Riding without reins.

Mule

Mule

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 October 2016
Messages
7,654
Visit site
I did mounted archery recently so rode the beast without holding the reins. I thought I rode from my seat and legs. I do not ... ?

I tried riding without reins again today. We can go forwards in walk, trot and canter. We can rein back and go sideways (when facing the fence). However, circles and staying on the outside track is not happening without holding a schooling whip in my inside hand. I also realised I use my inside rein to turn, not my outside rein :oops:

Anyone else try this and discover their riding leaves a lot to be desired? I will say that it is fun and the horse loves it so I am going to keep it up.
 
TPO said:
@MotherOfChickens does horseback archery

@JFTDWS did too but she's kept kept forum. If you check back her old posts I'm sure you'll find threads about it.

It looks awesome and so much fun
Click to expand...
It is great fun. I would never have thought to try it but a friend of mine is quite in to it so I gave it a go. I didn't realise JFTDWS had left. That's a shame.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TPO
I've never tried any form of archery, I have no hand eye coordination I think I would be lethal! But I have by chance ridden in a headcollar and loved it! My horse had a tooth removed and I was told by the vets it was fine to ride her, but she must not have a bit in her mouth for a fortnight, I dont have a hackamore, so I just clipped two leadropes to either side of her headcollar and thought I'd give it a try. It was great, I cant say it felt radically different, I started in the school quite cautiously, but it felt great so we crcked on on the second day I rode through the psg test no problems in the headcollar, and I also hacked her out all over the fields with no problem either. I did go back to the bridle when the vets allowed, but I continued to use the headcollar every now and then, especially for hacking when I was feeling too lazy to clean tack.
I did also try that mare with nothing, just a neckstrap, and I cant say we'd have got through a psg, but it was ok, I could change direction, circles, transitions, flying changes all ok. I'm going to try it with my rising five yr old next, I'll let you know how we get on.
 
daffy44 said:
I've never tried any form of archery, I have no hand eye coordination I think I would be lethal! But I have by chance ridden in a headcollar and loved it! My horse had a tooth removed and I was told by the vets it was fine to ride her, but she must not have a bit in her mouth for a fortnight, I dont have a hackamore, so I just clipped two leadropes to either side of her headcollar and thought I'd give it a try. It was great, I cant say it felt radically different, I started in the school quite cautiously, but it felt great so we crcked on on the second day I rode through the psg test no problems in the headcollar, and I also hacked her out all over the fields with no problem either. I did go back to the bridle when the vets allowed, but I continued to use the headcollar every now and then, especially for hacking when I was feeling too lazy to clean tack.
I did also try that mare with nothing, just a neckstrap, and I cant say we'd have got through a psg, but it was ok, I could change direction, circles, transitions, flying changes all ok. I'm going to try it with my rising five yr old next, I'll let you know how we get on.
Click to expand...
I've ridden the same horse with a head collar and our steering was fine. I suppose he still felt the rein pressure. Taking the reins away altogether did it for us :D Definitely let me know how you get on with your young horse.
 
Mule said:
I've ridden the same horse with a head collar and our steering was fine. I suppose he still felt the rein pressure. Taking the reins away altogether did it for us :D Definitely let me know how you get on with your young horse.
Click to expand...
It might not be pretty! But I'll certainly let you know.
 
I ride without using my reins from time to time. I find my horse's response depends on how tuned we are to each other. So if we are warmed up and working well I can drop my reins and continue to change direction, pace ,gait etc. But if he is distracted and not with me I become a passenger.
 
Carrottom said:
I ride without using my reins from time to time. I find my horse's response depends on how tuned we are to each other. So if we are warmed up and working well I can drop my reins and continue to change direction, pace ,gait etc. But if he is distracted and not with me I become a passenger.
Click to expand...
Interesting. Makes sense, I just let them go from the offset.
 
Archery (unless you are good enough to ride a Polish track) is quite straight forward though as in not much steering required. Am teaching mine to steer from foot and seat aids, stop from knee pressure etc and hopefully take him bitless for actual archery-just a side pull.
 
I LOVE mounted archery. Yes it comes a lot from seat and legs which I am still working on. My aim is to try doing it while jumping this year. Either that or a broke arm ?
 
Pinkvboots said:
I remember having a lesson once with an unknown instructor and they told me to think of the film Avatar it's weird that horses do actually read your thoughts and it's a bloody good tool sometimes
Click to expand...
They do and body language especially. Mine knows to look at me when the vet or farrier are coming. He slinks off and doesn't want to be caught whereas he's normally no problem. I think I look guilty :D
 
Skib said:
I have ridden without reins in a manege in a riding lesson. But only walk, halt and turns.
Click to expand...
It's fun, (with the help of a whip to keep the horse out). I'm going to keep at it. I want to be able to not need the whip.
 
