What does Clinton Anderson say about the foundation required before neck rein training can begin?

Clinton Anderson is specific that neck rein training cannot begin until two foundational skills are confirmed: the horse must be completely soft and responsive to direct rein pressure on both sides, and it must move forward freely from leg pressure without needing to be driven with every stride. The direct rein softness is non-negotiable because the neck rein works by transferring the meaning of direct rein pressure to neck contact. If the horse is not already soft to direct rein pressure — if it braces, ducks behind the contact, or ignores light pressure — there is no correct foundation to transfer from. Teaching the neck rein on a horse that is not soft to the direct rein produces a horse that does not understand what the rein means in either form. The forward energy requirement comes from the mechanics of one-handed riding. A rider who has to use both hands to manage a horse's forward energy cannot effectively use one hand for direction. Anderson teaches that a horse ready for neck rein training should maintain its gait without constant driving, so the rider's attention and hands are free to focus on directional communication. He also requires that the horse yields its hindquarters and forequarters softly from the rider's leg before neck rein training begins. Neck reining is not just about steering the nose — it involves the whole horse changing direction smoothly, which requires the hindquarters and forequarters to follow the direction of travel rather than drifting. A horse with soft, confirmed lateral yields translates the neck rein into a whole-body direction change rather than just a head tilt.