how do you hold the reins western style?

[floppy]

ok..
my horse has a western saddle..and western bridle...
but i always use an english bridle...the difference? the english reins are half the length and joined at the end.
But how do you hold western reins?? i tried the other day to ride with them but could not handle the excessive lengths of reins and had to tie a knot in the end...well not the end..int he middle so the reins werent so long..:D
the last horse share i had had western leather reins too but they were not as long as the ones my haffie' synthetic western reins(and bridle) has... i found the old ones easier to handle and foudn them quite useful when you dimounted and lead the hrose somewhere because it was just easier. but these syntheic ones...sooo looong...anywya im drifting...i was going to wait for the new western site but i thought maybe outrider or someone might be getting bored with no western questions to answer :)

[Liz M]

I'm no expert, having never ridden western, but don't you hold both reins in the right hand and hold the ends in your left? that's the impression I got from one of my books!!
I'd be interseted to know a more scientific explanation too!
Liz:p

[floppy]

i have seen people riding with the reins in just one hand with the other hand waving around by their side..but ihave also see people ride with the reins bridged in 2 hands!

[horselover]

OK, this format is very cool, but very different too. It's going to take me a while to get used to this! :p

About the reins. You hold them in your one hand(if your not going to show or anything, use the hand you are most comfortable with) and rest your other hand on your thigh. That simple. The excess of rein comes in handy as a "crop" of sorts if you need it. It was also made to be long so that the horse could be ground tied, and other cool little reasons.

How long are your reins? I have used 8 foot long reins before- now that gets crazy!!! ! Especially on a horse who isn't tall enough and they drag!

[floppy]

ehm my horse is only 145cms tall and the reins come down to its knees which i find ridiculous..my last horse was ehm 16hh and the reins reached the bottom of his shoulder.
do you literally just hold the reins in one hand??? or is there a specail way to hold them in one hand?

[horselover]

Only to the knees? Then that's not bad at all. Rather short compared to what i am used to dealing with, unless i ride western with single reins(like english reins, still only hold in one hand though.)

This is really hard for me toexplain, so maybe somone can explain it better. It would be so much easier if I could show you. Hold both the riens in your left hand(this is the accepted hand, but like I said before, don't worry about it if you aren't going to show and you prefer to use your right). then, the reins come up through the bottom of your hand by your pinky and out the top in between your thumb and forefinger. It's like holding your reins in a fist. but keep your wrist relaxed and don't grip.

thei si how you can do it with two hands, if you want, with split reins. Lay the right rein across the neck so that it drapes down the left side of the horse, then lay the left rein across so that it lays down the right side of the horse. then you can hold them as if they are a sinlge rein.

Hope I helped and didn't confuse you. let me know if I made things worse, not better! :rolleyes:

[floppy]

aye aye i get you horselover thankyou.
well to me on a short horse of 145cms and reins that go all the way down to the knees that is alot to cope with when you have only really ever ridden english style. :)

[horselover]

YOu are right floppy, but that is just the way western is. It takes getting used to to go from having long reins that you only hold with one hand to going to short reins you hold in 2 hands and riding on a itty bitty saddle! I started western, and going to english was a shocker, just like going from english to western. You get used to it eventually.

[floppy]

thanx hunter4life..
ehm one thing im only riding western for pleasure i.e out hacking with my friend. So all i want to know is how you hold the reins when out ridign generally.
I knwo that im probably holding the reins too tight for western but at the moment with my mare being in season and stallions around i have to be prepared..so i have gone back to the english bridle for the time being..i will try the westen bridle again next time i ride out alone.
I only ride western because my friend uses my wintec saddle and also my mare has ahd a thing with buckign that i believe is now over and with the stallions everywhere and my mare wanting stallions...i stay on her easier with the western saddle (i do like it though :) ) means i can also ride in my full chaps comfortably without them rubbing up my legs like they do in english saddles!

