It is often thought that the rider's aids must be logical and systematic. Mary Wanless BHSI proposes that it is far more important that a system of aids be 'reflexive'. This means we apply our aids and horse responds in the way we want without going through some long reasoned out process. It means that the horse cannot 'not' respond in the way we wish.

It is really important that we shed ourselves of the belief that the horse has some internal conversation with himself which goes "Oh the rider has put this leg here, that leg there and is pulling on this rein – so that means I must do X". Having this belief thrusts far too much responsibility and intelligence upon the horse, and reduces your aids to mere tricks that the horse must somehow learn the intricacies of, before he can respond as you wish. The darker side of this way of thinking, that of assigning too much intelligence to the horse, is that you can start blaming the horse for his choices. Mary puts it perfectly when she says: