draw reins

[siennamum]

Well to fly in the face of general opinion I would say yes!
She is 17 and you need results within the next year, not 3 - you've been trying to work this through for 2 years and she still sticks her head in the air as she knows that's a good way to avoid working. Sometimes draw reins can work to break the habit, when you ride her forward into a contact and she currently throws her head in the air, the reins will make her head go down. She may pick up really quickly than working round is quite pleasant, though you must ensure she has a reward when she works down by releasing.
Set a rein length with the draw reins so they only come into effect when her head in up (think of a market harborough - preumably another tool of satan!).
Always ride her forwards into the reins, never have a feel like you are pulling back.
Only use them a few times, just to give her the idea. I cannot see how this will cripple/ruin this pony & think there's some rather hysterical stuff going on here tbh.

 

[seabiscuit]

Draw reins are fine, if used in the correct way.

Go to many top professional yards and most of the horses there will have been put in draw reins at some point!

In fact, go to any of the big showjumping shows, and you'll see nearly every horse in the show ground being worked in draw reins !!

They are not some cruel gadget,used in the right way they are fine, some horses ( top horses I might add!! ) virtually live their lives in draw reins, and they do very well !

I admit that I was very anti draw reins in the past, as I've put them on for fleeting moments on various horses, but immediately taken them off as they made the horse feel dreadfull, did not seem to encourage the correct way of working at all.
But put them on my current horse a few weeks ago, as he is a big powerfull thug that REALLY takes the piss and has already been kicked out of a showjumping yard !! and it was like a lightbulb moment for him/us - I only use the draw reins to stretch him down and to get him working long and low so he is only ever ridden on the buckle- but boy has it got him stretching, relaxing and softening - just like magic ! He MUST have been much happier, as he instantly stopped spooking and trying to charge off everywhere. I used them on him for a couple of weeks- just stretching work and figures of 8- and already his whole shape and physique changed for the better. He is calmer, happier and much more accepting of his work. Took the draw reins off the other day and he was just beautifull- really could push him from behind and easily up into the bridle in front.

They do work miracles for the RIGHT horse !

 

[skewbaldpony]

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Very hard to answer the question without knowing you and your horse.

Contrary to others and yes I may get jumped on & I'm not bothered - I think that draw reins *can* work. But then I've also ridden in side reins and a gag on the bottom hole so don't listen to me

I would ask your instructor's view as he/she knows the horse & will be able to advise you in the best & safest way.

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Side reins ... Really ???!

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Yes. Really. I am a terrible horsewoman, no?

In all seriousness, I would never advocate the use of them. Draw reins or side reins. But they *can* have their place.

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Just something i would never do unless i was trying to kill myself!

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Oh for the love of god, draw and side reins are not the work of Satan, and frankly the hysteria on this forum about them is ridiculous and ignorant.

I am not a fan of them by any stretch of the imagination, and in 90% of cases where they are used by amateur riders they are used incorrectly and for the wrong purpose, but when fitted correctly, used for the correct reasons and used by someone who understands their use and has good hands then they can be beneficial.

So, please put down the pitchforks and retain some sense of calm. Draw reins were not sent by Lucifer

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From a Biblical scholarship point of view, I think you'll find that since draw reins do not figure in the creation account, and were made by man, subsequent to the Fall, they are in fact, by association, essentially the work of satan

that's not what you meant though is it?

from a safety point of view, draw reins and side reins are not at all the same thing, and there is no safe context in which to *ride* in side reins - other than on the lunge - a point which I think both of the posters in the above dialogue clearly understood.

I see no hysteria, and the only ignorance I'm spotting is not making a distinction between draw and side reins.

I did rather like the idea of drawer reins. Best place for them

 

[Kate260881]

I also agree with Siennamum. I have just started using draw reins ocassionally with my girl. She also has a very naturally high head carriage and has figured out by throwing her head whe can avoid the contact. She does however, work very nicely from behind it just containing it in the correct manner at the front that we have issues with. However, when I have them on I don't use them as reins, I pick them up to remind her how to work then drop them again so as soon as she comes round she is rewarded. I had ummed and aahed about what to use as anything fixed (market harborough, side reins etc) she either panics with or uses them to lean on. Neither of these happen with the draw reins.

I have however, had to reschool a horse that was ridden heavily in draw reins and its not a pretty sight when these are abused, so be very very careful with them and if you're not sure or confident about how to use them I would recommend using them with your instructor.

To be honest, used in the right hands these are a very kind 'reminder' tool as opossed to other things suggested that have no 'release'. I'd much rather see these used properly with sympathetic hands than a pessoa stuck on so that she would be smacked in the gob every time she used her back end.

 

[alwaysbroke]

Have had success with neue schele training bit, elasticated reins, so neither of you can 'hold on'.

The best successs has come from riding from the leg into a contact, it takes time and patience, really not keen on quick fixes have seen too many horses 'tied down' with gagets leading to back problems.

Good luck!

 

[Abbeygale]

I am not anti draw reins, and on certain horses I have used them for short sessions. On most of the horses that I have had I have found that a 10 minute reminder session works wonders, then I can take them back off and carry on with our schooling.

