08/18/2026
๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ค-๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐๐จ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ
๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฐ๐จ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
โ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ
A horse is only as good as their backup. A two rein horse should be walked, stopped, and backed up often. For this, youโll walk forward, slowly pick up your rein hand until the reins make contact, then stop the horse and back up. The first couple times should be done courteously to introduce the exercise. Then the expectation should rise.
Walk and slowly pick up your rein hand, once it makes light contact, bump the horse to a stop without the courtesy of a WHOA. Backup a step or two, change direction, and walk off. The duration of the pull from the start to contact should be two to four seconds. After a couple tries, the horse usually anticipates the cue and stops (and potentially backs up) before the reins are pulled straight.
The goal is to get the horse stopped and backed before the rein is straight.
The beauty of the two rein is the ability of the rider to isolate each set of reins. This should be done with both the mecate and the romal. When doing it with the romal for the first time, the mecates should still be pulled, but very lightly. Supporting the horse is necessary, but they must know how to be pulled on with their bridle.
Having a horse become overly dependent on the mecate is a common and difficult problem to solve.
After the horse is somewhat proficient, they should be asked to do this drill at the warmup and cooldown, in all gaits. It's a wonderful way to help re-establish a good response to pressure in the horseโs body when the bit is pulled on.
As you grow comfortable with the horse and the two rein, doing this drill at a trot and lope is wonderful.
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๐ซ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฉ
In the same way you frame up your hackamore horse by bumping on the hackamore and releasing when the horse gives his head, do that to your two rein horse. Let him feel some contact and give his nose. Framing up is simply when their head and neck come into a better frame. It is not technically collection. It makes collection easier to achieve since the horse is carrying himself better, but by itself, it is not collection. The importance of framing up a horse is in setting up the horse to do well. When their headset is too natural, they risk a hollow back and braced ex*****on when pulled on. A horse who lets you ball him up is at an advantage both in work and the showpen.
Frame up with the bosalita as well as the bridle (later in the two rein process). Early in the two rein process you can shift to a 50/50 hold and work on framing up sporadically before returning to 80/20 for more complicated maneuvers. Framing with your legs should also be practiced. With time and more finesse in the two rein, the horse should be asked to frame up at a stand still, then pushed forward. This way he learns to drive into the bridle and remain collected instead of simply framed.
If they refuse to frame, double or back.
โ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐
Training a good hackamore horse isnโt all perfect and easy. Most have to be doubled hard a few times and quirted on their butt. This discipline was not spared then, don't spare it now. If the horse wonโt soften him, three rein and double him a couple times. Or use the Squaw Rein hold and double him whilst hitting his outside hip with the romal.
The discipline that made him a good hackamore horse will make him the bridlehorse you want him to be. Same goes for blowing through stops. Sometimes that horse needs to be bumped sharply until he backs up and learns not to lean on your hands. Sometimes he needs to be pushed into his bridle and trot some circles.
There is a bridle in your hands, sure, but there's also a bosalita, and that horse was a hackamore horse first. Administer the lessons with the same swift delivery and tough love.
โ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐
A good way to know if youโre going to do well in a two rein is being able to correct the horse via use of leg cues. They donโt need to be extravagant cues and high level training. A two rein/bridlehorse should know how to stay between the reins and be held there effortlessly. To work on this, shoulder-in and haunches-in are wonderful drills.
Another overlooked drill is counterbent circles. By counterbending, the horse learns an immense amount of respect for the rein via reinforcement from the leg. It's a more intense targeting of training than shoulder-in. Do not over-train counterbending so much because it can create bad habits in neckreining. The foundation of a neckrein is to look away from it, counterbending doesnโt teach this. Use it to work on respecting the rein and staying between the reins when asked. An example is during a lead departure. If the horse leans into the lead, counter bend him away from where he leaned and retry. The horse will be quick to learn what it is to be in between the reins.
