double rein trouble

Archiepoo

Archiepoo

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well ive taken the plunge and im going to ride with double reins -for no other reason that i dont want to be riding on the bottom ring of a gag with only one rein.
ive never tried it before so please give me your miracle tips to help me get used to having handfuls of reins. ive been shown the german way to do it with the curb under the little finger and the snaffle in the normal rein position (oh i dont know if thats even right now im thinking about it-DOH !!) anyway help me someone please:rolleyes:
 
Your snaffle rein in nice grippy rubber/ laced, then smooth plain leather for your curb rein so you know which is which without looking down :)
 
lol thanks thats a good start i had 2 sets of slippy plain leather today and didnt know which was where:D
 
I ride with my snaffle rein as normal and my curb under my pinky - no crossing over.

Once you get used to double reins it feels weird going back to one.
 
I like to pick up the curb rein (plaited in my case, although I used to use a very thin rein and loved it, but they broke...) first, underneath the snaffle rein and I hold it under my index finger.

I then pick up the snaffle rein (over the top or outside of the curb rein) and hold that between ring finger and pinky.

I used to ride differently when I was younger (I never used to cross my reins) but prefer it this way.

Basically my advice would be to firstly use 2 different types of rein, ie plaited and plain, or one thick one thin, and secondly, just play around and see what feels comfortable to you.

As someone said... it will soon feel odd when you get back onto something with only one rein in your hand! :p

ets: I carry the curb rein in a very loose/light contact, and a stronger contact on the snaffle rein. I only shorten and take up a contact on the curb if and when needed. and my thumb sits on top of both reins (as if you only had one rein as normal)
 
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If you have the curb rein to the bottom then that is the rein you are riding off.
It is not easy to move the ring finger without moving the pinky and, if you move your whole wrist so the curb rein will move more.

Hands_-_2_and_2.jpg

Of course you can always cheat with a gag - two reins, knot the lower so it is fairly short and stays on the horse's neck then gab it when necessary!
 
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oh dear im even more confused now! i was told to leave the curb rein a bit slacker so i can just ride off the snaffle rein and then just turn my wrist slightly to activate the curb rein if its needed-i honestly dont know if im going to be able to do that mind you if spider pisses off again ! ive had no end of trouble with him now hes fit and strong . i tried the cambridge pelham yesterday but he really didnt like it so im trying the gag with the 2 reins now. wish me luck lol :eek::eek:
 
I've always picked up the top rein & had that with all fingers round (so its outside the little finger).
Then picked up the 'curb' rein from underneath, and this is held where you would usually hold - between the 3rd & 4th fingers.
Hence the term - top over bottom.
You will also then have the leverage on the top rein 1st, with the curb coming into secondary effect as this will be a little more loose.
Worked for me in the show ring & hunting field for many years & was the way I was taught many eons ago too :)

Once you get used to 2 reins, its not an issue, its a habit :)

Tip - try putting 2 pairs of reins attached to the back of a good old kitchen chair & practice holding them standing behind it
Then get the chair tipped onto its back legs & maintain your contact to keep the chair from tipping over ;)
 
thank you im sure i will get there with some practice -whether it stops him is another thing! ,im quite chuffed as its something ive never done before. ive got some new reins as i was trying to practice with 2 sets of rubber reins today they were the only ones i had spare! it was like handfulls of spagetti :rolleyes:
 
i hack out in a dutch gag and 2 reins and hold the snaffle rein as normal and the lower rein under my little finger. i use a thicker webbing rein for the snaffle and a thin leather for the lower rein and keep the lower rein for emergencies only(going flat out towards the road etc!!!!!!) so hardly ever use the lower rein so its quite loose but it is my safety net....i dont find crossing the reins works for me so do whatever is comfortable. by the way charlotte dujardin doesnt use crossed reins either, if its good enough for a gold medallist its ok by me!!!!:D
 
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