09/10/2026
Feel the hind legs.
Tip of the Day:
Timing of the aids:
There is an optimum time to give either a rein aid or leg aid depending on where the hindleg is in its phase.
When a hindleg takes a step it goes through 3 phases. I have attached a diagram below.
- Flight through the air (Fig 2a)
- Landed on the ground carrying weight (Fig 2b)
- On the ground pushing the weight forwards (Fig 2c)
The optimum time for a leg aid is when the hindleg is just leaving the ground at the end of the pushing phase. This will really encourage the hindleg to step actively forwards under the centre of gravity. Giving the leg aid when either the hindleg is in the air of just landing will not increase engagment.
The optimum time for a rein aid is when the hindleg just lands at the beginning of the carry phase. This is when the joints of the hindleg can be compressed best. Giving the rein aid during the flight phase will simply shorten the stride; giving the rein aid in the push phase will set up resistance as the hindleg pushes the body against the rein.
Work on your seat to be able to feel where the hindleg is and in which part of the phase it is in then you can learn to better time your aids. This should also flag up that many keep the aids on for too long hence nullifying their effect.
