# Teaching to neck rein..??



## CessBee (Dec 6, 2008)

I may be an english rider, but i feel i would also benefit from knowing how to teach my mare to respond to the in-direct rein aid.


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## tempest (Jan 26, 2009)

Same, I'm attempting to teach my mare to neck-rein. it's not going all that great, but we're getting there. It's sure going to be interesting at Fair.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm currently teaching my mare to neck rein and it really isn't all that hard. What's been making it easy for me is that Lacey moves off of my legs really really well so I just combined leg cues with putting the rein on her neck like you do when you neck rein. She caught on to that pretty quickly so I've stopped using leg cues and just use the reins. If she needs a little help I'll gently direct rein her in the direction I want to to go while keeping the rein on her neck.
I hope that makes sense... It sounded less confusing in my head. Haha

I plan on returning to leg cues once she totally understands neck reining but I want her to be completely reliable at neck reining with no leg cues necessary unless she needs a little clarification.

She's almost there after only a few weeks, she's great at turning to the left but she's having more difficulty with right turns, but it'll come eventually.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

The have been many threads about neck reining that you can search on, but this is how I trained our mares....

For example, to turn left, you want your horse to respond to the feel of the right rein on the right side of the neck, so I start the left turn with the right rein on the neck and a little direct left rein, reinforcing with a little left leg, if needed. Once they make the association, you can just drop the direct reining/leg.

Our young mares all picked this up very quickly this way.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

Painthorse, Thats how i am starting to do it! she seems to understand it more and more everytime I use this method, but im just not consistent with it. I use direct rein more then I use this method if that makes any sense. 

Wallaby, You have only been working on this for a few weeks??! thats awesome! 

My mare is 19 if that makes any differece. But she acts like she is 4


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Jillyann said:


> Wallaby, You have only been working on this for a few weeks??! thats awesome!
> 
> My mare is 19 if that makes any differece. But she acts like she is 4



Lacey picks things up super super fast when she wants to, I taught her to "stay" in a matter of days (when I used grain). My pupil is brilliant. Heehee I think she's just one of those horses that needs a job like no other and her current job is learning EVERYTHING. =P

Oh yeah, Lacey is 24 and she acts like she's a youngster too. Yay for mares who look on age as just a silly number!


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Can your mare go in a snaffle?

Shay-la has a REALLY neat method that worked perfectly on her mares - cross your reins under their necks! That way, when you want to turn left and draw your rein over the right side of the neck, it's also pulling on the left side of the bit. So they're getting a direct rein signal, with the pressure of the rein and they pick it up fast!


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Training how to neck rein is very basic. It takes consistency and a horse that goes well in a snaffle first, but as long as you do that it is easy. Have your horse in a snaffle and cue with a neck rein, if there is no response (give a short moment so the horse has a chance) then follow up with the direct rein cue. Consistently do this and a horse usually starts picking it up pretty quickly. 

You should do it in a snaffle though because you shouldn't really direct rein in a curb. The curb is more of a finished bit. Once the horse is responding to neck reining in a snaffle, then you can move to a curb and fine-tune the response.


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## Joshie (Aug 26, 2008)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Shay-la has a REALLY neat method that worked perfectly on her mares - cross your reins under their necks! That way, when you want to turn left and draw your rein over the right side of the neck, it's also pulling on the left side of the bit. So they're getting a direct rein signal, with the pressure of the rein and they pick it up fast!


This doesn't make sense to me. Why add something like crossed reins that will need to be removed/unlearned? It seems like it would confuse the horse after that pressure is no longer there. There's more than one way to skin a cat. The way we were taught was to direct rein on one side and neck rein on the other. For example, when turning to right direct rein with right hand and neck rein with left. Horses are smart creatures. 

You are using a snaffle, aren't you?


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

I am using a snaffle bit, yes


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Jillyann said:


> Painthorse, Thats how i am starting to do it! she seems to understand it more and more everytime I use this method, but im just not consistent with it. I use direct rein more then I use this method if that makes any sense.


In my experience it doesn't matter if you use neck reining for every turn or not...just be consistant that if you do have the rein on the neck, you do get the turn.
These are smart animals and usually pick up multiple cues for turning without much trouble...direct rein, neck rein, leg, seat, and verbal commands. With enough riding you'll see that a very seasoned horse will actually anticipate the turns from a lot of very subtle changes in the rider.
It may also help if your horse is pretty light in the mouth to start...I'm sure our mares prefer a neck rein cue over getting in their mouth at all.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

1) Whenever you turn, take your opposite rein, and turn it toward the direction you are going (lean it over her neck). She will eventually feel the neck pressure and know when to turn.
2) Use your legs for added aiding. 
3) Yep, that's pretty much it. Lotsa practice.


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

PaintHorse, my mare is very light in the mouth. unless were going pretty fast, she loves speed. =)

And sunny, Thats the method i am using! =D


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

^^ Good, then she will eventually catch on 
It's a very easy thing to teach. Consistency is the key


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## dashygirl (Nov 21, 2006)

MacabreMikolaj said:


> Can your mare go in a snaffle?
> 
> Shay-la has a REALLY neat method that worked perfectly on her mares - cross your reins under their necks! That way, when you want to turn left and draw your rein over the right side of the neck, it's also pulling on the left side of the bit. So they're getting a direct rein signal, with the pressure of the rein and they pick it up fast!


That's spiffy! I've never seen that done before!


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

Update:
Today me and Candy had a gymkhana gaming show!, and I pretty much neck reined the whole time. She is picking it up SO fast! WAYYY faster then i thought she would! (mind you, about a month ago she had NO idea what neck reining was) I am using the method where when you go to turn you slightly direct rein, but put the reins over the neck and so she feels pressure on the opposite side of her neck as well if that makes any sense.

And we won Reserved Champion too!!


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

Nice! Neck reining seems to be one of those things that sounds like a really hard concept to teach but when you actually try it, you find out that it's actually way easier than you thought.

Congratulations! =D


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

Yeah, it really is one of those things where your like, this is going to be impossible! and it really is SO easy!

and Thanks for the congrats!


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Glad she picked it up so quickly for you!


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

Thanks! I am pretty glad as well! makes my life a lot easier! hehe


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