Reinsmanship is the art of communicating with the carriage driving horse through the reins, whip, and voice. Of course, it goes much deeper than that. The driver’s timing in the use of those aids along with her or his own body position have a significant impact on how effective those communications are.

The more adept the driver can become with their reinsmanship, the more they will be able to communicate to the horse. In the end, it’s the improvement of the driver that creates the improvement of the horse.

Here’s a collection of blog posts, articles, lesson plans, and online classes devoted to helping you improve your reinsmanship.

Reinsmanship Related Blog Posts

Spanning the reins in the Coachman's position

How Much Contact For Carriage Driving? - I’m often asked, “How much is too much contact, and how little is too little.” The answer often depends on what it is that you’re doing with your horse. But the question of how much contact you should use goes beyond the specific activity your are doing with your horse. It can change within the… Continue Reading

Activating The Rein - Your reins are your primary communication device when driving your horse or pony in the carriage. So how you use those reins is of critical importance. Here are some tips on how to make those communications come through loud and clear to your horse. Continue Reading

Finding Stillness - Probably two-thirds of the information passed between the driver and the horse is transmitted through the reins. It stands to reason that the more clearly and accurately we can handle the reins, the clearer and more accurate our communication will be. That’s where being able to achieve stillness on the reins is critical. Of course,… Continue Reading

Looking Ahead - A student of mine was at an equine expo watching the various demonstrations and clinics. Afterward, she sent me a note; “Not one clinician told their students to look up and away from the horse. Is that [looking ahead of your horse] just an Andy-ism?” My reply; “Not an Andy-ism, just a global world truth… Continue Reading

The Step Back - Many carriage drivers struggle with their horse taking a step backward after completing a halt. Understanding why the horse is taking the backward step is the first step toward solving the problem. Continue Reading

Excessive Use of the Whip - What constitutes “excessive use of the whip?” As carriage drivers, one of our most valuable communication aids is the whip. In fact, it’s so important that we are required to have the whip in hand anytime we are driving in a competition. Like any tool, it can be misused. The American Driving Society lists “excessive… Continue Reading