Can anyone give me some solid advice on teaching a horse to neck rein? I have heard that crossing reins works, but havent tried it just yet. With winter approaching here in Idaho, now is the time that I have to really work with my horses. Thanks!!!

I'm by far no professional trainer, and I'm sure they would have better advice, but I did gentle and train my own BLM mustangs, and crossing the reins worked ok for mine, but I later used a bit where I could use double reins..one at the mouth and the other at the bottom of the shank..I used the mouht rein as a normal direct rein, while at the same time I used the bottom rein to apply light pressure to the neck..I slowly decreased the usage of the snaffle or mouth rein. I got excelent results after just a few weeks of consistant use that way and was able to completly drop the snaffle rein and go to using just the neck rein in about a month or so. However, that was my result on one mustang...another mustang I'm now teaching is taking a little longer, so I think a lot depends on the individual horse too.

Everytime you direct rein, make sure you lay the opposite rein on the side of the neck. That way the horse gets used to the rein on the neck and when the direct rein is not used, they will still have part of the original cue. I also use a lot of outside leg pressure along with laying the rein on the neck.

I know that crossing the reins will work, but it applies pressure to the mouth differently than when they aren't crossed. It also gets them to tip their nose away from the direction you want them to go. I like them to follow their nose, not go away from it.

Riding with an O ring snaffle applies all the pressure to the direct rein side of the mouth. Riding with a D ring snaffle transfers some of the pressure to the opposite side of the mouth. I like to start them in an O ring and then move to a D ring when I get more into the prelims of neck reining.

I like to apply a little leg in addition to the neck rein ... apply both together, and soon the horse learns to turn on both the leg and neck cue.

If a horse can feel a fly land on his rump, he can feel that rein on his neck. Interchanging leg / no leg and just applying the rein has worked for me too. I'm currently training a 2-yo with this, and it's working with him. But NW is right .. each horse is a little different, so there is no one "right' way. You have to adapt your method to the horse.

Both NW and Rusty'sRider bring up a good point I failed to mention...use of leg in conjunction with the rein.

That brings me to a question for NW and Rusty'sRider (or anyone else) NW mentioned he uses the outside leg....I've always used the inside when asking fr a turn...which one is correct, or are either correct depending on one's goals and uses? I never had anyone to teach me or that I could ask, so I went with what felt right..it's to late to switch it on my mustang now, I'm sure, as we've been doing it that way for 10 years now, just thought I would ask.
Thanks!

You know, MB, I started out that way as well. If I wanted the horse to turn left, I would use my left heel as a cue, thinking that he feels the pressure and moves away from it. However, I have been told by a few good horseman that I respect that the "correct" way to do it is using your outside leg. Just my .02. Thanks.

One thing that helps me teach reining is to walk the horse toward an obstacle, like a fence or wall. They have to turn and by reining them as they walk toward the object they seem to learn to respond quicker. Anyway it worked for me.

I know there are two groups on leg pressure, inside and outside. My way of thinking is that is all other aspects of riding and reining a horse, it is all about going away from pressure. I feel that a horse can be trained to go into a leg as a cue, but why is that the only time that a person would ask a horse to not go away from pressure? I want them to push their front end over and away from my leg on the front cinch area and to push their hind quarter over and away from my leg when it is on the rear cinch area. When it is in between, they need to move both the front and rear away.

NW, are you saying that you prefer using your inside leg, as opposed to outside? I suppose that this is a debate that will never really be resolved. To me, it also makes more sense to use the inside leg.

I agree...in NW's first reply, he stated he uses the outside leg...but in this most recent post, I am confused because it sounds like an inside leg???

I started using an inside leg to train Metawa because it made the most sence to me, especialy for turning cans (running barrels) since 1) I needed and/or wanted to work him with more leg then rein, and 2) it allowed me to place my inside leg close to his body and thereby lessoning my chance of knocking a barrel during the turn.
I also use the inside leg during the keyhole race, which works quite well for him if I do say so myself since he'll spin on a dime and give nine cents change, lol. For a rather small mustang (14 hands and maybe 900 - 950 lbs) I'm pretty proud of his times in that event which average under 7 seconds.
We've beat many much bigger QH's and other larger breeds in that event (his and mine favorite event...he runs in, slides to a beautiful stop and almost sits down during his spin all in one fluid movement, then hideyho it's out the key we go! )

it's my understanding to always use pressure where ya want give. leg in the middle right when turning right helps make horse bend into the turn. further back will swing the rear left. If using left leg to turn right it'd have to be a forward cue to move front end right like a pivit on the rear move.
A middle or rear left cue when turning right is for right sidepass.

I've been doing the neck rein cue followed by direct on a mustang and shes reponding in a very limited manner. An idea I've not done yet is use a neck rein move followed by a quickly progressively more intensive repated application of a switch on the same side as rein pressure with instant cessation upon response. didjahget that?

that makes the most sence to me!



HUH? lol. Nope...didn'tgethat! Run that by me one more time! lol

Yup .... I got it. Sometimes I'll use that if my colt is trying to use the out-gate in the arena before we're done, but only IF and when he's not listening to my leg / rein cues. Generally, only for what I call "willful disobedience," for want of a better term. IF he's not listening, and often times, the presence of the whip (once he's experienced it) is enough to make him mind. He knows I've got it, and that's often enough for him. But I want to stress, it's a LAST RESORT training aid ... I don't use it willy nilly.

Sorry or the confusion. I use outside leg pressure. The only time I will use inside is to move a horse away. For instance, if I am riding a youngster around obstacles and they say I am going to the left around a barrel and the colt crowds the barrel to the point I am going to bang my leg, I will use inside pressure to push them away from the barrel and then resume my outside leg to finish the turn.

The point I was trying to make was that in all aspects of horse training, the standard is to get them to move away from pressure. Using inside leg pressure when turning a horse goes against the principle of going away from pressure.

I have, in the past, taught a horse to make a tight turn by applying inside leg preassure, really a touch of the spur, back toward the flank while using the rein to turn him. This was for nearly a spinning turn. Use to we were taught to apply the touch of a spur in front to turn away and a touch to the rear to move the front to that same side. I don't know anymore?

This has been a good discussion, and has raised my curiosity enought to go ask others....
I've come to the conclusion we are all correct, it just depends on what disipline one is riding.
A number of barrel racers use their inside leg to get a rounder bend around the barrel, while lightly bumping with the outside leg to keep the horse on track.