84 NOTES ON EQUITATION 



Considered separately, each rein can produce four im- 

 portant and distinct effects: 



1. Front to rear effect. The rider pulls on the two reins 

 alike, without pressing them on the neck and without open- 

 ing the wrists. If the horse is moving, he will decrease the 

 gait or halt; if the horse, is halted, he wall move backward. 



2. Opening effect. The rider opens the right rein by 

 carrying the wrist to the front and right. The horse's head 

 will be drawn to the right and he will move in that direction. 

 This is the direct rein. 



3. Bearing or pushing effect. By pressing the left rein 

 against the neck, the mass (forehand) is pushed to the right 

 and the horse faces in that direction — this is the indirect 

 rein, sometimes called the supporting rein.* 



4. Opposing effect. The rider opens the right rein lightly 

 and then pulls either in the direction of the right haunch or 

 in the direction of the left haunch. He is then said to set 

 the shoulders in opposition to the haunches. The rein of 

 opposition comes to the aid of the leg on the same side 

 when the latter's action is insufficient or incomplete. 



* In the U. S. Cavalry drill regulations a horse is described 

 as "rein wise when he obeys the lightest pressure of the 

 rein on either side of the neck, the bit not being disturbed 

 from its normal position." It is to be noted that the horse 

 has learned to obey this pressure (3rd effect) through its 

 association with the opening of the leading rein as pre- 

 scribed in paragraph 315 D. R. (2d effect.) When the 

 rider uses the direct or leading rein, there must be suffi- 

 cient tension on the other rein to prevent the bit from "be- 

 ing disturbed from its normal position" and the other rein 

 (la rene opposee) is also pressed against the neck to sup- 

 port the action of the direct rein. In general^ there must 

 be combined action of the reins just as there must be com- 

 bined action of the legs (See "Unison of the legs" in the 

 next question), and this fact should be kept in view in the 

 discussion of the distinct effects produced by the reins. 

 The text reads: "Considered separately, each rein, etc." 

 which might be erroneously construed as: "Each rein, 

 acting alone, etc." {The Hoard) 



