By Chris Cox with Jennifer Forsberg Meyer

Managing your reins well promotes good communication with your horse and safety for you both. Just as any good craftsman must become fluent with his tools in order to excel at his trade, so too must we as horsemen become fluent with our tools, including the reins.

I believe that whenever you're not asking for a maneuver, you should allow your horse to travel on a loose rein. This encourages freedom of movement and your horse's peace of mind. On a trail ride, your horse won't truly relax until you let go of his mouth. But unless you feel confident about being able to pick up the reins smoothly when you need them, you may be reluctant to "let go."

In Part 1 of our series, I'm going to show you how to take up your reins in a movement I call the "choke." I'll also show you how to ask your horse to give laterally to each side, in preparation for future lessons.

Be sure to pick up the June and July 2005 issues of Horse & Rider or check out EquiSearch.com for Parts 2 and 3. In Part 2, I show you how to use your reins to bring your horse around to either side in a suppling move or as a way to deal with a misbehaving horse. In Part 3, I'll show you how to bridge your reins for vertical flexion and more advanced work.

The goal throughout these lessons is to be able to use your reins smoothly yet quickly, in a way that makes sense to your horse and preserves the responsiveness of his mouth.

To Get the Most from this Lesson

• Outfit your horse in a snaffle bit with a roping rein or, as I'm using, a mecate rein. Eventually you can use my methods with open reins, but it's easiest to start with a closed rein.
• Mark the precise midpoint of your reins with a piece of duct or electrical tape (see photo No. 1).

	1. Your reins' exact midpoint should be marked with tape. This is the spot you should return to when giving slack to your horse, so that you're always riding with reins of equal length. It's also where you'll grasp to pull up or "choke" your reins--that is, take the slack out of them. If you're riding with a mecate rein, run the extra length of rein to the far side of the saddle horn, as I have here, then tuck it into your belt. (For safety reasons, never tie or otherwise secure the rein to you in any way.)
	2. Allow your horse to walk forward on a loose rein. Keep your rein hand in the middle of your horse's withers, and stay out of his mouth--by which I mean, don't keep picking up your hand to micro-manage his every move. For many riders, fussing with the reins is a security issue--they keep at it to reassure themselves they're in control. But that's not necessary when you know how to use your reins properly. Trust your horse.
	3. First, I'll show how not to shorten your reins: by spreading your hands apart. Note that this method requires me to lean forward-an unbalanced and insecure position. Instead, to communicate effectively and remain secure in the saddle, you should be sitting straight and square whenever you use your reins.
	4. Here's the right way to "choke" or shorten your reins, by drawing the slack out with your left hand. To do this, simply lift straight up on the midpoint of the reins with your left hand, while encircling the reins at the withers with your right hand, which acts as a pulley. Lift as high as necessary with your left hand to establish light contact with your horse's mouth. Keep your seat firmly in the saddle as you do this, and don't lean forward.
	5. Once the reins are shortened, you can drop the slack to your horse's left side and transfer the shortened reins to your left hand to cue your horse one-handed, or pick up the reins and the slack in both hands. Choking the reins isn't as easy as it looks; it takes many repetitions for the maneuver to become fluid, consistent and practically second nature to you. (Tip: Take your reins home and tie them to a chair where you can practice with them in the evening while watching TV.)
	6. Here are several "don'ts" to avoid: I'm leaning forward and coming up out of the saddle. I've got my pulley hand too high, instead of down near my horse's withers. My pulley hand isn't encircling both reins.
	7. Now, in preparation for next month's lesson, ask your horse to "give" to the side. From a standstill, slide your right hand down the rein far enough to be able to draw your horse's head around about as much as I'm drawing my mare's head here. Then rest your hand just above your knee, and wait patiently until...
	8. ...your horse releases the pressure on his mouth by bringing his head all the way around, as my mare is here. Then bring your hand forward, rub your horse's neck, and repeat. Practice this exercise on both sides until your horse gives his head willingly with minimal bit pressure.

--Photos by Darrell Dodds

Horseman Chris Cox has traveled the United States, Canada, South America and Australia for over 17 years presenting clinics and demonstrations. His approach focuses on building confidence through knowledge and establishing a relationship with your horse. Raised on a cattle ranch in Australia, Chris attended Longreach Pastoral College, an agricultural school where he earned the Horsemanship Award for top scores in class work and practical skills. Today his home base, from which he conducts clinics and produces "Chris Cox Horsemanship" for RFD-TV, is his Outback Ranch in Mineral Wells, Texas.

This article originally appeared in the May 2005 issue of Horse & Rider magazine.