Inside Rein and the Outside Rein


By Kathy Farrokhzad, While we can’t ride the


horse with any aid in isola- tion, let’s take a look at the function of just the reins in this article. While we generally


want the reins to act and feel the same during our rides, they do have different uses and techniques. The better we get at riding, the more subtle these aids can be. However, there are still dif- ferent things each rein can do at different times to main- tain the overall balance, power and straightness of


the horse. How are the inside and out- side reins used? What is the difference between them?


Inside Rein


Slightly open for flexion When you are on a turn


or circle, the horse should be looking slightly to the in- side, in the direction of movement (flexion). We often see horses either stiffly pointing their noses straight out and against the reins, or even pointing to the outside and turning in the opposite direction! While there are


leg, seat and torso aids in- volved in truly bending the horse in the direction of movement, the inside rein is also a key player in main- taining flexion. Keep the inside rein


slightly off the neck (open) to maintain better flexion.


Slightly open to create room for the inside shoul- der


The slightly open in-


side rein also allows the in- side shoulder space to move into. While you don’t want the horse to fall to the inside because you opened the rein


(use your inside leg to pre- vent this from happening), you also don’t want to block the inside shoulder from being allowed to reach for- ward in the stride. People often close the


inside rein in attempt to stop the inside shoulder from falling in. Do the opposite. Take the rein only a few inches off the neck and allow the shoulder to move forward. Stop any lean with your inside leg instead.


Give/release often The inside rein is the


giver! Release as soon as


you get some desired re- sponse from your horse - whether you wanted flexion or better rounding. The release can be


from your elbows or shoul- ders. Push the reins forward without letting the reins slide through your fingers. Ideally, the inside rein will have tiny fluttering releases as you ride along.


No pull Avoid pulling back on


it. Pulling on the inside rein creates many problems in- cluding loss of balance, crookedness, blocking of the inside hind leg, and much more.


Create contact through


a “hold” on the reins rather than a “pull.” And then look for opportunities to release.


Outside Rein


Indicates a turn (neck rein)


One of the main uses of


the outside rein is to initiate a turn. We often think that we need to pull on the inside rein to turn, but the outside rein is the preferred method because it helps keep the horse much better balanced. The horse should un-


derstand to move away from the pressure of the neck rein.


Prevents the outside shoul- der from bulging The outside rein can


also work on regulating just how much the outside shoul- der can “step out”. Many times, the horse will turn but drift out in the opposite di- rection. It is the outside rein’s job to block the drift.


Prevents the neck from pointing too much to the inside The final use of the


outside rein is to keep the neck from swinging too much to the inside. This is also important for balance and control. The rider must help the horse keep a straight body even while bending around a turn. Hold the outside rein


steady when turning and make sure your inside rein isn’t forcing the horse to swing his neck too far to the inside.


Steady contact The outside rein is re-


sponsible for maintaining steady contact. It steadies the horse and helps to main- tain the horse’s overall body


outline. This rein should have a “feeling” give to it but much less than the inside rein. The rein should stay fairly straight and consistent in length most of the time.


Half-halt The outside rein is also


usually the half-halt rein, al- though the hands are the last component of the half-halt. In general, the half-halt is done using the outside rein to maintain balance and a steady contact.


A Few Parting Notes


Do not cross either rein over the neck (no pull across the neck either) We often try to prevent


the horse from leaning one way or the other with our reins. Have you seen some- one take their rein up and across the horse’s neck in at- tempt to control the inside shoulder? Unfortunately, this will never work and ac- tually causes the horse to lean even more on the shoul- der.


The pull will block the


inside hind leg from coming under the horse’s body (thereby preventing him from being able to balance better) and will actually twist the horse’s head and neck away from the body - and this will also affect his balance negatively. Inside, try to use the


slightly open rein and your inside leg to prevent leans, drifts and dropped shoul- ders.


Keep the neck between both reins One of the oldest say-


ings about the reins is to “ride the horse straight be- tween the reins and legs.” It’s true!


Even contact and hand po- sitions Strive for developing


an even contact - not one rein stronger than another. Also keep your hands paral- lel to each other, in front of the saddle. While you may need to venture away from the front of the saddle area at times, come back to “home base” as soon as possible. In our dreams, the hands stay there just beside each other all the time.


The seat, weight and leg aids


I didn’t mention the


rest of the aids here because I wanted to highlight just the use of the reins. But there are many other aids involved in all of the turns, straight lines, changes of bends, and transitions that will be in- cluded in each of your rides.


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collec- tion, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions on- line program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at HorseListen- ing.com for many more arti- cles about horses, riding and life in general.


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