“The weight in the hand is never zero, it’s just shared differently.”

People love to think of reins in isolation — “I’m using the inside rein now” or “I’m soft on the outside rein.” But here’s the truth: one rein is never truly acting alone. They are a pair, like the handles of a wheelbarrow — if you pull on just one, the whole load tips.

Think of your reins as a pulley system. Both ends are always connected, always in a conversation. You don’t have “the active rein” and “the passive rein” — you have one that asks, and one that shapes and contains. Even when you think you’re only doing something with one, the other is always playing a supporting role.

Direct Rein

A direct rein is exactly what it sounds like — the hand moves toward your hip, taking a straight line from bit to elbow, giving a clear message along its own side of the horse. Used well, it can guide the shoulders, align the neck, and help you “place” the horse’s head and forehand where you need it.

But — here’s the golden rule — the direct rein on one side is only as good as the quiet, shaping support of the opposite rein. Without that, you’re just dragging the head around while the shoulders and hindquarters leak out like a bucket with no bottom.

Indirect Rein

The indirect rein is the subtle but powerful cousin — it doesn’t pull the head toward you, it influences where the shoulders go by angling the rein toward the opposite hip (without crossing over the withers). It’s a shaping rein – an organiser. It can be magic for rebalancing, for setting up lateral work, or for keeping the shoulders aligned with the haunches.

But again, this is never done in isolation. If you “indirect” with the inside rein, your outside rein is the anchor, the steadying element that says, “the wheelbase stays short, the balance stays in all four feet, the rhythm stays pure.”

How The Two Work Together

Imagine You’re Riding Shoulder-In Left

Think of your reins as the two pans of a perfectly balanced set of scales:

  • Inside (left) rein tips the scale just enough to invite flexion and positioning through the neck, head, and shoulders — like adding a single weight to one side.
  • Outside (right) rein works at the same time to match that change — not to cancel the effect, but to keep the balance even while guiding the shoulders and containing the power, channelling it into balance in all four feet and shortening the wheelbase.
  • Once the shoulders are correctly positioned on the new line, both reins share an even feel again, keeping the balance steady and the frame consistent.

Or, Riding a Circle to the Right

The same principle applies:

  • The inside rein tips the scale slightly to suggest flexion and soft shaping through the neck, head, and shoulders.
  • Simultaneously, the outside rein provides the counterweight — it stops the scale from over-tilting, keeps the shoulders from drifting out, and maintains the connection to the hind legs.
  • Once the horse is settled on the circle both reins are again equal in feel, each maintaining its share of the contact so the balance stays stable.

The Play Of The Scales

Your hands are always adjusting those scales. Sometimes one pan carries a fraction more, sometimes the other — but never is one completely empty. The reins work together in the same moment to make the change, and the goal is always to bring the scales back to level on the new line or ideally be able to adjust the shape so quick the scales stay perfectly even through any adjustment.

“Hands are like scales — they stay balanced, even as they move.”

Play With The Reins

The reins are like a set of scales. They’re constantly tipping back and forth, but never with one side going dead. Even when you yield a rein, you yield it into the support of the other.

This is where Alicia’s Elevation Edge (E.L.E.) comes in –The split-second aid that keeps every stride uphill.

  • Micro-Adjusting the Shoulders – Apply subtle, precisely timed rebalancing to keep the shoulders light, even, and squarely in front of the hind legs. These are tiny, feel-based corrections — a touch more here, a softening there — that stop the horse from tipping forward, drifting sideways, or leaning into one rein. Think of them as gentle “stand tall” cues that keep the forehand lifted so the stride’s elevation remains effortless.

“The hands are a pair, not twins — one can lead, the other follows, but they never divorce.”

Why This Matters For The Hind End

When both reins are in play — one inviting, one shaping — you can truly connect the shoulders to the hind legs. This is where the magic happens – you create a loop of energy, circular from the shoulders, through the hind legs, and back to the hand. That’s when the horse can step under, balance in all four feet, and naturally shorten the wheelbase without you forcing it.