Rectifying draw rein abuse

[HelenPolly]

Hi,

What's the best approach to re-schooling a horse that has been heavily abused in draw reins from a young age (horse now 9, owned by current owner 1 year) and as a result goes ridiculously overbent and low, and doesn't use the back end at all. The horse literally drags it's hind legs out riding because her front end is striding out so much.

Obviously as a result, she has too much muscle and bulk at the front and no muscle behind.

I've suggested to my friend a Pessoa might help while lungeing, but she needs advice for riding.

My friend has not noticed the problem until now as she is a happy hacker and not fussed about outlines, but the mare is becoming incredibly stiff in her stifles and now she's trapped in the school for the winter it's the perfect opportunity to help the horse but my friend's not sure how to go about it (can't afford lessons but is a fairly ok rider).

(No health probs, ridden in a loose ring jointed snaffle and is on joint supplements.)

Any advice appreciated.

Thx a lot

 

[KatB]

Horse need top learn how to work from behind, and not be afraid of taking a contact forward! Hill work will help back end, and things like leg yield on a circle to take movement to back end. Will be difficult, as horse has to develope muscle correctly behind first, and change the balance. Pessoa should help alot.

 

[spaniel]

Im not sure how abused the horse has been but its possible that the drawreins may have actually stretched the nuechal ligament so it is possible you may never get this horse into a pleasant and comfortable outline.

However all other things being well I would start off with no schooling aids at all, not even the pessoa (which I am a huge fan of) and allow the horse to stretch out at the front. I know it seems counter productive as its obviously trailing out the back as well but I would think its easier to start with an even playing field rather than have one end play catch up with the other all the time.

Once the horse is swinging and walking out with the shoulders, then start very slowly with the pessoa but be aware of the need to go back a few stages with this horse.

Under saddle I would be asking for baby levels of lateral work especially leg yield and turns about the haunches, just so the hors starts to learn to bring the hinds under the body and start to take some weight.

This is one of the reasons I dispise draw reins so much, Ive seen a number of horses ruined by them - such a shame these useful tools can be so cruel in some hands.

 

[Tempi]

i personally would get a physio out to the horse to check it over, they will be able to suggest brilliant exercises on and off the horse to help it to 'redevelop' properly.

(they will also be able to tell you if there is any major muscle damage)

 

[Sal_E]

Agree with Spans. Suggest the girls forgets all sort of front end outline for now, try to get the horse loose & relaxed, swinging & active. If anything, go for hurried in favour of inactivity. Lots of transitions, SIMPLE lateral work, shapes etc. Also, to get the horse active & interested (potentially raising head out of interest), try pole work, raised poles & possibly some small jumping as part of flat work. Would certainly suggest getting the back done, there's BOUND to be some tension there. Also, it may be worth trying a very mild bit so that the bit is having no effect on the head carriage - try a happy mouth maybe.

 

[HelenPolly]

Cheers for all this, advice is great and along the lines that I was thinking for my friend. My own mare is fizzy and goes above the bit so I have the opposite problem of trying to relax muscles. Didn't want to confuse her by explaining what I do, but seemingly the approach is along the same lines.

I'll show her some lateral moves and hopefully we'll get her going on her schooling gradually, my own mare is 20 and can practically get her legs over her head (like Madonna!) so hopefully my friend can see it really is worth persisting and giving it 100% effort and hopefully we can turn the horse around.

We've got a Bowen lady coming out at the weekend to give her a good going over, but she's been checked out by various vets/back people/physios before, saddle's perfect as well. Just feel sorry for the mare as she always has this grumpy look on her face and looks awkward.

I think there should be a draw rein amnesty!

Thx a lot
Helen

 

[cosmo_sam]

I agree with the others, forget the front end completely, other than to provide something to stretch down into.

I would personally just begin doing lots (and I mean lots) of trot walk trot transitions, just touching down in walk and up and off again. Give the horse the feeling of sitting on it's hocks without anything complicated making her worried. Also again, simple leg yield concentrating on the crossing rather than too much forward just to get the horse feeling where it's hind legs are and learning to use them specifically.

Such a shame your friends horse has been treated this way

I do use draw reins very occasionally, but I wouldn't for a long time and when I do it's mainly during my lessons when my instructor can keep an eye on me. I've seen some awful things done with them and I did take alot of persuading initially.

Again, everything has it's uses, but in the hands of some, the most simple tool can become barbaric!

 

[GTs]

Keep it very simple and get the horse long and low - I would not push it much beyond that.

 

[GinaGem]

Hi ya,

My horse was abused for several years by a lady who called herself an instructor - later found out that was rubbish! She used every gadget and bit under the sun on her to get her into an outline and being very novice at the time we thought this was ok. We've since had the problem that our horse has learnt to lean heavily on your hands to the point of pulling you out of the saddle and grabs the bit so you have no control. This became quite dangerous out hacking as she would grab the bit and bolt and if you didn't have a good seat you'd end up around her neck (she's a big, strong ID x). I've now had the job of resolving this problem with my current excellent instructor. We've been working for about two years now on getting her trust to hold herself in an outline rather than be forced but she still has issues. I would suggest a lot of time and patience as everyone has said don't start out by trying to get the horse into an outline, get them working from behind. We use lots of transistions, shapes, changes and lateral work. Also flexion exercises are good both ridden and on the ground. We also had three months of physio to resolve the neck/muscle problems she had developed. Happily now she has much improved and we have started novice dressage in a saffle.

xxx

 

[Allykat]

Hiya I've had experience of one of these. The last horse I had on loan before buying my own was a 16.2 belgian Warmblood that had been schooled, hacked and jumped in draw reins for around 5 years. I knew nothing of this until I took the horse on, although I was aware of his odd shape. When I tried him out (without draw reins) he seemed "uneasy" in his head and neck but liking the idea of a challenge I took him on.

I had him part loan for 3 months then full loan for a year while his owner went travelling.

As said already, you need to forget the front end and get the back end moving. start again from scratch and go back to learning transitions and teaching the horse to move forward off the leg. I did lunge in a de gogue once he had started to use his behind a bit more and then we progressed to the pessoa. I rejoiced the day I could see muscles rippling across his hindquarters while he lunged.

I did have his back checked at the beginning and obviously every horse is different but this particular horse had no problem in his back at all. Simply because he'd never been asked to use it. If you dont use something, you cant damage it! His neck wasn't sore just amazingly upside down with a huge solid muscle underneath the neck.

The horse needed the confidence to go long and low unaided, but I found the mental issues were far greater than the physical ones. While somedays he could work as well as he could, other days he would just be tense and broken through the neck. He would often set his jaw against my hand, as I presume he would do in the draw reins. One thing the draw reins did do was teach him to lean.

We were making huge amounts of progress but sadly I ran out of time and we went as far as we could in a year before his owner came back, so be prepared for it to take a great deal of time, as well as patience and tears.

Strangly enough the horse didn't click with the owner when they got back and I was feeling like I was heading straight back to square one, so i gave him up.

Good luck, you will get somewhere in the end it just takes time!

 

[eohippus]

'I think there should be a draw rein amnesty' Hear hear. I agree with that. should be the main thing to throw on the fire this bonfire night. HATE THEM
phew, rant over.
Best of luck with your horse minus the bondage rein.
regards
Dawn

 

[HelenPolly]

Thanks to all for your advice. Nice to find a forum with knowledgable people on it! ...and no-one types in IRITATIN TXT SPCH!!