[horselover]

I am not sure if maybe this is just the area I am in, but any big western classes I have been to or seen make you hold the reins in your left hand. I have always hated it b/c I like it so much better holding them in my right, but that isn't technically correct. And I didn't want to explain about the holding arm crooked and against yourself versus down on your thigh (which again is the accustomed way I have seen) or California versus Texas style of holding your reins b/c I know that Floppy isn't going to show western and is only riding it out on hacks.

Wasn't trying to be rude, and I hope I don't come across that way. I just wanted to let you know I know about all that, but just thought that it was more info than necessary for somone who just hacks out western

[Epona UK]

When I hack out, on our very busy roads here in the UK (I'm only 30 miles from central London ) I use a little gadget on my reins to ensure that in a moment of crisis, I don't accidently drop one of them. I've also found it very useful for riders new to Western to help them control what seems like at least a100 yards of spaghetti. Found at your nearest English tack shop under the name of a martingale stop, it is a thick rubber ring in the shape of an oval, just the right size to pass the reins through, from opposite sides for 2 handed, and lightly grip them so they don't slip, but not so tight that you can't easily change the length.
Don't use it in the show ring though, if the judge spots it, you will be DQ'd

[floppy]

thanks for the tip epona..i just tie the reins in a knot at the end (its a synthetic bridle)

(p.s i got my chaps altered for £5 by a leather man here so they fit nicely)

[Epona UK]

Hi Floppy,
glad you got your chaps sorted, as for the reins, if you have then knotted they could get caught up, or your horse could somehow put a leg through them, and you would be in very deep brown stuff. With the other method, it will easily come undone with any pressure on the rein. In my experience with horses, if it can happen, it will !!

[Peace]

Thanks for the tip, Epona! The situation you describe is one that I've always worried about with long, knotted reins (I've been told I have way too active an imagination when it comes to things going wrong - it's nice to know I'm not just a worrywart!) I'm going to look for a martingale stop before the next trail ride (which at my barn is done in western tack).

Let me ask you this - my other worry with western tack is the feeling that my feet won't come out of western stirrups as easily as they will in english ones. When I intentionally drop a stirrup on a western saddle, I seem to have to do a little wiggling to get free of it. Am I doing something wrong?

[floppy]

mayeb you shoes are too chunky?

ehm...with the reins..i must have been a funny sight the day i tried them because i had knotted them halfway downish and then my horse was misbehaving so i shortened my reins like i was usign english reins and all the bulk hanging down was too much so i gather it all up adn held it all in my hands...as i said before i much prefered the western reins i had for my old horse share as there was no need to knott them and iw as comfortable with them..but also the hrose was well behaved 99.9% of the time and i always rode with loose reins. But wiht my little angel now you can be never too sure and the reins are a pain..i dont like synthetic reins!!..anyway i will try again someday...
and the knott isnt that far down that the horse could get its leg in it or anythign whilst riding..but then there is the risk everyday riding with english reins of you falling off and the horse getting its leg caught..all i know is i have been told if i ever fall off my horse not to worry because she will stop dead in her tracks and munch on grass and wait for you to re-organise yourself..unliek my friends horse that goes home wihtout you should you fall off..

[Epona UK]

Hi Peace,
your feet should come out of the stirrups quite easily, sounds like they could be a bit on the small side, either that or your boots are a little wide. Western stirrups do not come off like English ones, so there is a higher risk of being dragged (sorry, don't mean to scare you to death ) which is why cowboy boots pull on and off fairly easily, if you are wearing say roper boots and you get hung up, the boot may stay in the stirrup, but your foot will slide out. If you can't get hold of any, the jolly old elastic sided joddy boot will serve as an alternative.
O yes, and also wear a jacket or waistcoat with poppers as opposed to a zip front, I have actually seen someone manage to hook themselves on the saddle horn whilst dismounting, and hang on the side of the horse, unable to get either up or down. Luckily, the horse was very well trained, and as her eyes started to pop out of her head, the other rider, who was still mounted yelled "whoa" and the mare stood solid whilst she dismounted to help her friend.
And last but not least, never use a milk crate as a mounting block, I could write a book on that one !!

