FEBRUARY 2024 THE RIDER /29
The 3 Basic Rein Aids Explained
- say about 1"-3" off the neck. Your elbow stays on the body while the forearm opens to the side. The open rein is usually used
to the inside of the movement (so, if you're tracking right, you use the in- side rein) but it can also occasion- ally be used on the outside to help the outside shoulder move more to- ward the outside.
Purpose The open rein is useful for two
purposes. The first is that it turns the
By Kathy Farrokhzad. Have you ever been told to use
a rein aid but didn't know what it was or how to use it? When you're riding (especially
in a lesson), there might be little time to explain all the nuances of a particular skill in movement. By the time the instructor explains the de- tails, the horse has already moved from one end of the arena to the other, and likely, a completely dif- ferent skill is needed by that time! It can be very helpful to know
the different rein aids and how to apply them so that you can respond as quickly as possible in the given situation. Also, it helps to know how to apply the rein aids while riding on your own, so that you use the most useful aid at the best time.
So which rein is which, and
why should you use which, when? :- )
1. Open Rein This rein is generally the first
rein a rider learns to use. It's fairly simple to do and the result is instant, so it's easy to teach and gives the rider a sense of control. It is also the first rein aid to teach a young horse, for basically the same reasons. However, it is a rein aid that can be used right through to the highest lev- els of riding, exactly because it is a basic rein aid that can help pretty much every movement, no matter how complicated or athletic. It's simple. Just open the rein
by taking it away from the neck. I like to think that it creates a small space between the rein and the neck
horse's head (flexion) and neck in the direction of opening, and thus, the horse generally follows the rein and turns in that direction. The second, which is more
complex, is used with a leg aid. The inside leg applies pressure to ask the horse to shift his weight to the out- side by encouraging the horse's in- side shoulder to step away, which then creates the open rein biome- chanically. This type of open rein is often used to keep flexion while in a leg yield.
2. Direct Rein The direct rein is exactly as it
sounds: direct. With your elbows on your body, hold the rein so that it creates a straight line to the mouth. Then, apply pressure toward your hip on the same side as the hand. Be sure to NOT pull your
elbow back off your body. You don't
really want to actually pull the rein back. You just want to create the feeling of the pressure, or contact, often done in conjunction with the rest of the aids.
Purpose This rein is often used to stop
the horse. When you apply even pressure on both reins, the horse should respond by slowing or stop- ping the legs, depending on how you use the rest of your aids (legs, weight, back). It is also used for the infamous
half-halt. So while you are using the "resist" action in the lower back for the half-halt, the reins are used with a direct action (toward the hips) to support the half-halt. A single direct rein on the in-
side can also be the creator of "flex- ion", which is when the horse turns his head just enough that you can see the corner of the eye looking in the direction of the movement.
3. Neck Rein The neck rein can be confus-
ing until you have a really good un- derstanding of what it does and how to apply it. This rein is placed on the out-
side of the neck. The horse feels the rein, and steps away from it. So for example, the left rein placed literally on the left side of the neck causes the horse to move right. This rein is always used on the
outside of the neck, on the opposite side of the movement.
Purpose The neck rein is a very power-
ful rein. It acts as the initiator of the
turn: left rein on the neck means turn right.
It can also stop the outside
shoulder from drifting out. This can be especially useful when a horse "bulges" the outside shoulder and drifts out or steps away from the in- tended direction. In a similar manner, it can also
straighten the horse's body by en- couraging the outside shoulder to stay "in the body" rather than bulging outward. OK. There are, of course, other rein
aids that are taught for different pur- poses. But it helps a lot to know these three basic rein aids because you can build on these as you be- come more experienced and subtle in your skills.
Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Lis- tening book collection, Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Workbook, and the creator of the Practice Sessions online program. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at
HorseListening.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in general.
Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix CSI to Become Five Star in 2025 Management Proposals for
2025-2027 Now Being Accepted
Lexington, Kentucky – December 7, 2023 – The Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix CSI presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute will move to the Five Star level starting in 2025. Equestrian Events, Inc. is now accepting manage- ment proposals for 2025-2027 for the show jumping competition held each April in conjunction with the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event pre- sented by MARS Equestrian™. The deadline for management proposals is January 15, 2024. Organized by Equestrian Events,
Inc. (EEI), the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ (LRK3DE) returns to the Kentucky Horse Park, April 25-28, 2024, featuring one of only seven annual Five Star three-day events in the world. Known as “The Best Weekend All Year,” the event annually attracts nearly 90,000 spectators who also enjoy exten- sive shopping, a variety of hospitality experiences and a wide array of demon- strations. In addition to the traditional CCI5*-L, the event also features the Cosequin® Lexington 4* and $225,000 Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix pre- sented by Hagyard Equine Medical In- stitute.
Introduced at the 2018 LRK3DE as
a CSI3*, the Kentucky Invitational Grand Prix has packed Rolex Stadium with cheering fans each year. The Invi- tational Grand Prix has been elevated to the Four Star level for 2024 and will cel- ebrate its Five Star debut in 2025! “We are excited to elevate our
show jumping Grand Prix with a move to the Five Star level,” said Erin Woodall, Executive Director of EEI. “We will move to Four Star this coming spring, and we look forward to celebrat- ing our first CSI5* Grand Prix in 2025. We are now seeking proposals for show management to help us establish the Kentucky Invitational as one of the na- tion’s premier show jumping competi- tions.”
Management of the new CSI5*
will include working with EEI on pro- motions, sponsorships and other compe- tition details. Proposals must be submitted by January 15, 2024; the suc-
cessful candidate will be notified by May 30, 2024. For more information on the Ken-
tucky CSI Invitational Grand Prix pre- sented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute and to submit a proposal for show management, visit https://kentuck-
ythreedayevent.com/grand-prix/. Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian™ The Land Rover Kentucky Three-
Day Event is a thrilling multi-day com- petition featuring Olympic-level riders and horses in what can best be described as an equestrian triathlon. Horse and rider pairs compete in three phases of the competition – Dressage, Cross- Country and Show Jumping – for $400,000 in prize money to those com- peting at the CCI5*-L level. LRK3DE is the largest and longest-running Five Star event in the Americas and as the United States’ premier event, it also serves as the Land Rover/USEF CCI5*-L Event-
ing National Championship presented by MARS Equestrian for the U.S. ath- letes. Rolex is the Official Timepiece and Event Partner.
Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S Introduced in 2021, the Cosequin®
Lexington 4*-S runs concurrently with the CCI5*-L competition, featuring the three phases of eventing – dressage, cross country and show jumping. The Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S offers $25,000 prize money. Tickets for view- ing the Cosequin® Lexington 4*-S are included when purchasing the LRK3DE tickets.
Kentucky CSI4* Invitational Grand Prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute The $225,000 Kentucky CSI4* In-
vitational Grand Prix presented by Hag- yard Equine Medical Institute will take place on Saturday afternoon, April 27,
after the cross-country portion of the LRK3DE. As part of the competition, there will also be a $35,000 Welcome Speed Cup Ranking Class on Friday in the Rolex Stadium, after the day’s LRK3DE dressage competition. In ad- dition to the new 4* level for the 2024 Grand Prix, there will be a new $35,000 1.45m Two-Phase during the lunch hour on Saturday, April 27. No stadium seat ticket is required for Friday’s Ranking Class. For more Grand Prix information, please visit https://kentuckythree-
dayevent.com/grand-prix/. About Equestrian Events, Inc. Equestrian Events, Inc. (EEI) is a
non-profit charitable Kentucky corpora- tion that was established initially to pro- duce the 1978 World Three-Day Event Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Following the success of those championships, EEI established an an- nual event that evolved into the world- renowned Kentucky Three-Day Event, which draws nearly 90,000 spectators to the Kentucky Horse Park each year. EEI added the Kentucky CSI3* Invitational Grand Prix in 2018, the Lexington CCI4*-S in 2021, and also produces other events. EEI supports several local and equine charities and has donated more than $725,000 to various charities since 2011. For more information, please visit
www.eq-events.com.
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