Proper equitation is essential for the comfort and safety of both horse and rider. When done correctly, the horse and rider communicate. They become a team, which is the goal of every horseperson. Proper equitation consists of:

1.  Sitting up straight in the saddle, yet relaxed enough to move with the horse.
2.  Shoulders straight, but not stiff. 
3.  Elbows in at the sides.
4.  The left hand holds the reins slightly above and ahead of the  saddle horn.
5.  The right hand is closed and rests on the rider’s leg. Extra reins may be held.
6.  Balls of the feet are in the stirrups with boot heels lower than the stirrup.
7.  Toes are parallel with the horse’s body, not turned outward.  The rider should be able to see just the tips of his toes in front of his knees.
8.  From the knees down, the legs should be relaxed and slightly away from the horse’s sides.
9.  An imaginary line should run through the rider’s shoulders, hips, and heels.

The rider communicates with the horse by using the reins, his legs, and his body. Cues are given quietly and gently. If the horse doesn’t respond, then the cue should be repeated more firmly. Usually when a horse doesn’t respond as requested, it is because the rider is accidentally giving the wrong or conflicting cues. The rider needs to be aware of exactly what he is asking the horse to do.

Reining
The horse’s head follows the rider’s hand. If the rider moves his hand back, the horse will slow or stop. To turn left, the rider moves his hand to the left. The right rein will touch the horse’s neck and the horse will turn left (This is called neck reining.) The opposite is done to turn right.

The rider’s hand movements should be done gently so that the horse’s mouth is not hurt. Sudden or hard jerks on the reins, especially if it forces the horse to open his mouth, are not proper. If the horse doesn’t respond to neck reining, the rider should gently pull on one rein until the horse turns, then immediately release the pressure on the rein. By releasing the pressure, the rider is rewarding the horse for turning. The horse would become confused if the pressure wasn’t released after he responded to the cue.

The rider should never use the reins to maintain his balance in the saddle. The reins should be held loose enough so that constant pressure isn’t applied to the horse’s mouth. Yet the rider shouldn’t have to take up extra slack in the reins to cue the horse.

Leg Cues
The rider uses his legs to tell the horse to move forward and at what speed, a soft squeeze of both the rider’s legs asks the horse to walk; a firmer squeeze asks for a jog. A squeeze or tap with one leg cues the horse to lope and tell the horse which lead to pick up. Since some horses are more responsive than others, the rider should always begin with a gentle squeeze, rather than kicking the horse’s sides. Before a leg cue is given, the rider should slightly raise the reins to collect the horse and to let him know a cue is coming.

Most horses are trained to move away from pressure. The squeezing of legs mentioned above propels the horse forward. Combined with reining cues, leg pressures are also used to turn the horse. To turn to the left, the rider moves his hand to the left and nudges the horse with the calf of his right leg. It is opposite for a right turn.

Leg pressures are released as soon as the horse responds.

Body Cues
By shifting his body weight, the rider can cue the horse. Leaning forward urges the horse to move forward; leaning back cues the horse to stop or back; and leaning to the side tells the horse to turn. Body cues should be a slight almost invisible movement that only you and your horse feel. For example, to turn left, you apply just a little extra weight in your left stirrup.

All three cues work together. The rider needs to be sure that he is giving the horse three consistent cues or the horse will not understand what it is being asked. (For example, if a rider leans back putting pressure on the reins while kicking the horse, the horse won’t know if he is suppose to move forward or stop.) As the rider’s ability improves, the cues become natural movements, barely visible to someone watching. Then the day arrives that horse and rider seem to move as one--they are a team.