Before owning and when I used to just do regular lessons, I remember doing full lessons with no reins (full w/t/c with circles and even grid work). Of course we still had them - we just had to tie them so they stayed on the neck and we could grab them if absolutely needed but the point was to ride with your body. We would also do grid work like this from time to time - no reins, no stirrups, and eyes closed, jumping up to a 3'6 oxer.

My current horse is also rideable without reins. When he was young, I was made to ride him at the buckle.
 
I think being switched on is a good one, if horse is not with you mentally it won't be that easy. I saw a girl jump a course with just a neck strap (no saddle) at the local riding school the other day. I was really impressed, it was calm, collected and no issues with steering.
 
I should also add, a few years ago I gave bare back and bridleless a go. It was okay but I didn’t canter, only walk/trot. Never had the guts to do it since. But the training I did to try that did help for the mounted archery.

If you wanted to give it a go at McGinnis they got us started with a rope looped loosely around the neck in the interim. It has to be loose though!! You use legs and seat and if you’re stuck in the moment then you use the rope to reinforce before you take it away.

Have a look at Stacy Westfall on YouTube. She did a bareback and bridleless round years ago and it’s quite impressive.
 
SBJT said:
I should also add, a few years ago I gave bare back and bridleless a go. It was okay but I didn’t canter, only walk/trot. Never had the guts to do it since. But the training I did to try that did help for the mounted archery.

If you wanted to give it a go at McGinnis they got us started with a rope looped loosely around the neck in the interim. It has to be loose though!! You use legs and seat and if you’re stuck in the moment then you use the rope to reinforce before you take it away.

Have a look at Stacy Westfall on YouTube. She did a bareback and bridleless round years ago and it’s quite impressive.
Click to expand...
I will
 
@Mule Well I tried bridleless today on my rising five yr old, I started with just a headcollar and he was fine, so I just leant forward and took it off I had a neckstrap on, and no whip, and he was so good! A little hesitant at first, but quickly got confident, we only walked and trotted as it was his first time, but I could start and stop, go large and keep him on the wall, change the rein and do wobbly potato circles, in our defence, hes been under saddle for less then a year, so we can still be a bit wobbly even with a bridle.

It did feel very different from doing it with my mare, but she was highly trained, and we knew each other inside out, this guy and I do get on very well, but obviously we have done far less together, but it was fun and I think he enjoyed it, so we'll certainly do some more in the future.
 

Attachments

  • Bingo bridleless.jpg
    Bingo bridleless.jpg
    315.5 KB · Views: 8
I, on the odd occasion, used to ride and jump Bailey in a dually.
Totally surprised how amazingly free she used to feel. Never had any issues stopping either although I'd not have risked it in an open field.

Also hacked her on rare occasions in her dually too.
 
I remember working up in Aberdeen, many years ago, when the lovely instructor Shuna Mardon commented that my horse (a Tb mare) and I had clearly 'bonded'.
Had I ever considered riding her without a bridle, she asked?

Hell no. :D
 
I've ridden The Orange Loon in a Dually quite often, but usually only in the school, on the farm and the lane. He's very responsive and stops, slows down and steers quite well. The only difficulty is that the fit of the headcollar is not particularly snug. It's the Cob size, and he has an Arabian Crabbet head. Good for the length, but too big for the width, iyswim.
I wouldn't use it off our land, because I don't think that I'd have enough safe fine tuning required when His Lordship is feeling rather jolly!
 
I had one lesson ages ago where the instructor progressively removed the tack from under me (I was slightly freaked out but was assured I'd be fine!!) I had a neck rope and the horse was trained to seat aids so no problem with turns and downward trans. Did WTC and basic school figures, but it made me realise how easily I tense up and how much I don't trust my balance. Fortunately these are no longer issues now that I don't ride anymore :o
 
Mine is ok straight lines walk trot and canter, I haven't as yet asked her to do any circles... might have to try this in the coming weeks. I have taught mine to go off my voice on the whole so I don't really have to use my reins.
 
My old boy bridle-less.
 

Attachments

  • DE44B7B8-1059-4FFE-A8ED-35811A122860.jpeg
    DE44B7B8-1059-4FFE-A8ED-35811A122860.jpeg
    54.2 KB · Views: 9
  • 1D8FE3B6-A8B8-4388-B820-488708600AFF.jpeg
    1D8FE3B6-A8B8-4388-B820-488708600AFF.jpeg
    84.2 KB · Views: 9
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top