Exercises to improve inside rein contact

[jenbleep]

Hello all

It seems that I have picked up an awful habit of using too much inside rein to 'create bend' ? I don't know where this has come from. Maybe someone asked me to use it more in a lesson once

Are there any exercises you can think of that can help me with this? An instructor asked me to hold a neck strap with my inside hand and to use my inside leg/outside hand more...any other ideas?

Thank you!

 

[Littlebear]

Try putting a short whip across under both thumbs horizontally so that you cant use the inside one too much and can keep your hands as an equal pair.

 

[J&S]

Hold the inside rein with your hand palm up and rein between thumb and fore finger. (like a learner might hold the rein). Ali Mills from the Talland used to get me to do this if my hand became too strong.

 

[milliepops]

is your horse secure in the outside rein? if you've got into the habit of using the inside rein too much I'm assuming possibly not? in which case it will be partly retraining you, and partly (re)establishing that with your horse.

How much lateral work does your horse know? When I find that the inside rein has got a bit stuck and needs refreshing I find things like shoulder-in where you give + retake the inside rein really useful because then you really do test your ability to ride inside leg to outside hand. If shoulder in is a bit wobbly, then it may be easier to start with some leg yields. I find doing G+R with the inside rein on circles is also a good exercise to free up your hand and also again cement the horse into the outside rein. it's all very well thinking about using the outside hand more, but really pushing the inside one towards the mouth or ears, whatever, sort of resets the muscles and takes away the crutch that the inside contact gives you. i find that makes it easier to feel the correct way.

 

[Curly_Feather]

Agree with Milliepops. Lateral work (and some eagle-eyes from the ground) will help you a lot here.

One of my favourite exercises is to pick a rein, and go large. Come up the centre line in walk, and LY out steeply (so if you're on the right rein, you go up CL and LY to the left). It needs to be steep, and the hindquarters really have to MOVE OVER. Straight in the shoulders, and make sure you are not pulling on the inside rein. Plenty of give and retake. Try to hit the wall by E/B. When you get to the wall, sharply up to trot, remember and try to recreate that feeling of inside leg/give inside rein that you had in the LY. In the first corner come back to walk, remember your LY feeling. Turn down CL, repeat. I do that on one rein until I feel my horse molded around my inside leg, then the other side, looking for the same feeling.

As you get steadier, you can do the same with a LY in trot, canter when you hit the wall. If you become even steadier, make your turn onto the CL in the higher gait, when you are on CL, gear down and LY sharply.

 

[LEC]

You do the opposite of what you think you feel you should be! It sounds very simplistic but if the horse is heavy on the inside rein then you let go and focus on getting it in the outside rein. Pat regularly with the inside hand or hold you hand out wide wide so they cannot sit on that rein and you cannot use it so have to focus on using your legs to steer.

How much of the horses eye can you see? You should just be able to see a tiny bit. Is it worse on your dominant hand? Circles and endless circles will really help. Can you flex the horse in either direction while going round the arena? Change the bend on a circle?

Some of it will be related to the horses longitudinal suppleness as well. A big issue I often find with bend is in the horses shoulders and them sitting on one over the other. Can I ride diamonds and squares focusing on moving the shoulders and the neck staying central? Can I leg yeild off both legs with minimal bend?

 

[Leandy]

Sounds more as though you need to improve the outside rein contact rather than the inside. First concentrate on making the contact down both reins even and the horse's head and neck straight and the horse truly stepping into the contact in both reins - this will need good leg, into a soft but firm and consistent hand. Then you can move into a bit of leg yield, pushing the horse over into the outside contact and shoulder fore for the same reason if you and the horse are confident enough in that. And most importantly, learn to give the inside rein when the horse is nicely forward and taking and accepting the outside contact, give the inside rein smoothly and take back a stride or two later without losing rhythm or outline or contact down the outside rein. Repeat, repeat, repeat on the straight, on circles and curves. Ensure correct bend, correct straightness of the head and neck, correct forward movement from the leg to the contact in good rhythm, once you have those, see how many times in the session you can give and retake the inside rein without it falling apart. In all paces, in all movements, if you have the opportunity give and retake and pat the horse if you can. Don't focus on the inside rein, focus on not using it.

 

[jenbleep]

is your horse secure in the outside rein? if you've got into the habit of using the inside rein too much I'm assuming possibly not? in which case it will be partly retraining you, and partly (re)establishing that with your horse.

How much lateral work does your horse know? When I find that the inside rein has got a bit stuck and needs refreshing I find things like shoulder-in where you give + retake the inside rein really useful because then you really do test your ability to ride inside leg to outside hand. If shoulder in is a bit wobbly, then it may be easier to start with some leg yields. I find doing G+R with the inside rein on circles is also a good exercise to free up your hand and also again cement the horse into the outside rein. it's all very well thinking about using the outside hand more, but really pushing the inside one towards the mouth or ears, whatever, sort of resets the muscles and takes away the crutch that the inside contact gives you. i find that makes it easier to feel the correct way.

This is really helpful, thank you. Shoulder in is a bit so-so but he's pretty strong with leg yield so I will start with that.

 

[jenbleep]

Agree with Milliepops. Lateral work (and some eagle-eyes from the ground) will help you a lot here.

One of my favourite exercises is to pick a rein, and go large. Come up the centre line in walk, and LY out steeply (so if you're on the right rein, you go up CL and LY to the left). It needs to be steep, and the hindquarters really have to MOVE OVER. Straight in the shoulders, and make sure you are not pulling on the inside rein. Plenty of give and retake. Try to hit the wall by E/B. When you get to the wall, sharply up to trot, remember and try to recreate that feeling of inside leg/give inside rein that you had in the LY. In the first corner come back to walk, remember your LY feeling. Turn down CL, repeat. I do that on one rein until I feel my horse molded around my inside leg, then the other side, looking for the same feeling.

As you get steadier, you can do the same with a LY in trot, canter when you hit the wall. If you become even steadier, make your turn onto the CL in the higher gait, when you are on CL, gear down and LY sharply.

I love the sound of this exercise, thanks! I'll try that this week.

 

[jenbleep]

Agree with Milliepops. Lateral work (and some eagle-eyes from the ground) will help you a lot here.

One of my favourite exercises is to pick a rein, and go large. Come up the centre line in walk, and LY out steeply (so if you're on the right rein, you go up CL and LY to the left). It needs to be steep, and the hindquarters really have to MOVE OVER. Straight in the shoulders, and make sure you are not pulling on the inside rein. Plenty of give and retake. Try to hit the wall by E/B. When you get to the wall, sharply up to trot, remember and try to recreate that feeling of inside leg/give inside rein that you had in the LY. In the first corner come back to walk, remember your LY feeling. Turn down CL, repeat. I do that on one rein until I feel my horse molded around my inside leg, then the other side, looking for the same feeling.

As you get steadier, you can do the same with a LY in trot, canter when you hit the wall. If you become even steadier, make your turn onto the CL in the higher gait, when you are on CL, gear down and LY sharply.

By the way, I tried this exercise this morning. It worked really well, so thank you! I'll be doing it again ?