The Five Rein Aids

The Five Rein Aids

While I think most of us can visualize how we can affect the horse’s front feet through the reins, there are infinite variations in how we can use those reins to affect change in the horse’s feet. Here, we will attempt to remove the mystery of the different actions of the reins and how they affect the way the horse’s body responds to the rein aids. Consistency with the rein aids leads the horse to seek your hands creating lightness and balance between horse and rider.

Direct Rein

We begin with the simplest of the rein aids, the direct rein (fig. 4.7).

4.7 – The direct rein aid: Here the horse bends to the right with the right hand/rein speaking directly to the right front leg (areas shaded red).

When we use the term “direct” when talking about rein aids, it refers to
the action it exerts on the foot. The direct rein communicates directly with the front leg on
the inside of the horse’s bend (so if the horse is being asked to laterally bend to the right, a right direct rein affects the right front leg). By moving the hand to the side (“opening” the hand) the rein will contact the middle of the bit and speak to the corner of the horse’s mouth. The horse should follow the rein and look to the hand. When the horse gives to that pressure, he will bend through the neck slightly in the direction of the rein aid and will weight his inside front leg to compensate for his shift in balance through his body as he bends his neck. This is the rein aid used to create lateral flexion.

The Indirect Rein

The indirect rein aid, though the same rein as the first example, speaks not to the inside front leg directly, but to the outside front leg (outside the bend), thereby creating an indirect effect (fig. 4.8).

4.8 – The indirect rein aid: Here the rider’s right hand indirectly affects the horse’s left front leg (areas shaded red).

When using the indirect rein, the hand moves toward the horse’s withers without crossing the neck or moving behind the withers. This creates bend through the horse’s head and neck but dis- places the horse’s forward movement toward the outside shoulder and front leg (outside the bend). This is both a suppling and rebalancing exercise. The indirect rein changes the horse’s balance to the outside front leg, causing the horse to lead with that leg.
The indirect rein action comes from “pushing” the inside rein against the inside shoulder and not by pulling the outside rein. A good example of when a rider might use the indirect rein is if the horse drops the inside shoulder when riding a circle.
You can correct for this loss of balance by shifting the weight back to the outside shoulder.
The indirect rein helps to build control on the shoulders of the horse.

The Counter-Bend Rein

The counter-bend rein speaks to both the outside front leg and outside hind leg (fig. 4.9).

4.9 – The counter-bend rein aid: Here the rider’s right hand shifts the horse’s weight to the left hind leg and causes the left front to step over (shaded in red).

The inside hand moves behind the withers to the rider’s center and toward the horse’s opposite hip. This shortens the inside of the horse and blocks for- ward movement in the horse, causing the horse to weight the outside hind leg and step back and over with the outside front leg. The outside rein is for balance only and maintains neutral contact with the outside shoulder. It is the inside rein that directs movement. The direction of travel
is away from the bend. The horse’s balance is shifted to the outside front and back legs. The counter-bend rein is used, of course, in the counter-bend, but also in the leg-yield (with less bend) and to initiate the turn-on-the-forehand.

Direct Rein of Opposition

The direct rein of opposition is the rein aid that you use to create a stop or to back up (fig. 4.10).

4.10 – The direct rein of opposition: Here the rider’s alternating direct rein aids act on the front leg on the same side as the aid, and the opposite hind leg (shaded in red).

The direct rein is acting on the front leg on the same side as the rein, and on the opposite hind leg. We call it the “rein of opposition” because it stops forward movement rather than directs forward movement. You use pressure on the bit in alternating pulses straight back toward your hips. This asks the horse to shift his weight backward, carrying the momentum of the walk or stop backward in alternating diagonal pairs of feet.

Indirect Rein of Opposition

Indirect rein of opposition also stops forward momentum, but indirectly affects the outside front leg and inside hind leg (fig. 4.11).

4.11 – The indirect rein of opposition: Here the rider’s right hand indirectly affects the horse’s outside front leg and inside hind leg (shaded in red), causing a turn over the horse’s center of gravity (red X).

The rider’s inside hand moves toward the withers, pushing against the shoulder but with opposition to the forward movement. The hand does not cross the neck and stays in front of the withers (as opposed to the hand moving toward the hip in the leg-yield position). The rein blocks the inside impulsion.
This brings the horse’s head to the inside while pushing the outside shoulder backward. Unlike in “regular” bend, the horse’s outside shoulder is back and the inside shoulder is forward. The horse steps out and back with the outside front leg and rotates around the axis in his center.
The inside hind leg comes in and forward. This is, essentially, a turn on center with the balance remaining on the center of gravity of the horse.
This rein aid can be used to help the horse distinguish between the turn-on-the-forehand and turn-on-the-haunches when he is asked to only move either the forehand or the hindquarters. In this example, he is moving both equally.
Read more at:
Dressage the Cowboy Way
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