Does anyone hack out in Draw Reins ?

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showpony

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Hi all firstly PLEASE don't let this develop into a debate on Draw Reins in General.

Just wondering if anyone hacks out using them on the offchance that horse gets very very worked up at the moment? Lots of horses seem to have gone a bit loopy for whatever reason & I know of a couple of people who are hacking out with them & obviously come into play if completely necessary.

Have not done it myself but Mare is acting up a bit at the moment...

Thoughts please from people who DO use them for hacking out.
 
Yes, have done in the past & would do again if I felt it necessary!

PS - ALSO not really interested in the great draw reins debate ;)
 
Yep on a horse that whips round if he can get himself above the contact, keeps him injury free as he has hurt himself doing it before. No harm IF used correctly.
 
longdog said:
Yes, have done in the past & would do again if I felt it necessary!

PS - ALSO not really interested in the great draw reins debate ;)
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Ditto. Draw reins are a useful piece of kit if used correctly. I have, and would do again, used them to hack with in the past.
 
Yep used them to sort out a mare that reared then spun when she decided she was going home, after a few failed attempts she gave up the idea.

I have no problem with them being used correctly.
 
Yes, when hacking around the lakes by me there tend to be more pedestrians/cyclists/dogs and even though he is mostly fine with all of this, if something does set him off I need to know I have FULL control and extra brakes if needed.
 
Yes when I was bringing my sharp, unpredictable horse back into work after injury, it was important he was sensible and basically that was the only way. At his age he should know how to behave, however he thinks he knows best!! He respected the draw reins, and in all honesty kept us both safe. So I really didn't care what anyone else thought.
 
hmm, this has got me wondering whether I should temporarily join the 'naughty hacking draw reins' Club ;)

My boy has developed a pain in the a*** habit of throwing a wobbly if he's not in the front, or if another horse goes by. He sticks his head in the air and dances all over the place and nothing will make him go forward because legs on their own make him worse and I can't get his head down enough to get a contact to ride him in to. Off road it's okay as I just pull him in tight circles till he gives up, but not an option on the road so really need to break the habit. I wonder if draw reins would stop him getting his head up to do it. Hmmm, what do you reckon? Might ask my instructor what she thinks....
 
Thanks for all the replies, just to say I totally respect those that don't agree as everyone entitled to their own opinions.

My normally quiet mare has gone well a bit loopy past couple days, but do want to get her out at weekend. She has been too switched on the past couple days, tanking off with no warning and general silly silly behaviour so think I will use them @ weekend to be 100 per cent sure as safety hacking out on the road is paramount to me for both myself and my horse.
 
Yes, on my spooky mare. When scared enough she gets her head up and legs it. I like to have them just in case. Haven't had to use them for a while but it's reassuring to know I have that extra control if I need it. Obviously they are completely slack when I don't need to use them though :)
 
On my mare more often than not yes. Have tried just about everything under the sun and draw reins 'work' best, they keep her just contained enough to work effectively without wearing us both out 'discussing' where her back end should be in relation to the rest of her body!
 
I can understand why someone would use them to hack out a horse that rears and spins, and if it makes such a horse safer then great!

One question - I have only seen them used for lunging so attached to the roller - I don't understand where they go when riding, do you hold them so you can pull to get the horse's head down, or are they attached somewhere on saddle? And are they joined in the middle like normal reins and does that affect their adjustment?

Never used them at all myself.
 
wouldn't because i've seen it go wrong and a horse back off the side of the road into a ditch, almost certainly because of the draw reins

but if you're clever enough to communicate the message "you can't rear but i would like you to walk on" better than this fella did, there's no moral rant coming from my corner
 
I've done it when I had to hack in a snaffle for a while. Usually hacks in a Pelham due to a occaisional whipping round & galloping off problem when he spots something 'scary'. I was trying to get to the bottom of his headshaking & went back to a snaffle for hacking but backed up with loose draw reins.
 
AnneCam said:
wouldn't because i've seen it go wrong and a horse back off the side of the road into a ditch, almost certainly because of the draw reins
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Ummmm - almost certainly because the inexperienced and/or incompetent rider didn't know when to release the horse?


Yes from me. Can be extremely useful on a head-popper and personally I like the action much better than the "turn the neck upside down" of a martingale.

For those who only want 1 rein to deal with, a market harborough will do the same job.
 
mandwhy said:
I can understand why someone would use them to hack out a horse that rears and spins, and if it makes such a horse safer then great!

One question - I have only seen them used for lunging so attached to the roller - I don't understand where they go when riding, do you hold them so you can pull to get the horse's head down, or are they attached somewhere on saddle? And are they joined in the middle like normal reins and does that affect their adjustment?

Never used them at all myself.
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hi :)
they are normally clipped onto a loop that attaches to the girth between the horses front legs , so they are like one long rein with a clip at either end
and both the clips attach between legs then from the girth they go up through the bit rings at both sides then to the riders hands like normal reins but should obviously be used with normal reins and not just on there own
yes you hold them (i don't i knot them and leave on his neck unless a tractor/carrier bag/cow etc is coming to get him ;) ) and use them as a lever to put the head in which is why they are not liked and can do damage in the wrong hands

no they don't attach to the saddle
yes they are attached in the middle like normal reins , so you hold them like normal reins and from your hands they go through the bit rings then attach to the girth between front legs

hope that makes sense
 
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