How to Train a Horse to Neck Rein

Neck reining is steering your horse by applying pressure to his neck with your reins. Most people associate neck reining with Western horses, but any horse can learn to neck rein. After all, even English riders need to open gates, carry water bottles and put on jackets, all of which are easier to accomplish with one hand free. Read on to learn why.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Start in a simple bridle with a snaffle bit. While most adult Western horses work in a curb bit which applies pressure to the sides of the chin and aids in neck reining, they usually begin in a loose-ring snaffle.

2. Walk your horse on the rail tracking left. Bring your right rein across your horse neck while gently pulling your left hand back and across the pommel or horn. As you do this, softly tap him in the bit with your left rein. You want to reinforce the idea that he is changing directions and not just bending his head in.

3. Encourage your horse's body to turn by reinforcing your hand cues with your leg. Simultaneously apply pressure with your right calf just behind the girth or cinch as you cue him with your rein.

4. Release the pressure on his neck the second your horse responds by taking a step left. The release of pressure is an important training step because it offers your horse an instant reward for moving left. Eventually your horse will associate a release of pressure with moving away from the neck rein pressure and will seek it out.

5. Lessen the amount of pressure from your leg as your horse begins to grasp the concept of neck reining. Eventually your goal is to turn your horse with no pressure from your legs and only the lightest touch from the right rein.

6. Understand that every horse has a different learning curve. Some horses are very sensitive and will pick up on rein cues right away, others you will have to work with more persistently. If your horse, or you, begins to get aggravated, stop what your doing and go work on something else for a while. Come back to neck reining when you're both relaxed, even if that means waiting to try again in another session.

7. Build on a single step. Once your horse has learned to take one step left, begin asking him for two steps left before you lessen the rein pressure. When your horse automatically tries to take two steps when you only asked for one step, then you can change directions and start teaching him to neck rein right.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't shove your right rein into the neck and try to bully your horse into going left. Your right hand should never be more than two inches over the front of your saddle. When you apply to much pressure with your right rein you are inadvertently pulling on the right side of the bit and turning your horse in the wrong direction.
• Beware of leaning in the saddle. Often riders will try to encourage their horse to turn by leaning in the direction they want to go. However, leaning changes your weight in the saddle and pushes your horse in the opposite direction.

Resources

• Cleve Wells talks about teaching the young horse to neck rein.
• The Basics of Neck Reining