Opinions on draw reins

I'm similar to most in that I would use draw reins on an educated horse in a certain situation and with a sympathetic hand ready to release, but I personally wouldn’t use them in this scenario.
I would focus on teaching the horse a response to flexions in hand first, then at halt and walk so that it learns what bit pressure is correctly- but pressure is more than pull = head comes down
 
I would prefer to have the action of a Market Harborough. It's a decent training aid designed to make the horse relax into the bit without forcing it, which I think draw reins can do. It also prevents the horse from throwing its head up too high.
 
Birker2020 said:
I would prefer to have the action of a Market Harborough. It's a decent training aid designed to make the horse relax into the bit without forcing it, which I think draw reins can do. It also prevents the horse from throwing its head up too high.
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but where you can instantly loosen draw reins completely to avoid them coming into action at all, you can not do that with a MH without unclipping them. the effect is very crude but the same action as draw reins.
 
TheMule said:
but pressure is more than pull = head comes down
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Draw reins aren't, or shouldn't be, about pull and the head comes down, though. They're about, "please leave your head where I've asked you to put it" so that you can then work the back end without the horse being able to chuck its head up instead of using its body for a transition or tow you around on its forehand.
.
 
Birker2020 said:
I would prefer to have the action of a Market Harborough. It's a decent training aid designed to make the horse relax into the bit without forcing it, which I think draw reins can do. It also prevents the horse from throwing its head up too high.
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No dreadful things the rider can’t give them away completely.
I am in complete control of a draw rein I don’t need to use unless I choose .
A MH is just a very severe form of martingale .
 
ycbm said:
Draw reins aren't, or shouldn't be, about pull and the head comes down, though. They're about, "please leave your head where I've asked you to put it" so that you can then work the back end without the horse being able to chuck its head up instead of using its body for a transition or tow you around on its forehand.
.
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The OP posted about their use because they wanted to get the head down so I was responding to that.

Draw reins pull the poll down and the nose in. I don’t think you can ride the horse with the nose out to the rein in a pulley system like that.
 
TheMule said:
The OP posted about their use because they wanted to get the head down so I was responding to that.

Draw reins pull the poll down and the nose in. I don’t think you can ride the horse with the nose out to the rein in a pulley system like that.
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Yes you can, but you need a great deal of skill to do it properly and consistently. As I may have mentioned earlier they were developed by classical masters, to be used on a cavesson and to the sides of the girth, not between the legs, and were for teaching lateral flexion.
 
The trouble is in the wrong hands people can use draw reins to make the horse 'look nice' and look like its in an outline when in actual fact its pulling itself along, over bent, not using its hind quarters correctly and stepping under as it should be. In the long run, used in excess it can cause more problems than it solves and can cause horses to become resistant and sore.

I was always taught to believe that a MH is much kinder than draw reins as a MH only comes into play when the horse raises its head and when the head is lowered the pressure is released. I suppose you could do that with draw reins but it depends on the rider.
 
A_hibbs said:
Hi all,

I wanted peoples opinion on the use of draw reins. I was looking at them to use on an 12 year old ex racehorse who tends to have a high head carriage. Just as a tool to gently encourage the head to come down, I was thinking with draw reins you can give and take and not have them over tight. I was thinking I’d use them initially but not as a long term solution. I am an experienced rider that certainly does not rely on my hands so I’d be very sympathetic in my hands, but I’ve not actually used them before. Just as this horse (I know well) has had a long career of working with high head carriage so is rather stuck in his ways - will draw reins help??
Any opinions or experiences I’d be grateful to hear

many thanks!!
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Used correctly, yes, they should help. Have you tried using other bits ? That is where I would start as well as using the draw reins, assuming of course all is ok with the teeth/mouth.
 
Birker2020 said:
The trouble is in the wrong hands people can use draw reins to make the horse 'look nice' and look like its in an outline when in actual fact its pulling itself along, over bent, not using its hind quarters correctly and stepping under as it should be. In the long run, used in excess it can cause more problems than it solves and can cause horses to become resistant and sore.

I was always taught to believe that a MH is much kinder than draw reins as a MH only comes into play when the horse raises its head and when the head is lowered the pressure is released. I suppose you could do that with draw reins but it depends on the rider.
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There’s no question that you can’t release a MH , and it acts on the mouth parts the bars , the tongue , the corners of the cheek the roof of the mouth .
The draw rein is poll pressure and you release the draw rein entirely and have a three foot loop in it if you choose .
 
