Think of your horse like a Train...no matter how compact he may be.

The front end, from the shoulders forward, is the engine. 

The barrel is the passenger car. 

Lastly, the hind quarters, are his caboose.

There are times that this train is going to move independently like trains do and there will be other times that you will try to squeeze his motion into that of a cable car.

Now let's talk about our leg again and why this 'train' of thought is important.

Your leg, when in it's correct position....heel in line with your hip and shoulder, controls your horse in two areas depending on how you apply the pressure.  In place it pushes his barrel...steering the passenger section.  Slightly in front of you...and I do mean slightly...at the girth we'll say...you are steering the engine...from the shoulders up.  To move his hip...just slide that lower leg back a bit and push his hind quarters where ever you need them.

This comes in to play every time you ride...whether you are passing another horse or trying to scoot around an obstacle, while you are circling, or if you have a super bend-ie horse that never seems to be in alignment.  Using your legs to steer is a necessity.  That's why they are a Natural Aid.

Practice using your leg in such a fashion, I would say, once every two weeks with this basic exercise.

Stand along the rail with your horse square and collected.  Then take you outside leg and place it firmly at the girth.  Without letting him walk forward ask him to spin on his haunches and change direction.  What your horse should do is plant his inside hind foot and walk himself around it with his front legs, crossing them over one another as he pivots.  Once you have completed this turn...pet him.  Let him relax a bit. 

Now we are going to go back the other way, but we will do this differently.  We will collect him once again into his frame and feet square....move your lower leg back slightly and push his hind end around towards the center of the arena...turning him on his forehand.  Again your horse will plant his inside foot, but this time his front inside foot, and he will walk his back end around it, almost like  a pirouette until he is facing the opposite direction.

Do this in both directions...turning him on his forehand and on his hind quarters....what we call a roll back. 

Use this exercise to gain a better understanding of how your horse is driven, and to keep him fresh on how he Should be driven.

Once you two have  a clear understanding of the movement of your body and what is being asked....sit your trot and ease on down the center line of your arena....now gently push his butt back and forth bending him back and forth....only in this bending exercise, hold your reins as straight as possible....let your legs push his hind end back and forth....it'll feel pretty, and soon you'll feel like a show off as your horse does this with ease.

Next time we'll talk about that Roll Back and how it can aid you in riding a better canter.