Patterns for the Weekend: Improving Your Leg Aids
Designed for hunt seat riders, this pattern can benefit just about everyone.
The goal if this exercise is to determine how much you rely on your hands instead of using your legs when it comes to steering, turning, and positioning your horse.
You’ll want to bridge your reins and hold them in your dominant hand. Put your free hand on your hip or leg, or allow it to hang loosely by your side. Just make sure it isn’t interfering with your riding or on your reins. Using only one hand will help to make sure you’re using your leg. You can also put your rein hand low in front of your saddle in order to use it as little as possible.
Even though your English horse won’t neck rein like a western performance horse, if it has solid fundamentals, it should move laterally when leg pressure is applied behind the girth.