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Turning the horse wrong? - Brianna - 03-24-2014 10:42 AM
This girl told me I turn the horse wrong. I ride English, so I'll lightly pull on the right rein and apply leg pressure with my outside leg. AKA left leg. to turn right and do the opposite to turn left. This girl said you're supposed to pull the left rein over the horse's neck and kick with the right leg to turn right. I was taught to originally to pull on the right rein to right. but taught myself to use the leg pressure. Now, I'm confused. Which way are supposed to do it? i thought they do that way in neck reining.
- SavvySAM - 03-24-2014 10:47 AM
Not in English you're not. Never cross the rein over the withers. However you SHOULD bring the opposite rein closer to the neck, and put pressure/leg (NOT kick) on the same side as the direction you're turning. (However, at lower levels, you may use leg on the outside no problem.) So if you're turning right, bring the left rein into the left side of the neck while giving just ever so slightly, and hold the right rein. You may pull the right rein ever so slightly by squeezing your bottom fingers on the rein. Subtlety is golden! Then at the same time, turn your hips just a tiny bit in the saddle in the direction you're turning while bending the horse AROUND your inside leg. Instead of the horse just moving away from your leg, they learn to bend around it and have a nice bend on the circle/curve/pass. There are a combination of leg cues you can adapt.
Using reins directly as you say you do, can easily make your horse hollow and not have a good bend in the neck. It can be used, but it's preferable to give the outside rein and hold the inside when turning. Look up Manolo Mendez dressage. SUPURB horseman, and a true advocate for the horse. He knows his stuff. And even if you don't do dressage, it applies to all things riding. I'll give you the link to his facebook page. So excellent. https://www.facebook.com/ManoloMendezDressage?fref=ts
- CDog - 03-24-2014 10:57 AM
I was taught to have the horse bend around the leg, so if you're going right, squeeze the right rein and put your right leg in the horse's side, and hold the horse in position with the left leg (a little further back than the right leg). So, if you're going around the arena to the left, left rein, left leg to hold the horse at the rail and right leg to hold the hind end from drifting too far left.
Now, a few years after I learned English, I was observing at a well known TWH barn. The owner was schooling a buyer and told her to use the right rein to keep the horse on the rail going left. I certainly didn't want to question this long time trainer/breeder/shower, but I was confused. Later, I questioned yet another trainer, though she was mostly a western trainer (some English, though) and she said it didn't matter! So there are different ideas out there. Though I'm confident I was taught correctly because of where I learned.
- Carly - 03-24-2014 11:06 AM
Open your inside rein, and use your outside leg and squeeze with your outside rein to keep the horse from overbending and drifting out on their shoulder. I also use my inside leg in moderation to get my horse bending around it so she doesn't drop her shoulder or drag me through turns. Different horses require different amounts of aids. A well trained horse should turn with a little leg and a shift in your seat.
- RedneckCowgirl2 - 03-24-2014 11:09 AM
What you are doing is perfectly fine! I applaud you on using leg pressure. I never kicked my horse only when he wouldn't listen and needed a little reminder of what her was supposed to be doing. and you said a "girl" told you you were doing it wrong. The "girl" may need some extra training or advice from someone older to get her more experienced in what she is trying to teach (: But I find what you are doing is perfectly fine and a good way to teach your horse what its supposed to do. Remember, its YOUR horse. Train it the way you want it to. If it responds correctly and does what you want it to do then don't worry about what other people say (:
- Beau - 03-24-2014 11:11 AM
She's talking about neck reining like you said. You're doing it completely right, just carry on and if she says anything else, turn your horse away from her (in the english style) and walk away.