What you can't do standing still, can't be done in faster gaits. Some things can only be accomplished during movement, but the foundation is made earlier. The horse's nose must be directed sideways, up, down, forward, back, you must be able to place it wherever the horse's body admits. By controlling the nose, you control where the horse is looking and then also where he is going. A tense horse carries his head high, a relaxed horse carries it low.

One rein is enough to guide the horse. The most important rein is the indirect one, it decides the bending of the poll and guides the direction of the nose. It also influences the opposite hind leg. A direct rein bends the horse's neck and influences the foreleg. A restricting rein bends the horse's body and makes the shoulder come out. No rein action should be static in a set position, a correct action is often a combination of the different reins.

The position of the hand holding the rein is where it works best and not how it should be according to an ideal picture. Every horse and rider have a position that is best for them. With another horse, the position may be different but the action is the same.

The release is still the most important ingredient. One example: while bending the neck sideways, take a contact on the rein, when the horse bends release the rein, take a new contact, when the horse bends, new release. After a while the horse has got his nose at the rider's foot. By repeating, the horse gets easier and quicker to bend, if the horse recognizes what is asked of him, he gets faster. The goal is to have maximum the weight of the rein in your hand and that the horse follows the movement of the hand. The horse should be able to stand relaxed and waiting with his nose at the rider's foot.

The softness can vary from one side to the other, if the difference is too big the reason for it must be investigated, so there is no physical obstacle for bending. Never force a horse who is in pain. Many problems have arisen because of pain, when the cause for the pain has been eliminated the horse has functioned normally again. Lifting the nose and raising the neck is obtained by restricting reins on both sides.

Lowering the nose is done by lifting the restricting reins toward the horse's poll, what happens is the angle of the rein against the horse's nose changes. The horse wants the restricting reins alongside the head.

Lowering the neck is obtained by opening the restricting reins. All the time the horse must get a release as soon as he thinks in the right direction. By combining these rein actions, you can put the horse's head and neck in exactly the position you wish.

While riding this control can be used to decide which way the horse has to look, where to go etc. The indirect rein positions the direction of the nose. With the horse positioned, the direct rein decides the direction of movement. The horse can move bent in the direction of the movement or counter bent from the direction of the movement. If the horse is travelling counter bent the outside rein is direct, the direct rein moves the foreleg in the direction of movement, it controls the foreleg on the same side it directs.

When everything works in walk, the horse can be trained in trot, and when the trot works he can also be worked in canter.The horse has no problem with training the faster gaits but it is the rider's capacity to follow and not disturb him by pulling his mouth that is the limitation.

The hind quarter must be controlled independently from the forehand. The hind legs can move in under the horse, sideways and be put out behind the horse.The loin has got some mobility and can raise or sink. Sinking of the loin is never desired, the cause is normally pain.

The croup has got more mobility and allows the horse to sit more on his hind quarter with his legs underneath him. From the beginning the horse must be taught to stand with his hind legs under him. All forward movement has to start with one hind leg, not the forelegs moving and when the horse gets too long the hind legs must start to move. The rider's lower body in the saddle moves forwards before his upper body.

If you want to put one hind leg diagonally under the horse's body it is directed by a combination of the rider's outside seat bone and a straighter upper leg on the outside, inside seat bone and inside leg make room for the movement by easing off the horse a bit. The diagonal indirect rein directs the hind leg outward, f. ex. at a turn on the forehand together with the inside leg.

The lower leg raises the strides. Bending lengthwise is a combination of directing the forehand and the hindquarters. The balance of pushing the front and the back decides the steepness of the sideways movement.

In rein back the nose and the neck are positioned by the restricting reins, the rider sinks his weight back in the saddle and moves the lower leg fractionally back. When the horse feels the new balance in the same time as the restricting rein he looks for a solution to regain his balance. When the horse balances backwards he must get a release both on the rein and in the saddle, when he understands he can be ridden backwards.

The better the horse goes back and sideways, the better riding horse. A complete sideways movement is achieved by driving the horse where the leg position normally is. A horse can lean against an unmoving pushing leg, but if it is moving, he moves away from it. If the rider lifts his leg straight sideways and lets it fall back against the horse's side and in this way taps on the horse's side he moves away from it, as long as the other leg is not signalling in the other direction.