Goldenstar said:
No dreadful things the rider can’t give them away completely.
I am in complete control of a draw rein I don’t need to use unless I choose .
A MH is just a very severe form of martingale .
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Do you all have a variation of this device?? (I wouldn't use it, but just curious) it's made in Ireland...so I would think yes. But seems not the best device ever made.

http://www.reinrite.com/
 
1613635597308.pngThis is your standard Harbridge. Launched in 1995 the Harbridge training aid has been a huge success and proved invaluable for all disciplines and abilities as it imitates the perfect pair of hands.

The main strengths of the Harbridge are:
- easy to use
- encourages all horses, of any standard, to work in the correct outline
- aids the development of correct musculature
- negates the tendency for the horse to lean
- encourages lightness and self carriage
- affords greater softness through the back
- encourages greater engagement and control
- helps to create lighter hands

Recent testing has shown that the Harbridge is very useful for schooling over trotting poles and small fences as it aids concentration and enhances bascule without interfering with the mouth.
 
Goldenstar said:
If they panic in a Harbridge it’s horrible .
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You could say that about anything though. I've seen a horse panic in a Pessoa (tied up to twine with lead rope attached to bit ring) and it ended up in a shaking heap on the floor.
The hard part about any training aid is fitting it correctly so the horse isn't 'forced into an outline' but encouraged instead. I've used both a MH and a H over the years but I really dislike draw reins. Probably because I've seen them used badly in the past.
 
ycbm said:
Draw reins aren't, or shouldn't be, about pull and the head comes down, though. They're about, "please leave your head where I've asked you to put it" so that you can then work the back end without the horse being able to chuck its head up instead of using its body for a transition or tow you around on its forehand.
.
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I've only used them on Toby once in a lesson but this is EXACTLY what I found. He has a tendency to curl back and go crooked. And hollow when the leg goes on. My RI hopped on and said he was difficult to ride with still hands as the rein was so often empty. The underside of his neck is over developed. He seemed to love them. He was more relaxed, he took the rein forward and down and let me keep my hands still and forward with more leg on . He had a much more active hind end. The right muscles on his neck were switched on. He was relaxed in them too. It was like they were stabilizers on a bike. They made sense to him. I loved them. Mostly they gave me the feel of what I am after. I'll only use them under instruction and for short periods though as I dont have the knowledge to go DIY with them.
 
Birker2020 said:
You could say that about anything though. I've seen a horse panic in a Pessoa (tied up to twine with lead rope attached to bit ring) and it ended up in a shaking heap on the floor.
The hard part about any training aid is fitting it correctly so the horse isn't 'forced into an outline' but encouraged instead. I've used both a MH and a H over the years but I really dislike draw reins. Probably because I've seen them used badly in the past./QUOTE]

Pessoas should just not be used IMO they don’t do what people think they will achieve with them .
And when they are used on horses who are naturally built downhill they are a disaster .
Just because someone might use a type a snaffle badly is no reason not to use a snaffle yourself.
But you do need enough knowledge to use a draw rein well and good feel .
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Birker2020 said:
View attachment 66082This is your standard Harbridge. Launched in 1995 the Harbridge training aid has been a huge success and proved invaluable for all disciplines and abilities as it imitates the perfect pair of hands.

The main strengths of the Harbridge are:
- easy to use
- encourages all horses, of any standard, to work in the correct outline
- aids the development of correct musculature
- negates the tendency for the horse to lean
- encourages lightness and self carriage
- affords greater softness through the back
- encourages greater engagement and control
- helps to create lighter hands

Recent testing has shown that the Harbridge is very useful for schooling over trotting poles and small fences as it aids concentration and enhances bascule without interfering with the mouth.
Click to expand...

Hideous , I can’t even look at them
 
Birker2020 said:
You could say that about anything though. I've seen a horse panic in a Pessoa (tied up to twine with lead rope attached to bit ring) and it ended up in a shaking heap on the floor.
The hard part about any training aid is fitting it correctly so the horse isn't 'forced into an outline' but encouraged instead. I've used both a MH and a H over the years but I really dislike draw reins. Probably because I've seen them used badly in the past.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'd never recommend a Pessoa, or anything like it, either.
 
I think it is like anything else used properly it is probably okay but I don't know personally anyone who uses them properly so would day a blanket no to their use. Mostly because the numpties using them damage their horses and there are far more numpties than those who have the skill to use them
 
MummyEms said:
To be honest some riders have such un steady fiddling hands I would rather see soft draw reins than the whole see saw yank pull as people attempt to get their horse 'on the bit'
My old good friend is a well respected equine back lady here in the UK and she said with gentle hands and lots of leg on (so they don't trail along with the hinds but use the hinds under them) they can be absolutely useful.
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this is how I’ve been taught to use them, essentially ignore them and focus on keeping the horse forward with your leg and your hands soft
 
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