# An interesting article on the CORRECT use of draw reins



## arwenplusone (25 September 2008)

Sums up the use and abuse quite well.

Interestingly I have seen people use draw reins with only one set of reins.  
	
	
		
		
	


	




 I was always taught to use the two, so the rein acts like a curb.   

http://www.angelfire.com/sports/dressage/pages/drawrein.html-


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## brightmount (25 September 2008)

Link is broken but I would be very interested.


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## Nina76 (25 September 2008)

Me too! - I was just about to post this

After reading the post about the draw reins and some quite dramatic views expressed on that I was wondering what your thoughts were regarding 'gadgets' for lungeing/long reining/flatwork?

I am currently using side reins, leather and elastic very basic, adjusting hole up after a few minutes.
I also use them to ride in if not hacking OR jumping, as they help with my mares head throwing and she is very settled in them they also give me more confidence because of this. 

However a visiting professional came earlier this week and stated they didn't like side reins and I should be using draw reins!

I also watched team fredericks where they talked of a lungee bungee, being better as it didn't restrict the side ways bend?

BTW I do not jump in my side reins, nor would I in any gadget, I am doing loads of flatwork, with once weekly lungeing and once weekly long reining, occaisional hack and lots and lots of poles!

All opinions welcome - I can always ignore them


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## Weezy (25 September 2008)

I would never ride in side reins.  Yes, use draw reins and attach them to the girth straps rather than between legs if that is the guidance you require, but side reins are, IMO, dangerous to ride in - you can always drop draw reins if needs be.  Also with draw reins you can reward the horse and take the pressure off at any given second, you cannot do this with side reins, poor ned is under constant pressure.

And Mayflower - draw reins must be used with your normal reins, like a curb, as you said - do people really ride in them as their only rein


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## barbaraNcolin (25 September 2008)

I use a bungee rope for lunging and schooling about once a week and think they are fab. There's no restriction on any movement of the head and I think they're good for keeping an elastic constant contact.


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## Halfstep (25 September 2008)

In a lot of German training yards (or those of German-trained trainers 
	
	
		
		
	


	




), school horses are ridden in side reins when riders are being taught how to use their seats independently.   The idea is that the side reins help the horse to go in a correct frame/outline when ridden by a rider who might not be able to ride them correctly at first.  They are loose enough so that when the horse is carrying itself they have no effect, but if the horse comes above the bit they act as a corrective.  That way riders can lean to sit properly on a schooled horse without having to worry about "getting it on the bit".

Needless to say these horses are very well trained schoolmasters and are under constant supervision by very experienced trainers.


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## CracklinRosie (25 September 2008)

Ditto above, I have seen this done and in fact taught this way. Lets you concentrate on getting the rider a good seat without having to use their hands to balance or more importantly unbalance the horse. I do like the bungee though. Have ridden in draw reins and do see their advantage but I think must be used sparingly and by people with experience.


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## Adina (25 September 2008)

Find the article by googling:  angelfire draw reins.


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## arwenplusone (25 September 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
Link is broken but I would be very interested. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Darn - sorry.

try this?

http://www.angelfire.com/sports/dressage/pages/drawrein.html


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## kerilli (25 September 2008)

I would never school in side reins - as Weezy says, you cannot decrease the pressure, reward the horse. (if they are loose and the rider is being lunged to improve the seat it is different, obv.)
Nina76, the trouble with using any gadget at all while riding is that you aren't treating the problem - that the horse will not, for some reason (uncomfortable in back, ill-fitting saddle, weakness, lack of education, teeth problem, rider not experienced enough or whatever... there can be many many reasons!) work correctly. Better to have a full m.o.t. on the horse (back, teeth, saddle etc) and rider (back, if necessary) and then find a trainer who is experienced and patient enough to show the rider (and the horse, if necessary) how to work correctly. 
Most horses go back to their usual way of going the moment the gadget is taken off.


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## arwenplusone (25 September 2008)

[ QUOTE ]
I would never ride in side reins.  Yes, use draw reins and attach them to the girth straps rather than between legs if that is the guidance you require, but side reins are, IMO, dangerous to ride in - you can always drop draw reins if needs be.  Also with draw reins you can reward the horse and take the pressure off at any given second, you cannot do this with side reins, poor ned is under constant pressure.

