Side reins are essential in helping the horses understand the contact with the bit. Lunging is an art in itself, meaning you can teach a horse a tremendous amount about how you expect him to respond when ridden, help the horse to find his balance without having to balance a riders weight, the concept of moving away from inside pressure to the outside rein (which cannot be accomplished without side reins) and horses have a chance to “figure it out on their own” without the interference from a rider. After all, side reins can never pull on the horses mouth like a rider can and the horse can learn to flex correctly. Correct adjustment of the side reins for the level of the horses abilities is crucial and used mostly in the trot. All of the nuances of lunging are …