A neck rein is a type of ''indirect''
rein aid. The
horse
The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...
responds to a neck rein when it has learned that a light pressure of the right
rein
Reins are items of horse tack, used to direct a horse or other animal used for riding. They are long straps that can be made of leather, nylon, metal, or other materials, and attach to a bridle via either its bit or its noseband.
Use for ...
against its neck on that side means for the horse to turn left, and vice versa.
The neck rein is used in both
English riding
English riding is a form of horse riding seen throughout the world. There are many variations, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn that are part of a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an ...
and in
Western riding
Western riding is considered a style of horse riding which has evolved from the ranching and welfare traditions which were brought to the Americas by the Spanish Conquistadors, as well as both equipment and riding style which evolved to meet the ...
, though the style differs between the disciplines.
In both disciplines, the horse should look in the direction it is going. Head tossing and turning the head to the outside of the turn are clear signs of bad training and/or faulty rider technique. Moving the hand slightly to the left brings the rein into contact on the right side of the horse's neck, and the horse learns to turn left, away from the pressure. Likewise, moving the hand to the right means for the horse to turn right. A horse that has been well trained to neck rein becomes so responsive to legs and seat that it is possible to take the
bridle
A bridle is a piece of equipment used to direct a horse. As defined in the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', the "bridle" includes both the that holds a bit that goes in the mouth of a horse, and the reins that are attached to the bit.
Headgear w ...
off completely a move sometime seen in non-competitive exhibitions.
Young horses are first taught to respond to a ''direct rein'', with reins held in both of the rider's hands, turning the horse's head by tightening the rein on the side of the desired turn. The correct way to teach neck reining relies on perfecting the horse's responses to weight and leg aids while slowly using less direct rein pressure and introducing the feel of the rein against the neck as a cue. A young horse in training needs a reminder from time to time to look where it is going, but horses learn to neck rein fairly quickly, if trained properly. Occasionally trainers will use sloppy and incorrect methods such as crossing the reins under the neck or using reins with tacks or pins in them, but this poor level of horsemanship is thankfully not seen as often in western riding today as it was in years past.
When riding in the
Western style, riders hold both reins in the left hand (if they are right-handed). This was historically so that they could hold a
lariat
A lasso ( or ), also called lariat, riata, or reata (all from Castilian, la reata 're-tied rope'), is a loop of rope designed as a restraint to be thrown around a target and tightened when pulled. It is a well-known tool of the Spanish an ...
or other needed tool in their right hand. The reins are kept relaxed and somewhat loose. In
western pleasure
Western pleasure is a western style competition at horse shows that evaluates horses on manners and suitability of the horse for a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with calm and responsive disposition. The horse is to appear to ...
competition at
horse show
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...
s, riders are not supposed to ever to take the slack out of the reins when neck-reining, and even cues to slow or stop must be very subtle. For working horses, a relaxed rein allows the animal freedom to move over rough terrain. There is some slack in the reins unless the rider needs to tell the horse to stop.
For
polo
Polo is a ball game played on horseback, a traditional field sport and one of the world's oldest known team sports. The game is played by two opposing teams with the objective of scoring using a long-handled wooden mallet to hit a small hard ...
and
polocrosse
Polocrosse is a team sport that is a combination of polo and lacrosse. It is played outside, on a field (the pitch), on horseback. Each rider uses a cane or fibreglass stick to which is attached a racquet head with a loose, thread net, in whi ...
the rider holds one or two pairs of reins in one hand. Slack in the reins is not required.
In
English riding
English riding is a form of horse riding seen throughout the world. There are many variations, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn that are part of a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an ...
and other systems where the primary means of communication is light pressure between the rider's hands and the horse's mouth, light pressure is always maintained on the bit. The neck rein in English riding is used in addition to a direct rein and reinforces certain
riding aids
Riding aids are the cues a rider gives to a horse to communicate what they want the animal to do. Riding aids are broken into the ''natural aids'' and the ''artificial aids''.
Natural aids
These are the aids which the rider possesses on their bod ...
, particularly turns that require the horse to set back on its haunches, such as turns at high speeds when
show jumping
Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrianism, equestrian events that also includes dressage, eventing, Show hunter, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including th ...
in a timed jump-off, or in events such as
Dressage
Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...
when performing a
Pirouette
In dance and gymnastics, a turn is a rotation of the body about the vertical axis. It is usually a complete rotation of the body, although quarter (90°) and half (180°) turns are possible for some types of turns. Multiple, consecutive turns are ...
. Many well-trained English horses seem to already know how to neck rein without being formally taught — further proof that the skill is primarily an outcome of encouraging responsiveness to the legs, weight and a light hand.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neck Rein
Riding techniques and movements