Leg Before Rein

Learn this grand prix jumper’s cure for the most common rider fault.

- Daniel Bluman 

One of the most important principles of riding at any level of any discipline is that rein aids should never be used in the absence of leg aids. Many instructors oversimplify the aids when teaching the basics, telling people to use their legs to go forward and their reins to turn and stop. But this is such a challenging habit to correct if you’re taught to use reins without legs as a beginner—and I’m speaking from experience as a rider who had to relearn the right way to use my legs—that I believe all riders should learn how to use their leg aids in conjunction with their rein aids as soon as possible. In this article, I’ll explain why this concept is so important, then will give you a simple exercise for testing and improving your leg aids and your horse’s responsiveness to them.

Using reins without legs is like trying to stop a bike with only the front brake and no rear brake. If you’re biking really fast, you risk flipping the bike over by doing this. Similarly, if you use only your “front brakes” (reins) on your horse, he’ll fall on his front end and get heavy in the bridle. Adding your “rear brakes” (legs) engages his hind legs, encouraging them to step further underneath his body. This helps him stay balanced while using his entire body to respond promptly to your cues, whether you’re asking him to turn, circle or make a downward transition. For example, if you’re turning him to the right, you use your right leg to ask him to bend his body on the turn, then add left leg to ask him to square up onto a straight track after the turn. This way he exits the turn as balanced as he was when he entered it.