Shoulder-in and haunches-in are great methods to create more elevation, subtly of signal, strength, and proper bend in the horse. But for a more simple approach, a leg yield can do almost the same thingโฆall while keeping the horse more flat. Flat work is better suited for stock work. Do a myriad of elliptical shapes and circles, leg yielding out of them. Exaggerate the arch and be sure the horse moves laterally as much as they do forward, if not more. If they look out of the arc, three rein to get their head in, then release. Teach them what it feels like to be pushed with the inside leg to the outside rein, what a proper arc feels like. This is the foundation of good neckreining. To reap the benefit of Shoulder-In and Haunches-in, simply leg yield with emphasis on either quarter. Doing so, while remaining arced, creates more control of the horse's body. The final benefit to leg yielding is that the horse becomes so soft laterally, he can't help but be soft down the middle. Headset and framing should improve as a side effect.
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๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ
This drill is a bit of a โbreaking the ruleโ kind of drill and should only be used on smaller bridle bits 2 inches or lower in port height. It's not traditional, nor does it claim to be. If for nothing else, it's just another tool for your toolbox.
For this, youโll walk a circle and neckrein the horse before plucking the inside bridle rein, then release. Continue the circle. Neckrein again, pluck the inside bridle rein, release, then continue. Never quit the circle and do not spin, your legs will help prevent that. What this exercise is seeking to do is train the horse to actively look away from the outside rein when being neck reined. In theory, three reining does the same, but some horses can be so tough about it, that using the bit can make it clearer. There is a place for almost every technique and tool in horsetraining. This should be avoided with a spade or bit exceeding 2 inches in height as it may injure the palate.
For a more traditional approach, carry out the exercise the same but pluck the inside mecate instead of the bridle rein.
โ๐๐จ๐๐ค โ๐๐ฆ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง
The bridlehorse is a proud animal that holds their head up high. Unfortunately, the trademark high head can more easily lead to brace than that of a more level or slightly above level head. You did everything right, but the horse just doesnโt want to put their head in a good position. Youโve checked, framed, worked laterally, etc. For these tough ones, you can do a little drill called โLock โEm Downโ.
Start at a walk and grab hold of the two rein somewhat snug on the horse. The horse should be held a little bit in front of vertical. Your hand will stay and freeze there, it will not move. This drill would work best with 50/50 pressure. While holding your hand there, work on transitions. Go up and down each transition, if he bounces back off your hand or braces, push him forward into the bridle. As tempting as it is to backup or pull to a stop, just keep driving the horse forward. Within a very short time, the horse learns to pack his head in a more pleasant place.
With a bit of time, the horse will be easier to get their head and youโll be able to give back their slack. As with anything, there is a point where this can be overdone. Be careful to avoid crossing that line. The goal is to give them their head back, remember that.
โ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ข๐ค๐?
Unless youโre lucky, its anything but linear. Some days are great and other days make you question if horses are right for you, and that's normal.
There will be so many days that you wonder if your horse is understanding the bridle cues because their progress is so minuscule. There are going to be weeks you wonder if your horse is depending on the bosalita, but heโs really absorbing all your training. And one day it just clicks, youโll get a wonderful response that validates all the time invested. But here's the catchโฆit flickers. That validation of progress comes and goes here and there. It's not constant nor is it guaranteed.
But then youโll see a couple days in a random week just work like magicโฆand then itโll all disappear again. The progress is often 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
โ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฟ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐๐ง๐๐จ๐จ?
There are no shortcuts to horse training, but if there were theyโd be:
๐ฅLong Trail Rides
๐ฅPole work
๐ฅTransitions
๐ฅWorking Stock (cattle, horses, buffalo, etc)
๐ฅChanges of Pace (garrocha, obstacles, new arena, etc)
By integrating each of these 5 โshortcutsโ a horse is usually so engaged that they donโt realize the work they are doing and improve immensely because of it. Long trail rides working on transitions can take 2 or 3 hours but be more engaging than a 30 minute arena session on sidepasses and spins. Working stock and/or changes of pace can be so mentally engaging that the horse is working in ways they previously found challenging because they are so mentally stimulated throughout. Pole work and trails help the horse balance their feet and stride in ways no amount of loping circles or checking ever could.
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Take the time it takes to develop your horse in the two rein.
This is a wonderful part of training a bridlehorse, not just the last hurdle before the bridle.
-Johnny Flores
AQHA Pro Horseman
AQHA Team Wrangler
WRHA Judge & Champion
Acton, CA
818-939-1338
๐๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ป๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ญ๐ต ๐๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐จ & ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด๐ฆ๐ด
๐ธ Brooke Louise Creative
