Carl Hester Fantastic Elastic reins

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trundle

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Does anyone use these or have any experience of them? Apparently they are excellent for keeping a soft steady contact, and assisting the rider to keep their hands still (something I have difficulty with, as my hands flap about like a demented chicken).

I am seriously considering investing in a pair of these reins, but would appreciate any feedback from anyone who's tried them first !
 
I'd be interested in what people have to say here......I'm not a fan of training aids but we'll see what people say!

Sorry for the hijack by the way
 
They wont stop you flapping your hands at all, nor will they stop the horses reaction to that.

If you look at them, they have a tiny elastic loop close to the bit. What that allows for is the horse to be able to move his head more than a fixed contact would allow.

So they're more for people who fix their hands and cant give and take correctly (imo) than for people who struggle to maintain an actual contact.
 
I have some
smile.gif

I bought them at YHL.
I was quite taken with them. Not sure if they work wonders, but im quite happy with them.
TBH I prefer riding in ordinary reins for flat work, may try them out jumping.
I know when Madmare rode snoopy in them she hated them lol
 
We visited the stand at YHL and had a quick demonstration. I held the reins normally and the chap pulled the reins without the elastic insert. Then that chap pulled them again with the elastic insert. I couldnt feel any difference at all.

To the OP if you flap your hands like a chicken I dont think these reins will help you at all. This might though

Balance Strap

You hook your thumbs through the loop which will help keep your hands more stable. An old flash strap works well too!

In thinking about feeling a contact the CH reins will benefit if you tend to fix your hands I would guess. Horses will only pull if there is something to pull against.

Hb
 
Reins with elastic inserts or even just elastic strips to put between your rein end and bit have been around for donkeys years and everyone laughed at them. Suddenly Carl puts his name to a posh version and they're wonderful/
Tis one of the best laughs I've had this year
wink.gif
 
I've used the Stubben ones (flexi reins). My mare liked to try and pull me round the school and as she was prone to taking off I wasn't keen on letting go then taking up contact etc. I was leant a pair of flexi reins by my instructor (basically the same as Carl Hestors one) and after a few weeks she was much softer and we have returned to normal reins and now improving. My YO tried them on her youngster too but they made less of a difference on him, but she only used them twice.
 
I get the theory there and it should have some effect. The elastic does allow a certain amount of give although im not really sure why a guy pulling on the end is meant to demonstrate this really.

Heres my take...

An important part of schooling is to ensure the horse has some degree of self carriage and doesnt just grab onto a fixed contact and pull. Part of that comes from knowing, as a rider, when to give the rein back to the horse. It can't always be ridden in a constant, fixed contact - it should be give and take. The horse gives, the rider should give with the hands in return.

Some riders have enormous problems with this - some of this can be down to confidence as people dont like letting go. Some of it is because they think its detrimental or counter productive as everything can drop onto the forehand. Thats true if the horse isnt first working from behind, but if it IT, its a crucial part in training... everything has to be give and take.. the horse softens and so do we.

Those reins add an elastic insert with a certain degree of give.. theoretically, even with quite a fixed hand, the elastic insert allows the horse some breathing space. They CLAIM it also absorbs a certain degree of hand movement from the rider to prevent accident jabbings of the mouth.. although IF they can indeed do this, id suggest its only minor movements they can absorb.

As someone else said, these have been around for years and years and never really took off. If they did work as claimed, they probably would have been popular under any name.

Id not consider them a training aid as such as they dont really interfere with the horse. Theres nothing there that will help force any kind of outline or any degree of submission. They're merely supposed to make that contact between hands and mouth more elastic and correct.

If your hands move around a lot, as someone else already said, a balance rein would be the way to go. Ive just read on carl's site that these reins are meant to help the rider keep their shoulders and arms still and god knows how they've dreamed that up.

Dont get me wrong, i dont think theyre an awful idea but i dont think they're the miracle that they're claiming to be and i dont think they will do a lot of what they say
tongue.gif
 
Going with Polar Bear on this one - they're hardly new!

I think the reasoning is they can give the horse a break but in the end most people seem to feel they avoid the issue rather than encourage people to fix it. If a training aid doesn't help one improve in the long term and without the aid, what's the point?

I rode in them once and found them annoying, to be truthful. The ones I used were "soft" enough to be noticeable so all they really did was interfere with my feel.

Surely if the horse isn't taking contact there are most useful (and legal) things to consider?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have some
smile.gif

I bought them at YHL.
I was quite taken with them. Not sure if they work wonders, but im quite happy with them.
TBH I prefer riding in ordinary reins for flat work, may try them out jumping.
I know when Madmare rode snoopy in them she hated them lol

[/ QUOTE ]

I got a pair from YHL too! And I HATE them!! I do not ride in them anymore!

When I had a lesson with David Trott he said he did not like them either!
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have some
smile.gif

I bought them at YHL.
I was quite taken with them. Not sure if they work wonders, but im quite happy with them.
TBH I prefer riding in ordinary reins for flat work, may try them out jumping.
I know when Madmare rode snoopy in them she hated them lol

[/ QUOTE ]

I got a pair from YHL too! And I HATE them!! I do not ride in them anymore!

When I had a lesson with David Trott he said he did not like them either!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes but at least you both probably got the nice little hemp bag they came in.......well worth the £65, eh!?!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I want to see the bag now
laugh.gif


[/ QUOTE ]

It has my lunch in it lol
I shall bring it on tuesday.
I shall get train btw from bicester to oxford, so which oxford train you getting? cos i will get taht one with you
smile.gif
 
I hated them. I felt that every time the horse started to settle into a consistent contact in a correct way, the reins were not steady enough and actually discouraged the horse from seeking a connection. I felt that the elastic actually amplifies any movement of the riders hands, which makes the half halts "fuzzy" rather than clear, and which prevents the rider from ever holding the rein still.

I can see their use for a rider who tends to hang on a horse's mouth, but I really don't like the way the elastic can allow quite a sharp snatching action (where the elastic snaps back) so close to the horse's mouth.
 
Oh, I can see the point if you get a REALLY nice bag with them! Worst comes to worst, you can use it as an emergency Christmas present/gift wrap.
smile.gif


Otherwise a book/video/lesson will probably be more long term help - you just won't have anything useful to show for it except an improved horse.
 
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