“Most people use draw reins too tight, teaching the horse to lean heavily against their hand.  When the horse’s neck is flexed too low (and in too much), you restrict the range of motion and flexibility in their neck and shoulders.  These are areas of the body where you need to maintain some straightness, but not at the expense of flexibility.  For this reason, I find using draw reins to the side to be beneficial.

You want to attach the sides about even with your calf, then run the rein through  (I use a fat ring snaffle) the bit from the inside out, and buckle at the wither.   Be sure there are no twists in the rein so it slides easily through the bit.  The contact of the snaffle rein should be the consistent aid with the draw rein adjusted around the outside of your pinky-finger, slightly looser than the snaffle.  The draw rein should only make contact when the horse goes too far through your hand (you should not be holing him every stride).

The next item I would like to address is the use of a rider’s leg to help keep the horse straight. 

I see many riders only using the back of their calf and heel when they apply their leg.  The horse has pressure points in the soft muscle that runs behind where the rider’s knee sits against the horse.  If contact is kept against these areas, it helps keep the horse’s shoulders straight (between and in front of your leg).  A good way to strengthen this point of contact is to warm up yourself and your horse (in the posting trot) is to consistently think of squeezing your knee into the saddle every time you sit to the post.  You should also apply your upper calf thinking of keeping your tog in line with the horse’s side.

Work with these ideas and we will continue in my next column ~ happy flatting!”