Table of contents for Dressage Today Extra Volume 21 in Practical Horseman

In our sport, we hear so much about the importance of the outside rein that we sometimes, even at the upper levels, get lost. It’s all too easy to forget that it’s really about both reins, and the process of getting to that ideal connection with both reins starts with the inside aids. Gaining submission with the inside aids gives us influence over the hindquarters and enables our horses to relate correctly to the outside aids. Recently, I bought a young horse from Denmark who had never been taught how to relate to the reins. This horse got me thinking about the process of how to teach good connection. To start, there are two basic requirements of the horse: 1. He must follow the inside rein with the hindquarters. Otherwise,…

Riders have a stiff side and a soft side and so do horses. Sometimes they match up and sometimes they don’t, but the sides will feel different regardless. Getting the haunches to yield is often easier on the stiff side because the horse is less collapsible in the neck on the stiff side (see photo on p. 4). However, on the soft side, the horse might just give and give and give the neck before it influences the haunches. Realize that on the soft side, you might need to take quite a bit of bend before you influence the haunches. Follow through regardless, and don’t get talked into blocking with the outside rein to make the haunches yield. Keep both seatbones on the saddle so you do not get collapsed…

I used to have a horse that was very spooky and one that used to stick his head in the air and leave. My coach at the time, Tina Steward, DVM, was the one who taught me the importance of the art of gaining submission to the inside rein and leg and how to apply the principles to classical dressage. I have a horse now who can bolt. With any naughty horse, I need to be able to take on an inside rein that means, Hey, stay here. Stay with me! Focus and be present. With a spooky horse, keeping the flexion to the inside means your horse won’t need to look at the scary thing and you can keep the inside hind positioned under his body. If your horse…

This is one of the first exercises I ever learned for putting my horse on the bit in walk. I was 8 years old and my instructor was Heidi Riddle. Now that I look back, establishing submission to the inside aids and guiding the horse into the receiving outside aids was an important skill! 1. Begin by tracking right from A. At K, turn straight onto the diagonal. 2. Keeping the forehand on that diagonal line, use your left leg and seatbone to turn the movement into a leg yield. You will also use a little inside rein to allow the haunches to catch up to the front end and become parallel. Now the old inside (right) aids become the new outside aids. Make sure your new outside (right) rein…