[FRED]

Hi floppy, are you learning western riding ?, the lady who owns the horses where I ride is brill at western riding, she could get a job at a ranch working with horses and cattle. When I can get a new member of staff at work,I shall hopefully be having a few lessons,em, I can but hope:)
Fred

[floppy]

fred,..a little story..
well im kind of learning western but not really. IT all began at xmas when my friends saddle was beign repaired and she had to use my horses wintec and i had to ride with a western saddle. I hated it at first because i gave me a sore rear and my sheepskin is the wrong build for a western saddle. Anyway after my friend got her saddle back i rode again with my synthetic...then my horse decided to make my rides more fun by bucking alot so i went back temporaily to the western saddle...and my friend took advantage of my wintec and now i have to ride western when i go out with her ebcause she gets ina foul mood if i ride with the wintec because her horses saddle supposidly doesnt fit and it makes the hrose buck ebcause its a bad fit. AND because im 20 and she's 13 i let her have her won way otherwise she is sour for the whole 2hr ride..i cant be bothered with petty fights...i mean i can just turn aroudn and say oi im not going to ride out with you anymore and she would be buggered because she is not allowed to ride out alone..but then that would be really mean and im a nice person!!!!.But i have you know that the 'bad' saddle fits her horse fine and another girl who rides her horse has no problems with it whats so ever..but this girl has a habbit of making her horse play up when he is perfectly happy and well behaved and my wintec moves on the horse and slides everywhere..Anyway so i got use to the western saddle..so all i know about western riding is how to put the tack on and that one shouldnt attempt to vault onto the horse with a western saddle standing on a hill :D (with the horse standing higher up the slope than you making the horse go from being a small 145cms to being a big 155cms :D)
but i must admit i like the western saddle..the reins..im still not sure of...or maybe i dont trust the horse quite yet to let her wonder around with a loose rein (she is a pig at the moment tryng to grab anything green to eat)
There are no western trainers around here that i know of...and my horse isnt really western trained althought i am teaching her to move in guidance with my legs and not my hands! and we are gettign there slowly..fat horse!
but do try it fred....if you get the chance...well i eman at least try the western saddle :D you feel alot more secure in them and they come equuiped with a arm/hand rest (The horn) anwyay not to bore you anymore!!:)

[FRED]

Hi floppy, looks like you have been having some fun with those horses galavanting off into the Black Forest:)
Ive never been on a horse that has played up to much....yet:eek:
I have been on horses that get moody and try to canter to the front, but have always been able to cope....so far:) I'm learning about controling the pace. Montie zoomer, Sophie and Dice can test me sometimes.
I have learnt so far to just stay relaxed and so far this works like magic,even when a horse shys or goes to spook in sympathy of a mate who just spotted an imaginary Lion.

I have watched western riders when they work the horse and its amazing how they turn,backup, spin round and how brave the horse is when dealing with other horses or cattle.
Im sure many think western riding is just getting nice and comfy on a horse and sitting there watching the world go by. Its like a different kind of dressage, a working dressage I would call it, {hope I aint in trouble for my humble opinions}
Im really enjoying English, but I'm facinated how riders work with the horse western riding.
Anyway, looks like your pigy in the middle in this situation your in.
I will let you all know when I start.
Tommorow I'm of to a friend who has four stuning draft horses,Otto is my favourite, jet black and massive and very aloof.
This guy also has a ex police horse 17.3 H and knows some one in Walsall who could make me a saddle, the saddle maker is 72. I wish I could take up the offer, but its to early as I know so little about horses and have so little spare time at the moment.
Anyway,good luck with your western adventures.
Fred.

