Rein back, what r the correct aids?

I can't answer, but I am VERY interested in this, as my horse seems to find this very difficult with a rider on board, and he has novice tests coming up that require a rein back of 3-4 steps. Issue is that he wiggles all over the place!!
 
I usually move my legs back slightly behind the girth and lighten my seat slightly and squeeze the rein until they step back. If you feel them moving one way or the other use that legs to control the quarters. If it goes horrible wrong whilst schooling I usually walk out of it and ask again. If your horse has never done it, it may be helpful to have someone on the ground to push them back at the same time.
 
When asking have someone standing infront of your horse to start with and pushing them back so they learn to understand your aids mean backwards ??
 
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if you feel them moving one way or the other use that legs to control the quarters.

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If you feel the horse go crooked at any stage you should just walk forwards - do not use the legs to correct it as it generally results in over correcting and making the horse confused and more crocked than when you started.

You firstly need to have a good square halt, then lighten your seat (so the horse can move over his back) and move both legs slightly behind the girth whilst keeping your fingers closed around the reins to stop the horse moving forwards. Your arms must stay relaxed as must your upper body/shoulders.

It also helps when teaching to have someone standing on the floor and pushing the horse backwards gently whilst you apply the aids, as it teaches the horse what you want then, rather than confusing it - which rein back can do to some horses.

Archie was taught from the floor and picked it up really quickly.
 
get someone to help you from the floor the first few times at least, if you can. use your voice too, at least in training... or under your breath as long as it's not at C in the test!
from a good square active halt, slide both lower legs back, slightly lift the seat, and block slightly with the hands... don't pull back though. they soon get the hang of it, until you don't need to use your hands at all, really. be happy with just a step or two at first. get your helper to push back on the horse's chest to give it the right idea, at first. hope this helps.
 
if he wiggles, either do it down the side of the school, with the inside leg applying a tiny bit more pressure to stop him wiggling that way, or do it between two trot poles parallel on the floor, about 4 foot apart. if he gets worried by this though, don't pressure him. be happy with just one good straight step, then praise and walk on again. keep repeating this till he doesn't think it's a big deal, then try for 2 steps, and so on.
it's always been one of my horses' best movements... just needs tons of patience to teach them sometimes, i think.
 
Or if you have no helper line him up facing a fence. Give the aids as described whilst maintaining the rein contact - a smart horse may think you mean forward - realise he cant - therefore it must be back !!
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was once in a clinic with Andrew McClean and he got horses to move back wards by applying pressure on both reins (as equally as poss) whilst in halt and calmly increase the pressure untill they do one whole step back, as SOON as they does this release- as a reward, then hopefully they'll learn that when the pressure is applied they step back, and so the amount of pressure you have to apply should become less and less and less, so that you release the pressure sooner each time, from very scratch try this with a person who asks for the step back after a bit of pressure has been applied, but not before, as they'll think that there has to be a person in front of them to mean "go back" and not you
...but this has worked for quite alot of horses I've tried it on, others still carried on being thick no matter what methods tried....!
 
I think Anky would disagreed with the leg use! She believes legs mean go forward and to use then - even by just taking them back on a rein back is giving the horse confusing messages!

I now ensure that the horse makes a good halt ie square and engaged then just used the rein aid (squeeze then release with each step initally). There is no possibilty of a decent rein back unless the halt is square and the horse is up to the bridle.
 
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