What is a ...

[Aston87]

I know this is a weird question but what is a pully rein (If thats even what it's called?) But i've herd it stops a runaway horse? & how would you use it? thx!

[Peace]

Not a weird question at all! I've never (thank God) had to use it, but I've been shown how. Here's the idea: gather both reins in your left hand. Get into a two-point seat, like you were going to jump, and support yourself with your left hand partway up the horse's neck. Reach as close to the bit as possible with your right hand and grasp rein. Jerk hard with your right hand - hard enough so that your shoulders wind up parallel with the horse (picture starting an outboard motor, or a lawn mower). This maneuver should drive your weight backwards, so you don't go catapulting over the horse's head should he stop suddenly. The theory, as my first instructor put it, is "if the horse can't see anything but his butt, he'll stop running forward!"

Of course, this is very harsh (only for the saving life and limb situation), so you can't practice the right hand jerk part. You can practice gathering the reins and getting into the right position though - just leave out the jerk.

Hope you never need it! :)

[liz--y]

it sounds eally horrible whats it ment to do?

[Wally]

By heck you'd have to be a good balanced rider and one with a lot of guts to try that!

Not even I'd try this, there are so many things which could go wrong. I'd rather stay put on a bolting horse and try the brakes once in a while than risk hurling the horse off balance, chucking myself off and compounding the runaway's fear in the process.

[cvb]

My pony used to pull like a train but was a talented event pony. I was shown a great way to control excess speed by a local pony club coach who was used to steeplechasers.

Bridge the reins (i.e. so the 'spare' end of your right rein also goes through your left hand, and spare part of left rein goes through right hand - you have both reins going across between your hands). Then put your hands against the horse's neck either side of the withers and just in front of the saddle. You need to be in a forward/light/2-point seat to do this in balance.

Effectively you have just made your reins into side reins - which makes it much more difficult for the horse to yank you out of the saddle.

Next step - keeping your hands where they are - against the horse's skin - you can just turn your hand slightly to shorten the rein on one side, both sides, or each side alternately. Or you can just 'sponge' the reins by just closing your hand up a bit tighter.

I appreciate this might not come across great in describing it but it worked a treat for me because it was no longer a battle of strength and actually my pony soon learnt he could not just tank off with me ('tank' being the operative word) so we both got more confident.

Only warning is you have to watch to keep your thumbs where they should be - on the reins. I used to stick my thumbs out - so they ended up across the horse's withers. When the horse comes up a bit fast, you can't move fast enough and it does horrible things to your thumb joint :(

[happyhorse]

i wouldn't like to try that either, sounds like you would end up a cropper far to easy.

i agree with cvb's comment as that works well when used properly, its uses the theroy of using thier own wieght against them, considering they are so much stronger than us. ( if i understand what cvb meant correctly)

Either that or turning them, as that always seems to slow them down, the only problem with this option is your not always in a ideal postion to do that.

[Outrider]

If you jerk a bolting horse around like that, you will end up trippping him and flying without a parachute! Turning a running horse in ever tighter circles is the way to stop a runaway, and if you can't get him to turn, ride it out. Although I have done it, I never recommend jumping off of a bolting horse. Its usually a long way back to the barn! Happy Trails!

[Aston87]

Thank you ''Peace'' 4 telling me what that is:)!!! Yeah i really hope i never need 2 do that! & Thank u ''cvb'' for your suggestion (Thats a really good one) & thank u ''Outrider'' 4 the advice 2:)! So thanks alot lol! :-)

:D

[Peace]

I just want to be clear that I am not recommending the pulley rein technique! I certainly wouldn't want anyone to get hurt trying it! Ever since it was shown to me I've hoped I'd never have to use it, so I'm very happy to read there are alternatives.

Of course, I'm fairly sure that, if one of my equine buddies (carefully chosen for their incredible laziness) ever decides to tank off with me, I'll be on the ground before I have a chance to do much about it! :p

[Aston87]

Most defenetly! I hope i NEVER have 2 use that!!! It seems like only if it was a life or deth siduation that i'd ever try that (& even then i don't know how brave i'd be 2 try that anyway lol:) So thanks 4 the explaining peeps:)!

[Stdbrdboy]

You may not understand this but, I bridge the reins against the horses wither which effectively means that the horse is pulling against himself

[Miriam]

I was given the method that is discribed here by Peace to stop a horse that I used to ride. When he took off in the paddock for no reason I tried this and ended up on the floor (he turned at the same time otherwise he would have went into a metal bath - this was the reason I tried it and the fact that I was told it would stop him from running away)). Ripping my hand through the reins (tore some of the skin off my fingers) and hurting my coxycc (sp) into the bargain. Could not sit for months. Learnt to drive then too as I used to take my blow up ring to sit on whilst driving.

[Mazpup]

I a horse bolts of around the school with me, I generally steer them into the fence, as most riding school ponies arnt athletic enough to jump it!!!, thing is you're normally quite safe in a school, I've only really had to do this once, when the school gate was left open, and the horses got spooked so they all tried to run out of the school!, the other times I've just steered them into the fence to stop them!

[Elfin]

Shouldn't you steer them in little circles until they slow?? Thats what I have had to do with Aaron once before, because he would nOt stop! eeeeeeek!:eek:

[fizz21]

Thats Excatly what I have to do with Mydas sometimes