[Epona UK]

Actually Fred, you're right, Western riding has it's roots in Classical Dressage. When the Spanish went to the New World, they took their horses, tack and riding methods with them. After a time, the job description changed slightly from military to working cattle, and the Dressage movements, which were originally devised to aid the rider in battle (the airs above the ground were in fact used as a weapon) were changed slightly to suit the new job. Little has changed to the present day, if you go to the Armoury in the Tower of London, you will see what I mean.
Sorry if I've bored everyone to death !!!! :O

On a lighter note, we have a show (small one) near Doncaster this Saturday:)

[floppy]

i agree with you fred about the dressage and the western.
but there are no properly trained western horses or instructors near me..just a herd of icelandics and a bunch of fat haflingers!:D
i will on day though...in the mean time i will just enjoy the luxuary of using a western saddle :D

[Epona UK]

Hi Floppy,
not sure where you are in Germany, but the DQHA ( German Quarter Horse Association ) may be able to help you find somewhere near to you. Their site is at http://www.dqha.de I do happen to know of a big rach near Frankfurt if that is any help to you .

[FRED]

Thanks for all that info.I would love to visit a western riding show but Saturday is my lesson day:)
Fred.

[horselover]

Then I don't know what to tell you except that I have seen people ride that way- especially at the NY State Fair Shows, whihc are considered pretty big in NY. And I have a number of horse books that talk about holding the rein in the left hand since it used to be assumed that most cowboys were left handed and needed to use their more dexterious hand for roping and other things. Is that the only thing you mean about the way I "describe riding?" If so, that is a very minor point in the way to ride western.

[floppy]

thanks epona.
frankfurt is 3-4hrs away by train :(
i will check out the sight though :)

[Outrider]

In shows I have seen in the Midwest and southern US, the western pleasure and trail classes required the rider to ride with the left hand and the right either hanging down or on the thigh or bent. Anyone who rode differently, just didn't place. Happy Trails.

[floppy]

ok i know absolutely nothing on this subject but this is the way i see it...i relate western riding to cattle ranches etc and a larger % of people are right handed..therefore their right arm is stronger
menaing that its easier to control riding the hrose with your left hand and use your stronger arm (the right arm) to lasoo (sp?) what ever animal you are catching..etc...
that is the only reason why it would make sense to ride with the reins int he left hand...and not to mention there was a time that people who started life left handed were forced to right with their right hand.
So i guess classes went on from tradition or?
i dunno as i said i know nothing ont his subject..

[horselover]

Like I said at the end of my last post, this really isn't that big of a deal, especially to me. If you think that there isn't anyone who holds the reins in their right hand or rests their hand on their thigh, then fine. You don't need to get so upset about it, and I wasn't trying to irritate you. It really doesn't matter since the question had nothing to do about when you show.

I am sorry if I irritated you, and let's just agree to disagree on this and drop it.

[Outrider]

I don't show, but I have and do attend shows and all I was relaying was what I have seen. No offense was meant. As horselover says, it just isn't that big of a deal. Happy Trails!

[floppy]

ok well just to let you all know i tried the western reins again today..it was funny...as in not hilarious but strange :D
but i think i got the knack...and they were very useful keeping those nasty mutant bugs from stinging me and my horse (i couldnt find the bug spray and my tee balm mix isnt strong enough so i dicovered to day when a horse fly attack me!:()

so you do just sort of hold the reins in your hand..you dont have to do anything complicated liek with english riding wher eyou hold the reins through the pinky finger and the one next to it?

apart from the flies it was nice ride finished off with a spot of splashing about in a small stream on the way home..my horse is a proffi at making tidal waves !:D

[horselover]

Floppy- sorry, i must have missed seeing this. Glad you had a nice ride.

I explained the rein thing earleir, but it was so long ago, I am sure you don't even remember :D ! So here it is, and if it is still confusing, let me know and I will try to make it clearer.

This is really hard for me toexplain, so maybe somone can explain it better. It would be so much easier if I could show you. Hold both the riens in your left hand(this is the accepted hand, but like I said before, don't worry about it if you aren't going to show and you prefer to use your right). then, the reins come up through the bottom of your hand by your pinky and out the top in between your thumb and forefinger. It's like holding your reins in a fist. but keep your wrist relaxed and don't grip.

