There are so many ways that we teach our children boundaries, from when they are tiny. This nurturing builds trust and respect between parents and children. We fit a Martingale to the cinch, running the reins through the loops so that little pressure needs to be applied to the bit to have effect. As the Martingale softens the reining so we need to constantly be aware of how we are correcting our children. Reprimanding should never be done in the heat of anger but rather after the child and parent have had a chance to cool, although it should be done as swiftly as possible so that the correction is connected to the misbehavior.
Consistency is crucial once again.
Horses and children are intelligent and will constantly test to see if the correction will come this time. The absence of consistent, appropriate reprimand or reward breeds confusion and distrust. The reins need to be sturdy and the horse needs to be aware of them. We attach the reins to the bit on either side of the horse s mouth, and begin the ride. Our horse is well started, we never get on an un-started horse, because he will buck and likely hurt himself and possibly the rider.