If you’ve ever taken a dressage lesson, you may have heard the words “More outside rein!” - probably not just once. But like with so much horse-related stuff, more is not always better.
Yes, we need to use the outside rein to limit neck bend and rebalance our horses, instead of pulling their heads to the inside. Teaching our horses about the outside rein is an essential ingredient for the mix of equine stretching, weight lifting, and rhythmic dancing we call dressage.
But this does not mean the outside rein is a rigid boundary. It does not mean we pull back on the outside rein, or glue our outside elbow to our side, or close our outside fist into a white-knuckle grip. Yes, the outside rein is a boundary - but a welcoming, elastic boundary. It allows the horse’s neck and body to bend, before it suggests “That’s enough now!” , in a calm voice, not a loud reprimand.
The outside rein is a pleasant place the horse steps toward (but not through) with trust and confidence, especially when we first introduce it. It’s a padded guard rail, not a brick wall fortified with razor wire, or a locked steel door that never opens. Horses, especially sensitive horses, tend to become resentful when they feel that restrictive, rigid outside rein. Riders tend to interpret their horse’s resentment as a sign they are still not using enough outside rein. Both find themselves trapped inside a vicious cycle that's a long distance away from the harmony they really want.
Next time you catch yourself hanging on to the outside rein for dear life while your horse braces against you, try something radical: let go. Give both reins for a few strides, or for longer. Feel your horse’s neck and body soften. Then, offer a lighter contact with a less restrictive outside rein. Or, if your outside rein feels just a bit heavy, give it forward for a moment before the next half-halt. See what happens.
Respect for the outside rein is a good thing, but it develops gradually, over months and years, on a foundation of trust and correct muscle development. We slowly build a guard rail whose purpose the horse understands, because we've taken the time to explain it. We don’t let him run into a barbed wire fence and expect him to be happy about it.
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