Which side do you have the reins?!

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proctor

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We were having a random convo at the yard today (and they happen alot) about which side we each have the excess loop of rein on, some are lefty's and some are righty's, and while we were hacking we tried it on the opposite sides to what we are used to, and it was so weird!!! You wouldn't think something as trivial as that would be so hard to do!

I'm a lefty, which are you?!! :D
 
righty

and do you have it over your hand or under your hand?

I have mine to the right under my hands, but my daughter has hers to the left and over her hands.

Very odd
 
I think about this a lot (!) I'm a righty but wondered if it correlates to what handed you are, and also which hand you generally carry a whip?
 
Well I'm right handed but play guitar, iron and eat left handed, have my reins on the left with rein under, and whip in right hand!!

I'm a nightmare in otherwords :D :D
 
Left and under - I always thought that was the correct way? Even if I switch sides with my whip, my reins stay the same. I never thought there could be another way!!
 
to the left and over my left rein. I can't see that it makes any difference where it goes though?

I am right handed as it happens :)
 
I have reins on my left, can't think if I have it over or under (will have to look tomorrow).
If I remember right I prefer to have a whip in my right hand, I don't carry a whip very often.
 
Left for the reins. And I am rather ambidextrous with my whip. FH will run out either side so I walk a course deciding where to swap my whip and have to swap it constantly
 
O I lied. I looked at the piccies of me riding and it left and under not left and over.

Why is left and under 'correct'? I already do it so must have been told at some point and never remembered but is there any rationale for it?

My whip (if I carry one which I rarely do) moves side depending on where I think I'll need it. Schooling it is on the inside obviously :D

The reins don't move when the whip does though!
 
I used to be left and under but then I had attended a dressage clinic with a German dressage rider and she told us all that the excess rein goes right and under. I changed it and for some reason it feels "right"
 
jesstickle said:
Why is left and under 'correct'? I already do it so must have been told at some point and never remembered but is there any rationale for it?
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I vaguely remember being taught (in the late 70's) that under was correct so that the loose rein doesn't interfere with the signal from the hand to the mouth, which sort of makes sense, but I don't remember being taught that there was a correct side.
I do left and under, but that's because the default setting for my whip is my right hand :)
 
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