And Mayflower - draw reins must be used with your normal reins, like a curb, as you said - do people really ride in them as their only rein 
	
	
		
		
	


	





[/ QUOTE ]

Agree 100%
Riding in side reins is DANGEROUS.  I have actually done it myself but would only ever do it under very strict guidance from my instructor.  I would never ever ever do it with no one there.  very high chance of horse flipping over completely.    I would use draw reins instead tbh.  

and yes, I have seen people ride with draw reins as if they are normal reins.  And, people riding in them with no clue as to how to use 2 reins


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## Nina76 (25 September 2008)

Thanks All

The article was very interesting and seemd to confirm what I thought, which is that draw reins are/should be purely a ridden 'gadget' so that pressure can be released as and when required and ridden into, so I am unsure of how to use or what benefit would be gained when using them with my lunging/longreining as they would have to be tied off somewhow? then making them immovable and useless?

I will bear in mind the strong feelings of those who dislike the idea the idea of the ridden schooling in side reins for safety reasons. Be assured in my yard you are never alone and I don't do this all time, they are not over tight instructor has advised on how to adjust them in the past, so that I am never 'pulling' her head in. This is a short term thing as we (myself and instructor) aim not remove the use eventually and she is responding and improving.

The lungee bungee does however sound to me like a better compromise? Any more offers on that positive or negative?


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## Halfstep (25 September 2008)

I really hate the bungee, as I feel that it pulls the horses head down and inwards, causing the neck to break at the third vertebrae.  A chambon is MUCH better I think. 

I do use draw reins to lunge in, they act like sliding side reins and allow the horse to bend correctly as they move independently on both sides.  I run them from the girth, through the bit to the roller where they can be tied.  TBH, I use this set up more often than side reins for lunging in.


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## GermanyJo (25 September 2008)

Needless to say these horses are very well trained schoolmasters and are under constant supervision by very experienced trainers

Half step you are right that this is done alot in Germany, but the comment above re all the horses being very well trained and under constant supervision by very experienced trainers is definately not always the case. Where I keep my horse at the moment all the school horses have a type of 'riding aid' .. basically strap from girth , through bit , back to girth strap.. and sadly , all the riders tack up the horses themselves, and several of the instructors do not seem to take any notice if these are done up too tight. 

The training is Germany is not always better than elsewhere.. there are bad riding schools and trainers here too !


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## Tinkle (25 September 2008)

I was always taught that draw reins are there to maintain an outline, not create one. I've never used draw reins but they were something that was suggested to me for my mare a few years ago when she was constantly hollowing in canter. What worked with her was months of consistent schooling and fittening work to build up the correct muscles. Draw reins may have 'fixed' the problem quicker but I had time to take the long route. Some people don't I guess. 

I'm not really a fan of riding in 'gadgets' when working on a horse's 'outline' - as someone else said, as soon as the the gadget is removed the horse reverts to its usual way of going (excluding side reins on a schooled horse for lunge/work on rider's position, balance etc). However, as the article states equipment such as draw reins can be used to maintain 'outline' when teaching a horse a new movement etc.

Think gadgets do have their place for lunging. Does anyone have any experience of using Vienna Reins (which work on the same principle as tying draw reins to the roller)? I believe Aerborn do a webbing version which they refer to as Balance Side Reins (or something like that).

Isobel
x


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## dressager (25 September 2008)

A lot of horses at my yard are schooled in draw reins. I rarely seen one working correctly "on the bit", through the back and using the correct muscles. They all look overbent (broken neck lines), stiff in the back and rarely forwards enough. These are in the hands of professional riders so I hate to think that amatuers use them regularly. And judges I have spoken to can generally tell if horses are ridden in draw reins.

I agree, for lunging you need something to take the place of the rider's aids and I prefer side reins. I also agree that you can ride with them (on the lunge) to help the rider develop an independent seat.

But as for riding in draw reins, surely riders should be taught how to ride the horse from behind so then they do not have to think of clamping down the front end into the correct outline? I am amazed to find in my recent lunge lessons, even when my reins were in a knot and I was merely using my seat and leg aids to drive the hindleg, the horse naturally came into the correct "outline" (this was on a relatively unschooled 6 year old who has far from the ideal dressage frame!)


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