What are side reins for?

[raggydoll]

Just wondering because after my lunge lesson last time my instructor said she should really have used side reins but it didnt matter cos i didnt seem to need it. What are they for and how do u use them?

[Leksi]

For some reason, there has been debate on them around here. They can be seen as a bad thing because, if used improperly, they can seriously cause a horse harm.

However, their basic use is to lunge the horse in them for many reasons. They are attached to the bit on both sides and then to the billet straps (to make a straight line from mouth to saddle). They are loosely attached, just so that the horse feels a contact similar to a rider's hands on the reins, while being lunged. They can teach them to respond to the bit by giving to it (which helps with very strong, stubborn horses) and going forward into contact.

Anyone who uses them MUST know what they are doing. They should never be used to "set the horse's head" or to "teach him a lesson."

They are a training "aid", they are not a fix-all or a cure. The only time I use them is in dressage training on the lunge line. They are a great aid to teach the horse to engage their hindquarters and go forward into contact. (As described in Katherine Derby's book, "Teaching Your Horse Basic Dressage").

Any trainer using them must understand what they are meant to be used for, and that they can be very unsafe and dangerous for horse and handler if not used correctly.

This is a basic idea of them, and they are not something that I or anyone else should constantly rely on or use all of the time. I only use them with beginning horses and after they understand the concept of giving to the bit, and going forward into contact, I rarely ever need them again.

Here's a picture:

http://www.huntercreeksaddlery.com/catalog/images/NF04side-reins.gif

Note that they are loose enough for the horse to turn his head just fine.

I hope this helped!

[raggydoll]

thanks for that :)

i can help wondering now then, why would they have been needed for my lunge lesson would it be to make sure that i wasnt using the reins to balance so she could take them away but put side reins on so that there was still some contact?

I realise that the easiest thing would have been to ask the instructor at the time :rolleyes:

[stevielee]

A girl I now rides with side reins but threads them between the front legs and then to the bit. Why does she do this and is this cruel?

[Leksi]

stevielee, those are draw reins. They are used to bring the horse's chin down and in, but is an artificial way of asking the horse to flex since the rider is "setting" the horse's head with the reins. I personally do not use them.

Raggydoll, there could be many reasons your instructor thought she needed them, however, I never use them in lessons. They are not to "fix" a problem of horse or rider, but to aid in teaching the horse an easier way to move and respond to the bit.

If you think you rely too much on your reins, she could simply put you on a lunge line and ask you to drop your reins and ride with your hands on your hips, out to the sides, etc. There are many exercises you can do to correct this without needing side reins.

Some horses begin to avoid contact, throw their head, set their jaws, etc. so they are lunged in side reins for a few minutes to get them going forward into contact again, however, I try not to do this in lessons either. I would rather ask the rider to walk, circle the horse, use leg aids and a deep seat, and get the horse responding better on their own. This way the horse learns to listen to the rider, the rider learns how to get the horse to respond, and the horse will not learn to expect to stop every time they misbehave.

However, your instructor may have had a very valid reason for needing them, and it probably had ntohing to do with the way you were riding. :)

If you ever notice, however, that she constantly relies on aids to fix problems, or that she is very tight with the side reins, causing the horse discomfort, I would advise you to find a more experienced instructor if you want to become a more experienced rider.

I try very hard to kindly decline any trainer's advise who swears by every gadget in the book, and steer clear of supporting those that over-use any training aid during lessons or training. The less you use, the more the horse will learn on his own (with proper training). He needs to learn to carry his own weight and give to the bit on his own, not because this strap and that buckle are holding his head down and making him.

Best of luck to you!

[kedwards]

why would they have been needed for my lunge lesson would it be to make sure that i wasnt using the reins to balance so she could take them away but put side reins on so that there was still some contact?

Yes this may have been what she meant. In longe lessons, side reins are often used when the rider is working without reins.

[dcp]

So am I wrong to think that side reins would improve balance? My horse is very unbalanced but I don't lunge or ride him in side reins although it has been suggested to me.

[Eli_Jay]

I don't think side reins are very useful. horses lunged with side reins can develope tendancies to move too much on the forehand, hence making them unbalanced.
People seem to think side reins make horses 'round' I strongly disagree. side reins lower the head, roundness is a whole physical state also involving the back and limbs. Also, when a horse become round he is accepting the riders contact and moving from the hindquarters with appropriate impulsion, side reins generally aren't as giving or sympathetic as a riders hand and therefore, if used in the wrong way, could teach a horse to became evasive where the bit is concerned.

[Eli_Jay]

A girl I now rides with side reins but threads them between the front legs and then to the bit. Why does she do this and is this cruel?
stevielee, you're talking about draw reins. Draw reins should NOT be used a permanent basis, as the result is generally a hard mouthed horse who travels too much on the forehand. Draw reins should only be used in the training of the horse OR rider where, under the circumstances, the draw reins are used to produce a feeling and hence forth, a knowledge of where the horses head should be. as i said, its not a good idea to use draw reins permanently.

[Leksi]

Eli, if they are lunged correctly, and as I said.. loose side reins, they can learn to travel using their hind end. I don't think you are reading any of the replies on this topic.

If the lung-er (haha) can correctly urge the horse forward into those reins, that contact, the horse will begin to move with his back end. You can begin to see it by their hoof prints, the back foot reaches forward, in front of the front hoof print. I have seen and done it countless times with my dressage horses, and after they learn this basic concept, we rarely ever use the side reins again on them.

They MUST be used correctly. I can not enforce this enough.

Laurenc.. side reins are not a cure. I do not recommend using them very much, as you may begin to depend on them. They should never be used to set the horse's head or hold him back in any way. There are many other ways your horse can learn to balance himself. If you have a very experienced trainer, they may be able to do some lunge work with your horse, or you can read a few good dressage books and learn some basic movements and training methods that will help.

A horse that is unbalanced is not carrying himself correctly, and there could be any number of reasons for this. The most common is the horse is not using his muscles properly, usually in his back end.

Horses naturally try to reserve their energy, and since their back end is so packed full of huge muscle, they don't want to use the energy required for these muscles. However, this huge mass of muscle makes it much easier to move with a rider, and benefits in many other ways for you and him, as well. He will begin moving forward with impulsion, into contact, and this is the basis to make a reliable riding horse in any discipline. A balanced horse moving with impulsion is the requirement for dressage, will make a better jumper (MUCH better), and even a more pleasurable horse to ride for anything. Trails, western pleasure, huntseat, etc.