The Key to Dressage - Inside leg to Outside Rein

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Inside leg to outside rein - the key to Dressage

Dressage is ALL about inside leg to outside rein! Have you ever had a lesson where your instructor has NOT mentioned this concept?

So what’s the big deal? Why is inside leg to outside rein so important in Dressage? And why is it so difficult to get the horse off of the inside leg and into the outside rein?Here are some of the benefits of getting the horse off of the inside leg and into the outside rein:

Improved balance and engagement of the hind end - when the horse is going from inside leg to outside rein, they must lower their inside hip and lift through the outside withers and shoulder. This gets the horse more uphill!
Suppleness in the back and top line- inside leg to outside rein gets the horse to stretch their inside hind leg more forward and underneath their center of gravity. This travels up through their back and outside shoulder and actually gets the horse to stretch their long back muscles!
Straightness - all horses are crooked. When you can get your horse to go equally from left leg to right rein, and from right leg to left rein this gets the horse both supple and straight and helps to strengthen the weaker hind leg!
Mental control of your horse - if you have a spooky horse, getting them to stay off of the inside leg and into the outside rein is key to keeping them focused! When your horse learns to respect the inside leg and stay into the outside rein, the spookiness and distractions will disappear!


Ok great! So how do you get your horse to go from inside leg to outside rein?

Start with a leg-yield. Think about swinging the inside hind leg up, over, and into the outside rein. Your inside leg creates the energy and the outside rein is there to half-halt the energy.
You should feel the horse get taller and the withers should lift up into the outside rein.

When you have the horse correctly from inside leg to outside rein, you can give on the inside rein and the horse should stay looking to the inside.

Having the horse connected from the inside leg and into the outside rein is the foundation of lateral work! The shoulder-in haunches-in, and half pass are all dependent on the horse staying off of the inside leg and into the outside rein.

Be sure to watch my video on YouTube for a demonstration of inside leg to outside rein!!

Happy Riding!