For the OP - although it is difficult to say without seeing her and the horse in action, from what she has said, I probably wouldn't go down the draw reins route. The mare sounds like she doesn't like strong its and being tied down. In the 2nd pic posted it looks to me as though her head is being held in and doesn't seem to have any engagement from behind. Her back looks quite hollow. If it were me I would go and have some more lessons and discuss this some more with your dr. instructor.

 

[BlackWhite381]

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Very hard to answer the question without knowing you and your horse.

Contrary to others and yes I may get jumped on & I'm not bothered - I think that draw reins *can* work. But then I've also ridden in side reins and a gag on the bottom hole so don't listen to me

I would ask your instructor's view as he/she knows the horse & will be able to advise you in the best & safest way.

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Side reins ... Really ???!

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Yes. Really. I am a terrible horsewoman, no?

In all seriousness, I would never advocate the use of them. Draw reins or side reins. But they *can* have their place.

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Just something i would never do unless i was trying to kill myself!

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Oh for the love of god, draw and side reins are not the work of Satan, and frankly the hysteria on this forum about them is ridiculous and ignorant.

I am not a fan of them by any stretch of the imagination, and in 90% of cases where they are used by amateur riders they are used incorrectly and for the wrong purpose, but when fitted correctly, used for the correct reasons and used by someone who understands their use and has good hands then they can be beneficial.

So, please put down the pitchforks and retain some sense of calm. Draw reins were not sent by Lucifer

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From a Biblical scholarship point of view, I think you'll find that since draw reins do not figure in the creation account, and were made by man, subsequent to the Fall, they are in fact, by association, essentially the work of satan

that's not what you meant though is it?

from a safety point of view, draw reins and side reins are not at all the same thing, and there is no safe context in which to *ride* in side reins - other than on the lunge - a point which I think both of the posters in the above dialogue clearly understood.

I see no hysteria, and the only ignorance I'm spotting is not making a distinction between draw and side reins.

I did rather like the idea of drawer reins. Best place for them

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Yes i was talking about riding in side reins not draw reins

 

[Libbyn1982]

I ride in draw reins sometimes - but not all the time. I feel that, as mentioned, it is a good reminder for B on how to work when he is going through a giddy phase, especially when doing canter work. I always give periodic 'rests' where I will drop the draw rein and encourage some long and low stretching work in between. I agree that in the right hands for the right horse they can be a positive thing.

For the pony in question though, I agree that draw reins probably aren't a solution, she needs to learn how to relax the neck first or you will just end up with forced bend and a 'shuffley' stride.

 

[horseandhound]

Draw reins to me are the epitome of evilness and all that is wrong in riding and training, sorry to all who use them. If your horse has a high head carriage and you cannot get your horse to yield and soften, and relax to bring horses head down, then why will draw reins help? Horses who are relaxed have a lower head carriage, if you are experienced enough to use draw reins then you are experienced enough to work out why your horse is not listening to you, and not relaxed. I know show producers get results with draw reins but ethically are they right? Not for me, I like to be able to reward a horse instantly with light contact, draw reins DONT slide through the reins quick enough, which is why you will see horses sometimes rearing in them.

 

[Skhosu]

She looks stressed to me and this could lead to disaster with draw reins. If your instructor is not helping I would look for a new instructor, it's very hard to advise without seeing the partnership, in your second pic it looks like she is coming, remember to look up and keep working on it!

 

[rara007]

No- Don't get draw reins. If you are 100% sure saddle, back, moutha nd bit are fine then the only thing that could be causing her tension is you, or her own previous bad experiences. Pip used to have a very high head carriage. When I did was spend a good few months riding him untill he relaxed his head down into 'free walk on a long rein'. That took on average 45 mins. Then, and only then did I do abit of trot, as soo as his head was thrown up, back to walk on a free rein. Now, hisnatural head carriage is very long and low, absolutely ideal for getting him to come up to the contact from behind. Most of this year we have done well in novice/prelim level dressage, as all the judges can see he clearly hasn't been 'pulled' in and has a very active behind, even if occasionaly he is not as round as he could be. TBH IMO, if you are doing transitions and leg yeilding, and everything is fine then I think you need to find out why she is not responding as she should. Are you chosing a suitable rhythm, and are you staying to it, to start with it will have to be slow. Almost everytime I ride I end up rushing to start with, because I forget just how slow I need to be. Are you balancing her around the bends. If you don't balance Pippy around a bend, the next straight side is inevatably holow, with his head in the air as he thinks that is the only way he can balance.

 

[dopeesophee]

thanks for all the comments

i rode her in the lungy bungy today, and she was alot better...

i all the transitions etc that everyone suggested and she did work alot better, i kept my elbows bent - hands up! but only in walk and a bit of trot, she does sometimes toss her head about... but i then give and retake with the rein she is pulling on and then she settles again

but i must add that when i first had her i had 2 learn 2 ride with no reins and stirrups... so i could ride from my leg and with no reins because she used to fight at anything that held her even slightly....

so we worked from there and then i gradually picked up my reins and put my feet in the stirrups, and she stopped fighting as much

we have just worked from there with my instructor etc and still finding it hard.