How Dressage's Love Affair With The Outside Rein Can Damage A Good Horse

In dressage, it is a mantra to circle or turn horses using inside leg and outside rein. In this video, I show (by riding a Level 2 USDF horse) how that approach to training can damaged a horse's ability to follow the inside rein.

When turning a horse, it should look and think in the direction of the turn. This is accomplished by following the feel of the inside rein. However, in dressage training there is no interest in addressing the horse's thought to think in the direction of the turn. Instead, dressage promotes the use of the outside rein as a mechanical way of forcing the horse to travel in the direction of the turn even when the horse is thinking and wanting to drift to the outside.

There is nothing to be gained by using the outside rein for a circle or turn and the damage to the horse's interest and ability to "go with"the rider and inside rein is damaged.

I teach Good Horsemanship around the world helping people to understand the emotional and mental component of how horses operate to achieve both a willing partnership and bond and to maximize the performance potential of a horse.

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