This is how you can do it with two hands, if you want, with split reins. Lay the right rein across the neck so that it drapes down the left side of the horse, then lay the left rein across so that it lays down the right side of the horse. then you can hold them as if they are a sinlge rein.

With the last part, you can also hold them in one hand that way if it is more comfortable.

[floppy]

thanks horselover...i think that was how i was usign the reins :)

[floppy]

OK PEOPLE! i get it :) holding the reins that is!
i was at a horse show and they had western riders doign a demontration (there is apparently a ranch about an hour form here run by an american rodeo rider) and so i saw how they hold the reins and really..the art of western riding is more fascinating that i thought...the horses must get dizzy though piroetting in such fast motion and boy can they 'run' fast backwards...my fav though has to be watching the people galloping at a speedy pace and bringing the horse to a sliding stop and the lightness int eh reins...oh myyyyyyyy..puts dressage horses to shame really...i want a quarter horse..but NOOO my mind is made an icelandic is my ideal match!:) i cant wait for the western addition to this site!!!!!
oh and some of the people in the demonstration were riding with the reins in both hands..bridged...
and for all you that care i can now ride my haffie ina forward trot and canter on a loose rein! and i made her canter form walk...*SHOCK* :eek: which she has never done before for anyone...:p so next its the galloping fast and sliding to a stop..hehe only kidding...she can already a plod in canter and can stop with the snap of you fingers..only when she is alone mind you hehehe

[Outrider]

Floppy, glad you liked the western demo. Just out of curiosity, What hand were most of the riders holding the reins in that show if you recall? It sounds like they were either doing a reining demonstration or drill team demo. The sliding stops point towards reining. It sure is fun to ride those kinds of horse. I'll bet if you
ever rode a quarter horse, you'd not want an Icelandic! Wanta bet? :)

Epona, are there any specific requirements in the UK on which hand to hold the reins in for Western Pleasure?

Hunters, I am sorry you felt we were having an argument. I didn't look at it that way and I don't think horselover did either. We were just relating our own experiences with regards to waht we had seen, read and heard. No one ever said you were wrong, just that we had seen other things. As horselover said, this really is a minor point. It just doesn't matter.

Happy Trails!

[floppy]

hehe i betcha if i rode a properly trainer QH i would want one instead of an icelandic but there are way too expensive...not to mention the saddle costs more than one for an icey!hehe maybe oned ay...after my icey when i have ab it mroe money i would liek to expand my horse collection to a fat hafligner and then maybe a QH but for the haffie and the QH i will just ahev to dream ona dn marry some rich guy :D
as for the reins holding...some were holding the reins bridged in two hands and the man (the man star and owner of the ranch that coems from america) was holding the reins the whole time in the left hand..didnt i write that in my last post? ooh no ...sorry i got a bit too much sun today and feeling a bit fried!
they had pretty amercian flag coloured blankets under their saddles too with the stars and all..and the only flaw of the demo was one lady clobbered another one with her flag hehe

[floppy]

I have just been watching old john wayne movies with my dad and i noticed that all the riders were ridign withthe reins int he left hand. And when you look at it it makes sense because liek i said earlier in this thread that my theory was because they use the right hand for roping was kinda right...i mena in all three movies all riders were ridign with their left hand, their rope was haniging on the right side of the saddle and their gun was also on the right side of the saddle on ALL horses.
i eman i guess its somethign that started out liek the same with mouting a horse..
mounting a horse from its left side is common practiced and know as the proper way to do it..but more and more peopel moutn from both sides...
i udnno i just thought iw oudl share that with you and also i really do now fully understand how to hodl the reins :D

[Peace]

I'd always read that western reins were held in the left hand (for the traditional reasons mentioned before). When I had my first western lesson, though, my instructor thought it was the strangest thing she'd ever seen and told me to use my right. (She shows a lot, at least locally.) I suspect it's one of those traditional things that's become optional in some circles over time. :)