What's the difference between these reins? The reason I ask is because a friend of ours was riding her horse with some reins that attached to the girth buckle (western) then ran through the bit (ring at the end of the shank) and around the neck. I was just wondering what kind of reins they were. I wasn't really impressed by the way she was using them but what do I know. It looked a bit harsh to me as the horse had his nose towards his chest and it looked terribly uncomfortable, but I'm pretty ignorant and not familiar with this set up - just observing.
You probably cannot see but these go over the head and sit at the poll. You tighten them at the poll. Then you put each rein though each side of the bit and attach the end to the girth or girth straps...These are called bungee reins. I use them and they are great! I had them on my horse the other day while lunging her. They were realllly lose but she still held her head very nicely ( Which she usually doesn't do)
Your friend obviously had them too tight or the horse could have been over exaggerating like Lola did.
sounds like she was using draw reins - although i can't say i've ever heard of them used with a curb bit (which i assume it was as you said "shank" in regards to the bit"). they can have their benefits but it doesn't sound like they were being used properly in this case, imo.
Dubya - that was exactly what i was thinking (the pics you posted). the reins do go around the horses neck just like regular reins go around. haha - if that makes any more sense.
OP - are either of those photo examples (particularly the first one) like what you saw?
Yes! They were just like the first picture Dubya posted. And yes they were used with a curb bit (possibly even a longer shank than the picture). The horse really had his nose tucked in and it just looked so uncomfortable! I don't recall the rider using a tight rein but she would constantly be "popping" the reins. I honestly don't know anything about these or why they are used but I'm assuming they are used to get a horse to set it's head in an attempt to collect?
No no no no NO draw reins have NOTHING at ALL to do with collection!!!! Please don't get this idea into your head. Draw reins simply create a 'head set'. People who want to take the easy way out and have no idea about collection and simply want a 'pretty arched neck'.
Now I don't know about 'western collection' but talking dressage here. Collection comes from engagement of the hind legs, and connection through to the bridle. The rider creates energy in the hind legs by riding the horse forward. The forward energy travels through the horse's body and is contained by maintaing a connection with the rider's hand. This energy circulates, lifting the horse's back, engaging the abdominal muscles and shifting the horse's weight over it's hind legs, which creates more 'suspension' of the gait and less speed.
Pulling a horse's head into it's chest using draw reins, do NOT do ANYTHING to help with 'collection'. Draw reins are a dangerous tool in the wrong hands, as the OP has explained the effects on her friend's horse - they learn to evade the bit by sucking behind the pressure, coming deeply behind the vertical and thus, the 'connection' is lost, the hind legs physically cannot come under the horse and allow the weight to shift backwards. You just put the horse on the forehand.
They CAN be useful, in the right hands on the right horse. I have used them on VERY select occasions - on ottb's, that have learnt to brace their necks out straight against the bit. Most will come round quite easily with correct riding, others are a little more difficult and have a very strong tendency to travel inverted. In these horses, I have put them in draw reins once or twice to give the horse a clearer idea of what was wanted of them, to give the jaw and release the poll. As soon as the horse would give to rein pressure, the draw reins were removed.
Please, never, ever, ride a horse in just draw reins. Always use a normal snaffle rein, and use the draw reins as a backup only when absolutely necessary.
Preferably don't use them at all if you think they're going to help you horse 'collect'.
Well, I know very little about western pleasure myself. My daughter rides english and her trainer is not really teaching collection per se, but she does point out when her horse is collected and moving nicely. It just isn't the primary goal in her lessons. Her trainer has her riding with contact but we basically don't mess around with the face. However we are much less "advanced" than our wp friends so I really don't know much about their training.
So what would be the correct way to use these reins? Would they be an extra set of reins to correct a horse if they pop their head way up but otherwise left alone? Are they often used incorrectly? Our friends show Western Pleasure and have a reputable trainer (I think) so I would assume they would train correctly but apparently not.
newhorsemom, used correctly, they act as a second pair of reins. You ride primarily off your 'normal' reins, and only when the horse braces and inverts, do you take a contact with the draw reins to encourage lowering of the head. The very second that the horse drops it's head, you MUST release the pressure or you will only be teaching the horse to suck back. WHen the horse is travelling happily and not inverted, the draw reins should have no contact on them whatsoever.
Reputable trainers are not necessarily 'correct' trainers. Unfortunately people new into horses seem to think that anyone with a big name or a few letters under their signature is the greatest thing to walk the earth. This is so far from the case.
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