Hacking with draw reins?

B

Bounty

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Not necessarily CR specific, but I am too scared of getting absolutely jumped up if I post this in NL!
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Does anybody else hack in draw reins, or has anyone previously? Does anyone else incur the wrath of the rest of the equine population when they do it?!?!!?!

I am hacking Rage in draw reins.... 90% of the time they lie untouched on his neck, but I will pick them up if I can see a 'situation' arising. I don't use them forcefully, just picking them up softly is enough to remind him that I don't need my teeth knocking out or my nose reshaping!

He has had months and months off work through KS - diagnosis took a fair while, then surgery and additional complications. Just as he was starting ridden work again he had a pedal bone issue, and more rest, so all in all he hasn't been hacked for 10months or so and is finding the big wide world a bit scary! Having the security blanket of the draw reins is making it a lot safer for both of us.

I appreciate that other people won't know the history/reasoning behind me using them, but everytime I venture out with them on I can just see all the horsey people really struggling to bite their tongues, and giving me really dirty looks. This is even when I am not touching them!
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Anyone else experienced this? I feel like having the draw reins there automatically labels me as 'Bitch-who-does-not-care-about-the-discomfort-she-is-causing-her-horse'
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Don't worry what anyone else says, you obviously know what you are doing and why, and who cares beyond that?

When I brought my horse back and eventually started hacking after ages off, I hacked either in a double bridle or snaffle and draw reins. So shoot me.
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I was going to reply that I think it's perfectly reasonable in certain circumstances and yours are those curcumstances.

I'm afraid you're going to have to get tough skin and ignore the people who glare at you. You know you are doing the best for your horse and that's all that matters.

Either that or get a tabbard with custom wording on the back saying kissing spines recovery patient or something similar !
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I posted in NL about hacking in Draw reins (although I was looking for alternatives!) and didn't get jumped on.
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I am using them on my horse as he has been getting very lively out on the Forest, but don't need them 99% of time. I don't like hacking in them as they are a bit dangerous for gates and when doing fast work, but have never had a comment from other riders. Thats said I rarely see another rider out!
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If you need them for your and horse's safety, then use them. what i cannot stand is people who have a very strong, inescapable-for-the-poor-horse contact on them all the time... i have even seen someone hacking out in just draw reins, no normal reins at all. (she's now a dressage judge!) as long as you are only using them as the need arrives, they are fine. if someone looks daggers at you, i would say something to this effect... that they are there for safety, not abuse.
 
I was going to hack out in draw reins last week because my girl is a bit of a scaredy cat on the roads, but i made the decision to go without. We were ok but she was very looky. I don't see a problem with them as long as they are used kindly and correctly, and you seem tohave a good enough reason to use them, so best grow as thicker skin and ignore any comments or looks you may get.
 
Rage needs to be hacked to aid his recovery. If you need draw reins for 1% of that hack, then that is fine. Even if you needed them for more than that, that is still fine otherwise he is never going to get on.

Its completely different to a novice schooling continuously with draw reins and no idea!
 
I use draw reins (well running reins) a lot! At the end of the day it comes down to personal safety!! I am a good rider, and I know how to work my horses correctly - I use the r/reins when I am on an explosive horse that is likely to try to dump me! If people want to criticise without knowing the individual situation then go for it, but I would far rather use running /draw reins and stay in control and on board than have the extremely valuable dressage horses galloping around the school because I have lost control or fallen off, for them to then damage tendons/ligaments/get kicked etc!!!
 
It's like most things - the time you most need them, you don't have them. Better to have them on just in case - my trainer used to say they are for getting the horse's attention in difficult situations and for nothing else.
 
I have to say i fairly often hack my mare in them. She can be difficult to hack on her own, she naps and whips round very sharply with her head in your face.

When i go out by myself in them i put them on, 99% of the time they lie on her neck, completely loose BUT if i feel her starting to think about spinning i pick them up and send her forwards. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, i know how to use them and she is much safer to hack with them on.
 
Draw reins - aren't they the work of the devil and you should give yourself 20 lashes for using them??!
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Anyway - yes if horse trying to kill you / itself, its a good reason for their use. If they are just "there in case" and hardly used when hacking you'll do no damage at all.

As above what is truely horrible is when someone gets a hold of them and thinks "ah ha my horse looks preeeedddy" and rides for an entire hour or more in a forced outline until the horses muscles are probably screaming. Completely different to your situation.
 
At one point I considered trying them when Osc was going through his 'bad to hack' phase. I would have used them like you are and I don't see there being a problem as you are using them as an aid, however I did manage in the end without.

I know of someone who hacks in a 3 ring gag with the draw reins through the bottom ring and constantly tight - the horse is good to hack. Such a shame.

I like the idea of the cutting them and putting in some velcro.
 
So why are there none of you understanding peeps living around here?!!

I would just like to know who it is that is telling all these people that draw reins are completely unacceptable, regardless of circumstances
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The only other lady round here that hacks with draw reins goes out for 1.5-2hours at a time in walk, with her poor (and severely underweight) horses nose pulled into his chest. I guess I am being tarred with the same brush as her
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Ah just tack up like a polo pony - pelham and running reins, so three reins and a drop and a cavesson (and breastgirth and standing martingale... ages to tack up!). Used to have one of my polo ponies like this - no one will dare comment, as they'll be generally scared of you!

That lady is probably the reason as many people don't seem to realise that running / draw reins used well are not constantly applied.
 
Before all this time off he WAS a polo/polocrosse pony - I am trying to convince him that he can act more refined these days, so I think if I put all his gear on we would quickly revert to bouncing on the spot like an idiot
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There are quite a few novicey owners near me who are told by their instructors that draw reins are the devils work. This is 'cos they arn't able to use them safely and there instructors just tell them to never ever use them, therefore neddy will never have to endure having his nose tied to his chest.

I'm sure as they progress and learn more they will become more educated.
 
LOL- I'm going to stick my neck out here and say I hack one of my boys out in draw reins each and every time he's hacked out- its helped strengthen him up, I never use them to make him round, rather that they are there if needed- if anything he's far far more relaxed out hacking when he's in them than when he doen't have them on he's 17.3, I'm small and he can be ever so sharp at times although he's got much better with age .

If they are used considerately and carefully I can't see what the problem is, and I've never had other people out hacking giving me evils/verbal because my horse is in draw reins- if they want to that's up to them, and they don't know my horse!!

I completely agree with your reasons as to why you use them! I really wouldn't worry about it.
 
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I would just like to know who it is that is telling all these people that draw reins are completely unacceptable, regardless of circumstances
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TBH I would rather most people thought they were the work of the devil and didn't use them, rather than everyone thought they were acceptable and all swanned off hacking in them!
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If only the people that knew how to use them, thought they were acceptable, then alot of horses wouldn't have their heads wrenched in!

Reading that back it possibly doesn't make sense!
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But I know what I mean!
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As long as you know what your doing is right, just get thicker skin!
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I heard a brilliant expression about draw reins - they are like giving a monkey razors.

So basically if you are not a monkey you will be fine!
 
that's from my trainer, they called them "the razor in the monkey's fist" when they first appeared... in post-war Germany iirc.
as long as they aren't being used to force the horse into an outline (esp a rollkur-ish one) but for safety, i'm not dead against them.
 
First; Must agree with Kerilli.

Second; I use draw reins sometimes.
Draw Reins are an AUXILIARY aid, thus they must be TRANSITORY, not permanent; they must act ONLY when horse does something wrong. Must not abuse.
And I don't care AT ALL about what others think (to put it in nice words)
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Bounty, don't worry about what others think
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