08/28/2025
Admit it
We ALL do it
To Much Inside Bend
Many riders may think that to bend their horse means moving the horse’s neck and head solely from the reins. This is an incorrect assumption but an easy one to make.
Correct bending of a horse refers to the lateral curvature of the horse’s body from poll to tail. In a correct bend, the horse should bend along his whole body with his rib cage swinging outward and his jaw flexed in the direction he is moving. In an attempt to avoid bending, many horses will swing their haunches out when asked to bend, making it important for a rider to be prepared with a solid outside leg slightly back and on. This use of the outside aids, in turn, helps keep the haunches in alignment with the shoulders and the horse straight on the line he is traveling.
Put simply, too much inside bend causes the horse to fall out through the outside shoulder. They can’t remain upright in their own position, and they can no longer keep the legs working truly underneath the body. When they lose the shoulder, your horse won’t be able to engage the hind leg, lift the withers and forehand, and create the big crossing and expression that makes lateral work so lovely to watch.
Using the correct aids to bend a horse, a rider should accomplish the following:
Lengthening your leg down and around the inside of your horse by relaxing the inner thigh and dropping weight into the heel will support the bend as well.
Keeping the outside leg slightly back to wrap the hindquarters around the inside driving/supporting leg helps to avoid the haunches-out scenario.
The outside rein will keep the horse’s shoulders straight with his hindquarters and the inside rein will keep his head, neck and jaw positioned correctly in a flexion to the inside.
Yield the outside rein forward while you shorten the inside rein very slightly to create flexion and allow the horse to be in the right rein contact. If you have overbent the neck, your horse will lose straightness and balance and fall over his outside shoulder, making it more difficult to turn. Use tightened fist or possibly your wrist to ask the horse to follow the flexion and have the feeling that the outside rein is longer, even though the reins are the same.
As you use all of these aids together, your horse should stretch into the outside rein in an attempt to fill up that contact, lengthen the outside of his body and arc his neck toward the inside. If your horse does not stretch in this manner, he is not accepting the driving/supporting inside leg, which is the dominant aid that allows him to properly connect to the outside rein.
The rein contact should feel the same as it does when the horse is traveling in a straight line. If he is too heavy on the inside rein, soften your inside hand and use more inside leg and seat instead. You want the horse to take up more of the outside rein for a proper bend. If your horse is too heavy on the outside rein, it could indicate that his neck is overbent and he is falling through your outside aids and has lost straightness or that you are using too much inside leg and are pushing him out of balance.
So, if you’re reading and wondering whether you might be using the inside rein or inside flexion as a bit of a crutch, how do you know?
Signs the Horse Shows
Head and Neck Issues:
The horse might "kink" its neck instead of maintaining a continuous, shallow curve through its body, or it may twist or tilt its head to the inside.
Loss of Balance and Alignment:
The horse tends to fall through its outside shoulder, causing its hindquarters to swing outward.
A braced jaw and stiffness in the horse's neck are common reactions to being pulled on the inside rein.
Blocked Inside Hind Leg:
Overbending with the inside rein blocks the horses inside hind leg, preventing it from reaching underneath the body and crossing, which is essential for balance and impulsion.
Overusing the inside rein can disrupt the horse's connection over its back and lead to a loss of rhythm and forward movement.
Signs the Rider Might Show
Incorrect Posture:
The rider might sit in a "chair seat" or collapse their body to the side of the bend.
Ineffective Rein Aids:
The rider's primary aid for turning becomes the inside rein, which is less effective and can be detrimental.
How to improve
Of course, the first step is being aware and making a conscious effort to create the bend with the outside rein, only using the inside to maintain a small degree of flexion. It’s helpful to think of helping the horse staying upright like a soldier around your leg, rather than letting them dive forward or sideways.
As you ride the turn, your inside leg is used at the girth. It will keep the horse bending through his body. The inside rein is used to create and maintain flexion, but not to initiate a turn.
Only once your horse is correctly bending can you ask them to turn. If your horse won’t bend around your inside leg, they’ll swing the hindquarters in or out as an evasion. This means your horse will stiffen and lean through the turn. That’s why it’s also important not to turn too steep – only as tight as your horse can manage in good balance.
To ride a turn to the left, these would be the correct steps:
Riding in a straight line, prepare to turn left. Keep your hands on the correct sides of the withers, and your body straight- think Barber shop pole.
Half halt [I know Half halt is another article all together] your horse to prepare him and prevent him from running through the turn and losing balance.
Close your outside (right) leg behind the girth. Your horse should respond by moving his body away from the pressure to turn.
Use the outside (right) rein alongside the neck to ask your horse to turn, bringing the shoulders in the direction you want them to go.
The outside rein stops the horse’s shoulder from bulging out, so your horse stays aligned in his body as he turns.
Your shoulders and hips should rotate in the direction of the turn but not collapse or tip.
As this happens, your inside leg stops the horse from losing balance, stiffening, and putting all his weight into the inside foreleg.
The inside rein remains open, guiding the horse into the turn and creating flexion. The right amount of flexion is approximately where you can almost see the corner of your horse’s inside eye but not the cheek nor his entire face.
If you’re doing this correctly, your inside rein should feel very light. You should be able to give or take it as needed, and your horse should turn without stiffening his neck and rib cage against you. The turn should also feel quite balanced and upright.
If you have overused the inside rein, he will feel heavy and will lean on the inside rein and foreleg, losing balance through the turn.
A Simple Test
The Rein Release:
At any point in your ride, try releasing the inside rein completely.
If the horse immediately changes its body position or drifts sideways, it means you were using the rein to hold it in place rather than relying on the leg and outside rein for the bend.
And always remember the golden rule: bend is the whole body; flexion is the poll.
