The Outside Rein

     Ride the horse from the outside rein.  Yep, it makes sense.  It's also easier said than done sometimes.  The outside rein has many important functions, for example, it's the rein of opposition.  If you were to ride with only the inside rein, when you went to turn your horse, you'd simply go in a circle with your horse falling on his inside shoulder, while his outside shoulder bulged into the next county.  If you were to add speed to that turn, you'd simply go in the same circle faster and faster.  The function of the inside rein is to control inside bend and flexion, but by sitting up tall, slowing the following action of your seat, adding inside leg, and closing your hand on the outside rein, you control the size of the circle and the speed in which it's traveled.  
     The outside rein is also the turning rein.  It works as a unit with the bending inside rein, so when you apply pressure from the outside rein toward the direction of movement, you influence the shoulders which helps turn the horse.
     And finally the outside rein is the connecting and collecting rein.  You want your horse to stay balanced and straight relative to the line of travel.  To remind the horse to stay connected from his hind legs through to the front of his body, momentarily close your seat, leg, and hand and depending on the length of the aid, ask the horse for either for a brief moment of collection to further load of the hind legs and thereby elevate the forehand, or to better connect his body from back to front, while you recycle the captured energy using the all important outside rein.
     Happy Riding!