Direct and indirect reining in driving

[Specialk]

I am new to driving. My definitions of direct and indirect while riding. In direct reining my arm is straight, the horse is moving forward and turning. Indirect, my arm is bent crossing over the horses neck, the horse is yielding his hindquarters, one- rein stop etc.

Can you indirect and direct rein in driving? If so, how?

 

[jeanniecogan]

i have never heard of indirect reining in driving. most horses and ponies (or all) are trained with direct reining.

 

[MajorClementine]

It's all direct (or plow) reining if I'm not mistaken. One line is held in each hand and gentle pressure/cues are delivered to each side of the bit individually. More like a dressage horse less like a western reining or pleasure horse.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Neck reining? Don't see how one could do that in harness. The terrets on the saddle would preclude that having any effect.

By the way, "direct reining" sounds more elegant than "plow reining", doesn't it?

 

[Strangeaddiction]

I was always taught that there is a 1' box between your hands where your hands should never go in driving. You can teach your horse to drive off of your outside rein to yield their hindquarters (hard to explain in words) as you would while riding a horse (outside rein is super important in riding as it is in driving as well). I also was told you want your driving horse to bend and give to the bit, but while driving and working, the straighter they are through the manuvers the better, so to teach your driving horse to move laterally rather than bending and laying on the shafts.

 

[Chamomile]

The definition of direct rein, as I understand it, is that rein talks to the front feet. Indirect rein talks to the hind feet. As I was taught your hands should never cross the center point of the horse's neck. So direct rein would be holding your arm straight out to the side but indirect rein would be bringing that rein into your body and placing your hand on your thigh. Then you will be talking to the hind feet. You will use both direct rein and indirect rein while driving because sometimes you need to talk to the front feet and sometimes to the hind! Of course you won't have the horse turn on it's haunches (exactly) for indirect rein but you will have the horse bring their forehand across and also sometimes they will have to go sideways a bit and push the shafts over to maneuver a corner. When you do this you will use direct rein with one hand and indirect with the other, thereby anchoring the horse's hind end as they bring their front end across. I hope this makes sense! It's so hard to explain without pictures or video!