The Hip Rein

One of the things I aim for in dressage riding is a state of collection that is appropriate for the horse's self-carriage and fair to him at all times. This is so that he is in the easiest position to respond to my signals and shift balance more naturally with minimal loss of forward impetus. An important part of maintaining this collection is through the use of what I call the 'hip rein'. The hip rein is an imaginary rein that runs from the horse's mouth and attaches to the hips of the rider. Both the hip rein and the actual rein(that your hands hold) are operating at all times, whether you know it or not. Each rein has its own tension. The actual rein tension should always be less than(or equal to) the tension of the hip rein. Increase tension on your actual rein and you will need to 'shorten up' your hip rein. Increase your hip rein tension and you will feel lightness in the actual rein! Lightness then is not so much a product of how you handle your actual rein but of how well you connect the horse back to front through the hip rein.
How then does one work with the hip rein if it is imaginary? It is through the feel of the energy flow as the horse responds to the rider with positive feedback! As I have touched upon in other articles, the rider takes and moves the horse's energy, in specific amounts in specific directions(namely forward), and deposits it down into the wither area. This activity is repeated continuously in a rhythmical manner that is agreeable to the horse and the effect is a recycling of effort which refreshes the steps of the horse over and over again without the need for constant input from the rider's legs. This happens by a natural pathway of connection. Equestrian, author, and equine researcher Christine Sander describes this complex connection with elegant simplicity in the following link: http://otherideas.typepad.com/elements_of_equitation/2008/07/2-i-struture-b.html
This connection, which is situated beneath the rider's seat(particularly the upper inner thigh muscle), not only unites the ribcage between ribs 5 and 18(via the overlap of the cranial and caudal end of the dorsal serrate---see Christine Sander) but also allows the rider to stimulate longitudinal bending through the seat's energetic pulse into the lower back muscle(iliocostalis---see Christine Sander).
When the rider inputs what he receives from the back end of the horse into the withers through an energetic 'ether-like' conduit, he successfully connects up the hip rein! So by using what the horse offers(even if there is unevenness) and combining this with his own torso muscle core efforts, the rider starts to shorten up(or tighten up) his hip rein. The rider's efforts are in some proportion to how much lift and roundness(AND evenness!) the horse then responds with. But the horse's positive response then increases what is offered up to the rider to send forth! This is the beginning of dance! The partners(horse and rider) almost become lost in their efforts as dance takes on its own life(and effort).
As the rider feels this lift and roundness come about he needs to sensitize himself to the tiny beginnings of loss of tension on his 'actual reins'. The more the rider nurtures this loss of tension, the more sweet and responsive and appreciative the horse becomes. Now isn't this a nice way to do business with a partner?!