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Had another micro insight last night: The rail of the arena is incredibly useful for standing up my horse in *both* directions! I think I am very much like a horse---I need to learn things both to the left and to the right.

I've used the rail quite a bit to improve the right lead canter by counter cantering next to the rail for support. Now I'm finding that same practice useful on the left lead canter (which used to be our good side but now is behind the right in quality). Last night we were just doing simple changes next to the rail and I really liked how it gave us some extra help to not swing in the transitions.

What are your favorite uses of the rail/arena wall?

I was taught to use the rail a lot - basically it works as outside aids so that you don't have to give stronger aids if the horse wants to swing or drift, and it helps the horse to learn new movements.

So, leg yields are taught by using the wall as a magnet (eventually the horse progresses to doing leg yields away from the wall and in free space)

I do most of my lateral work against the wall. The wall holds the haunches from swinging in the SI, it holds the shoulder from swinging in the HI and gives you a visual reference for SI to R to see that the shoulders don't drift back to the wall. Once the horse understands the lateral work, I start doing things on qtr line to test it. For HP, again, wall gets used as a magnet to help the horse when it's being taught - so you start on qtr line, do a bit of SI and then take it to the wall.

Canter work - lateral canter work is the same as the trot in terms of how I use the wall. The huge value is using the wall to straighten crooked or swinging changes. If you constantly work them against the rail so that the horse can't swing the haunches out or jump the shoulder out of line, you don't have to do anything and just let the wall do the work.

The wall can also be used to hold back an over enthusiastic horse by doing leg yield head into the wall or by doing a figure 8 into the wall for the changes to back off (for horses that charge or leap through the changes when they are learning). I also love doing md trot or extensions down the long side and let the upcoming short wall back the horse off so that I don't have to use a lot of hand.

Transitions, I LOVE doing them against the wall because again, it stops the horse from swinging and you have a visual reference for it the horse constantly swings haunches to the inside one way or another or stops with the shoulders out of line.

The one caveat is that some horses (like Miro) actually get a bit lazy and "lean" on the wall or rail, you feel that the second you start doing lateral work in free space lol. I'll add more if I think of them.

Great ideas. Isn't it interesting how the wall can be both a magnet and also a prop to push a horse up off of it?

I've been struggling to get across the need to sit and also turn in the canter pirouettes with Kiwi, until it hit me that I can do them towards the wall. Immediate improvement, even though we were easily still 10m away.

It is my opinion that riding in enclosed areas does more harm than good. This is why tests are ridden with edges as minor and discreet as possible . I think we are inclined to let the wall turn the horse, straighten the horse, finish the exercise, turn circles into squarcles, and that is just a small sampling. I know I rode more clearly in those years when the majority of my riding was in the open

If you take a ranch raised horse and bring it indoors, the wall is no magnet, we create the magnet by unclear riding. I miss having enough space to have an undefined schooling area.

Chisamba, I don't disagree that you need to leave the wall often to make sure that the horse is not reliant on it. I fully agree that open spaces are good for the horse, and I like to ride outside as often as I can. But, I also feel that the wall/rail is an excellent tool. To my point, the beauty of the shoulder in was fully realized when it was taken off the circle and brought straight down the wall (as well as renvers (croup/tail to the wall).

Having said that, yes we can find a silver lining in the cloud by using the wall. Use the corner to teach the horse to bend around the inside leg and I like turning toward the wall for quite a few advantages. Those mentioned by Dresseur too.

Well just consider what happened to hunters when it became a ring sport.

Was it when it became a ring sport or when a select few started making all the rules so that people would buy their fancy imported horses I personally don't blame the ring, I blame the methodology and $$$$$. That being said, you have a 100% valid point and I think a lot of people would be surprised that they can no longer steer correctly if they went out in the open. Some of our shows have warmup rings with no fence line - that causes

Hmmm, I ride out in the open quite a lot. Less so in winter, due to footing and darkness, but still usually twice a week. I find the existence of fences and walls quite clarifying for the "straightness" we have out in the open. It can be sobering Yet, I do think I ride "better" out in the open because my aids are more in "surround sound" mode.

But as I described in this topic, I definitely am open to using the wall/rail as a *helper* to get a certain alignment and uprightness in my horse (I then aim to replicate this away from the rail and just in general).

If I am honest, things like shoulder in and renver are far more successful if started along a wall, I also like to start flying changes toward the wall and definitely turn on haunches and pirouette.

Fir me personally canter work is far more challenging in the menage

I find canter work harder in the arena, too. I feel like the walls press on us sometimes (that is probably my mind, years after a bad fall into an arena wall). But the mare can be a bit more slippery/slide-y, too. And we don't have the same engine as when we are outside (that is on me, but it is the truth). She is always looking for a problem in the arena to panic over (aka another horse), while she is much more relaxed outside where we are usually alone.

Of course there are valuable uses for the wall/rail as has been listed already, but I am a ride off the rail kind of rider to test and see if the horse is really there under me properly. One fun clinic I rode in years ago the clinician had me doing very precise WT transitions making sure I had control over all 4 corners and keeping the horse straight. Very eye opening to me to ride those transitions off the wall (was actually taking a lesson out in a field so no rail available) and I still to this day like this exercise. See how good I am at body control of the horse. I also am drawn to riding out in fields as well like chi samba is. Especially for my energy efficient horses who can get backed off in fenced or wall arenas. Probably also goes back to my eventing days as well. I also tend to do much of my lateral work on bending lines to ask a bit more of the horse. Our new work with Rip has been asking for more sideways in counter SI and SI. Has shown to be helping his HP especially the R which has been a bit more difficult for him. Hope to get some video and have a look see if my feel matches the look!

A very simple but hugely effective exercise to test how sticky your horse is to the wall, and to loosen him up a little: Pick up trot. On the long side, ride very round but shallow turns off the wall, like little loops, you should try to fit in 3 or 4. Rereading that, I'm not sure if it's making sense. Odin loves to stick to the wall, and this exercise really makes him attentive to my outside rein and turning leg aids.

A few years ago, I was starting a lot of horses at a barn with a round pen. In the past I'd never had access to one. I ended up using it a lot with when starting the babies. But it REALLY highlighted how much of a crutch the rail can be. Often these young horses would really struggle lounging out of the round pen for the first time despite doing it perfectly inside. Suddenly not having that wall of support was a whole new adventure in balance.

That's not to say I don't think rails and walls are useful, but I think it's important to not get too dependent on them.

I still liked using the round pen in the very beginning, I think it was nice for young horses to be able to learn lunging commands with some support and help. Once they knew the commands, we could step outside and work on balance and strength. Always good to break learning down into easier steps if possible, imo.

Appreciate the ideas and comments on this thread.

Yesterday we did "miles" of shoulder in down the centerline and quarter line in order to keep ourselves honest (and very honest headed straight into the mirror!).

Mari, that is what I call the ribbon exercise. I use it a lot during warm up at both walk and trot to get the horse listening to my aids and to relax. I will also include a 10m circle or 8m volte at E and B depending upon what gait I'm in. Great for horses that tend to get revved up doing circles since it allows them to be forward but they still have to listen and not go on autopilot.