Ken McNabb Horse Training Tips/ Rider Control: Building a Horse with Body Awareness and Balance

As a rider, I want to have control over every part of my horse’s body. So I break the horse down into four basic compartments: The head and neck – Compartment one The shoulders – Compartment two The ribs – Compartment three The hindquarters – Compartment four In this video, we’re going to work through several exercises to help balance your horse's body between your reins. Before I even move my horse’s feet, I talk about rein control. You have an inside rein and an outside rein — also known as direct and indirect. The inside rein is whichever rein I pick up first. For example, if I lift my left rein, that becomes my inside rein. The inside rein determines softness and direction, while the outside rein influences depth of flexion and leg speed — how fast the horse moves. Think of your horse as two halves: a left side and a right side. Your reins influence each part. The outside rein helps control the outside of your horse’s body, while the inside rein softens the inside, allowing you to sculpt movement and shape. We start by driving the horse forward. The hindquarters are essential — more important than most riders realize. As I ask my horse to walk forward, I want his hind end stepping underneath me and powering movement from behind. As I work a circle, I’ll have my horse’s neck arched slightly to the inside, like a banana. My second rein softens the nose. I’ll then use my left leg to push the shoulders out of the circle, and my right leg to bring him back in. This helps free up the shoulders and get them moving in both directions. It’s important not to overbend the horse — if you do, the shoulder will drift out, causing imbalance. That outside shoulder can start to “run away” from you. Instead, use the outside rein to slow the shoulders down, helping square the body and maintain balance. Next, I place my leg in Position Two (directly under me), asking the horse to move straight sideways. This softens the ribs. Be sure to slow down the shoulder on the side you're moving toward, as both horse and rider tend to rush that part. At the same time, the inside rein says ‘don’t move forward,’ which keeps the body straight. Now, onto the hindquarters. I start on a circle and slide my inside leg back to Position Three (right in front of the back cinch) to ask for hindquarter movement. Often, horses will overbend and lock the shoulder, making them lose balance. I ride forward, soften the nose with my second rein, stop the front end, and keep the hind end moving — then walk out of it. Why don’t I stop the horse? Because I want the horse to stay fluid. Forward motion is critical — especially when I start working on lead departures, lead changes, or spins. These all require forward momentum and softness through the body. I want my horse to feel like clay in my hands — something I can shape and mold. I want the shoulders to move freely over the hindquarters — that’s what I’m after. These basic lateral movements form the foundation for leads, lead changes, and higher-level maneuvers. Your horse needs to master these drills at a walk and trot before moving to a lope. Everything in training is about control and creating habits. These exercises help your horse develop muscle memory and look back to you mentally, asking: “What’s next?” That’s the habit I want. That’s the answer I want every time: “What’s next, Ken? Where do you want me to go?” Until Next Time, May God Bless the Trails You Ride ~ Ken McNabb kenmcnabb.com dmhorses.com