draw reins

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samerlin

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hi i would just like peoples opinions on jumping your horse in drawreins. Went for a lesson the other day and the instructor suggested jumping in draw reins to stop him lifting his head and hollowing. Not very sure on this so what is peoples opinions.
 
Most people on here will say they don't like draw reins. I don't use them but have used Market Harborough's with positive outcomes.
 
don't do it unless you are very experienced and secure in position, seat and with your hands. It can be used very harshly. Have used them to jump but on a horse which kept whipping with me and found I could keep her straighter and more controllable and therefore controlled the risk in jumping her.
 
Would never jump in draw reins- had one horse ruined by this-stripped all his confidence and he panicked when he didnt have them on.
Some horses jump a little hollow, the only way to solve it is to improve the canter, find the right bit and keep a very passive and steady hand.
 
thanks for all your replies
didn't think you should jump in market harborough. I have been working on his canter but have been jumping from a trot because he was tending to rush his jumps and you would think he was commited and then put in a dirty stop. Other Instructor has said to keep him in a trot and get him to come back before I let him jump the next then. Will try the MktH
 
Market Harboroughs are commonly used, and are permitted in BSJA comps (but not BE). I will jump in draw reins occasionaly, but only attached to the sides of the girth, never between the legs as I think there is too much chance of them getting caught in their legs. Maybe try it under the supervision of your instructor. If you don't know him/her that well maybe ask local people's opinion of them before you do it.
 
I hate draw reins, I don't use them for anything & certainly not to jump in. I believe them to be a quick fix....& quick fixes don't work. School the horse to carry himself correctly correctly & you won't need them.
 
draw reins can sometimes useful on the flat but I would never use them over a fence. Seen a horse get its legs caught once which was not a nice sight when it panicked on landing and seen several others whose jumps have been totally ruined as they were being restricted through their backs.

Personally I would be looking to use elastic jumping exercises to encourage him to round through his back. Bounces, grids, A frames can all help. If you have to either a Market Harbrough or loose elastic bungee going to the girth buckles can help as these wont get caught in the horse's legs.

Katie
 
Right. So are you saying that >90% of the horses at Olympia last week in the big classes all had fundamental errors in their schooling and educaton and were not using themselves to the full extent of their athletic ability? Because I'll happily bet you that such a percentge of them are regularly schooled in draw reins. I know for sure one member of the eventing WEG team is also happy to use them in public at shows (obv not BE, not allowed). Oh and come to think of it one of the individual WEG medallists too. They can be misused, especially on young horses, I am currently trying to alter a horse's way of going that has had them on too much. HOWEVER - they do have a place in many tack rooms and on many horses. A bit less of the holier than thou attitude and a bit more open-mindedness could be nice....
 
Ditto.

Never used them for jumping and doubt I will but used them on the flat on the advice of Gillian Davies (if you want to argue with that woman you're braver than me
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). I know several 4* riders that regularly use them for flatwork and hacking and I think its safe to say there will be a pair hanging in every pro showjumpers tackroom in this country.
 
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Right. So are you saying that >90% of the horses at Olympia last week in the big classes all had fundamental errors in their schooling and educaton and were not using themselves to the full extent of their athletic ability?

I did not say that, try reading what I said & don't infer something that I did not say.

"A bit less of the holier than thou attitude and a bit more open-mindedness could be nice...."

I'm so sorry that I disagreed with what you as the oracle of all knowledge had to say. This is a forum & people are allowed to state their opinion, just because I disagree with what you are saying & your condescending manner does not detract from the validity of what I had to say. I was not the only person of this opinion either.
 
I agree with you T_Z, just because "so and so" uses the doesnt mean that its right in every case. I dislike them as I have seen a "professionally" schooled SJ who was schooled in them have so many back problems as a result that he couldnt be ridden at all at the age of 12. I don't disagree that they have a place, and if used along with very good hands, then they can have a benefit, BUT I do think they are a shortcut, and what they result to can be achieved through a "longer" route without schooling aids. They are something best left to professionals as misused can cause more damage than good. And I wouldnt ever use them for jumping. Just my personal opinion based on my experience.
 
i have recently used draw reins on my mare as she is very tricky and naughty - they have done her the world of good on the FLAT but i would NEVER jump her in them as i would be afraid of her hurting her back or getting her legs caught - i only used them as advised on my YO who is experienced. They can be useful and teach a horse - as it did with my mare who now works nicely(when i ride properly) but it can be used wrongly and hurt a horse or wreck it - if you use them too much the horse will learn to rely on them and when they are taken of say at an event it might flip.
thats my opinion and experiences
 
Just spent the last couple of days at Oldencraig and saw plenty of the dressage types using draw reins. They have their place with certain horses, especially ones being reschooled, and used properly - and not overused - they can be invaluable.

As for jumping I probably wouldn't but would definitely consider a MH if the horse warrented using it. I know someone who hunts in one - without it she'd be toast within the first 20 minutes of leaving the meet!
 
Personally, I would never want to see them used to jump in, certainly not by anyone other than a very good rider - and never on the flat except perhaps to cure a particular problem in an older horse by an experienced rider with good hands. I have my horse with a top professional event rider, and I have never seen her ride in draw reins - or need to - as her horses are so correctly schooled anyway. If I was picking a rider, I would not be picking one I thought was riding my horse at home in draw reins. I have seen several young horses - 4 year olds - schooled in them at livery yards I have been at over the years - and they have been ruined as their backs just are not strong enough to work in that shape for the length of time involved. And the -people who use them on young horses never seem to be the ones with good enough hands and unerstanding of what they are doing anyway...But I can see that there are cases with a difficult older horse where they can have their uses, for a limited amount of time and to solve a particular problem.
 
If you are good enough to use draw reins you are good enough to get the same results without them. Never used them on any of mine. I believe they are evil and the only thing they do is encourage a horse to go in a false outline. True outlines come from behind not from winching the head in.
 
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If you are good enough to use draw reins you are good enough to get the same results without them. Never used them on any of mine. I believe they are evil and the only thing they do is encourage a horse to go in a false outline. True outlines come from behind not from winching the head in.

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Very blinkered view! Your first comment is interesting seeing as numerous 4* riders and international showjumpers/dressage riders use them....you'd think they could ride wouldn't you?
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I use them on flat, in a simple view they act like a martingale, only coming into use when the horse raises its head.
Except they apply pressur on the bit rather than through the reins, which impedes on the effectivness of the riders connection with the bit in the process.
I personally don't jump in them as i don't trust myself not to let them get loose in the process and get caught. My horse naturally has a good technique jumping and lowers his head and uses his back so i don't need to anyway, i use alot of take-off and landing poles to help get him to use himself.
 
i use them on the flat, under the advice of 2 instructors who have both ridden my horse and seen her work for a long time, and i trust their advice. my reasoning for using them is that even after persevering a lot on the flat she is stubborn and if i use the draw reins now and again then it just reminds her to stop arguements. i am very careful how i use them and i back up with a lot of leg to push her through from behind, after using them her way of going has actually improved and she will work through her back more (i dont use them overly tight)
 
As I have said before, I also think draw reins are very damaging to the way of going, progressive work is the only thing horses will benefit from, otherwise all you will have is a horse with a hard mouth and stiff back.

It is a shame the things were ever invented.

Diana
 
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As I have said before, I also think draw reins are very damaging to the way of going, progressive work is the only thing horses will benefit from, otherwise all you will have is a horse with a hard mouth and stiff back.

It is a shame the things were ever invented.

Diana

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I don't quite understand that, draw reins shouldn't stiffen a horse, you can flex alot in them. It also shouldn't damage the back if the horse is working properly.
 
I am certainly no expert but when I have used them a couple of times on horses we had in for schooling/selling on I had to use far more leg than usual to keep them up, definately wasn't an easy option!

(not really in reply to your post Severnmiles)
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Hiya, sorry only just checked this post again!

Severnmiles, the horse in case was ridden in them from a young age, and didnt physically have the strength to carry himself correctly in the position required. It did something to the muscles in the base of his neck, I wont profess to knowing the ins and outs of it as I only knew the horse when the current owners were having very regular visits from Chiros/physios for second/third opinions! But then again, the said horse had reached grade A by 9, and had knackered legs aswell....

As i'v said though, i'm not 100% against them in the right hands, but I believe there are better things out there, and am a great believer in time, as it can solve the majority of problem that such "aids" are being used to fix in the first place.
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