Which side for rein buckle?

[Lois Lame]

now the thing I always do get confused about is which rein has the buckle end and which the tongue end ...

Surely the buckle end is on the left rein, because my fingers as I sit here and muime the action of doing up the buckle is telling me that. (Whish is propably why they are not typing properly.)

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Surely the buckle end is on the left rein, because my fingers as I sit here and muime the action of doing up the buckle is telling me that. (Whish is propably why they are not typing properly.)

Buckle end should be (in my teaching) on the off side rein, so the point 'points' to the off side when reins are done up.

 

[Lois Lame]

Having been brought up with a good number of long manes, mine are always tucked down the near side

Ah yes, I just clicked about the mane thing.

My current steed is half pony and he has a lot of mane. It's equally on both sides. Looks particularly blonde now with his darker shade of Spring-induced body colour.

 

[rabatsa]

now the thing I always do get confused about is which rein has the buckle end and which the tongue end - I know its supposed to be one way round because of cavalry horses being tied up in lines but can't remember which way round it is

In carriage driving the buckle goes on the off side, as when harnessing up a pair the near side rein is thrown over both animals to the driver and you do not want a buckle flying towards your face.

 

[OldNag]

I was taught to have it on the right, snd that is what I have always done. It would feel weird to have it on the left, I think!

 

[rextherobber]

I was taught that you have the excess rein on the outside wall of the arena, so when you change rein, you change the side where the loop is. I dimly remember being told that it looked neater, and loop of rein would not detract from the appearance of the horse in the show ring. Which sounds terribly archaic, doesn't it?!

 

[Pedantic]

Well being as my pony neck reins one handed nicely, it varies as too which way a I am asking him to go when doing a particular task, as for having a crop on a particular side too suit the loop, well that varies as well, when out hacking I have the crop on the traffic side, traffic coming towards us on the bridge riding out, so crop in my left hand, (both hands on the reins when in traffic).
So all in all for me, it's not something I note or think about.
Thinking about it, when getting on, I have the loop in my left hand and on the left.

 

[J&S]

I always have loop to the right, off side. I do a lot of lead and ride, riding with one hand, neck reining, but always loop to the right.

 

[ihatework]

I literally have never given it any thought or specifically been taught one way or the other!
Thinking about it I would say they seem to naturally fall to the left and I’d imagine it’s a combination of most horses manes lying to the right and when riding out generally holding whip on the right.

 

[spacefaer]

I remember being taught in Pony Club to put the loop over the other side of the neck when I got on. I guess as I had my whip in my left hand, it kept the reins out of the way.
Still have my whip in my left, rein loop on the right.
Can't thank cars as easily if my whip is in my right.

 

[scruffyponies]

Buckle end is always on the right rein. Not especially important for riding, but for coaching, when the near side reins would often be thrown over the horses to the coachman by a groom once threaded through the terrets, having a buckle on the end would take his eye out.

 

[Carlosmum]

To the right, I don't know if I was taught that but after more than 50 years of riding I don't think I could swap! However, I have just spotted a photo of me aged 5 on my leading rein pony, & low and behold my rein loop is on the left. Time to trawl through the photo album me thinks to see when it changed!

 

[Tarragon]

I am trying to picture myself riding - I honestly don't know!

 

[Rowreach]

I remember being taught in Pony Club to put the loop over the other side of the neck when I got on. I guess as I had my whip in my left hand, it kept the reins out of the way.
Still have my whip in my left, rein loop on the right.
Can't thank cars as easily if my whip is in my right.

Having spent far too much time thinking about this while riding today ...

Reins over the far side and whip in left hand to mount.

Then reins on left side and whip in right hand to ride out on the road, because whip needs to be in right hand to control the shoulder/hind quarters on the side nearest the traffic. Whip under thumb of left hand (though still down right shoulder) if thanking a driver with a wave, or signalling right, or frantically flagging at some idiot for driving too fast.

Schooling, whip changes hand with a change of direction. Reins stay on left.

 

[Annagain]

I've never given it a moment's thought before. I think they sit to the left but I can't be sure. I'll look next time! I'm left handed which probably ruins anyone's theory about left/right handed riders, seeing as most people seem to be saying left.

 

[pansymouse]

Mine go to the right for two reasons; firstly because I nearly always ride one handed using my left hand (odd because I'm right handed) and second I always brush the mane to the near side which I know is "wrong" but I prefer it that way. My reins are one piece so at least I can't get the buckle thing wrong

 

[Velcrobum]

OK a quick peruse through British Dressage Recent H&H magazines looking at the top Grand Prix riders there is no favoured side Carl and Gareth have rein loops on near side. Edward Gal, Laura Tomlinson and Adeline Cornelissen all have the loops on the offside. Charlotte is pictured with rein loops on both near side and offside. In a book by William Fox-Pitt he is also seen with the rein loops on either side of the neck so I guess there is no "oorrect" side.

 

[Cutgrass]

Thank you Rowreach, Velcrobum and everyone else who has thought about this and looked into it. I still don't know the answer but I feel better ?

 

[Equi]

I always automatically put mine to the left, if they're on the right they would tangle in the mane if the horse had a long one you're also more likely to fall to the left i reckon because your body wants to always go off that way, so its another thing to not get caught in. There could be an argument though that that in a school the rein should always be away from the fence so it won't catch.

 

[PapaverFollis]

On hack today. MrPF had the rein loop on the left. My reins are too long and are soft material rather than leather and actually fall on both sides, if they go to just one side the loop is much too long.

 

[GoldenWillow]

On the left hand side, which seems wrong as I also tend to have whip if I'm hacking with one in my left hand, I'm left handed and pony has long mane that also fall on the left!

 

[timefort]

I was always taught that the loop is on the left so it doesn't tangle in the mane which should lay on the right. I never really questioned it.

But, when I had a side-saddle lesson earlier this year the loop of my reins had to be on the right so they didn't loop around my foot. I hadn't realised how ingrained loop on the left had become. Somehow that was harder than having two legs on the same side of the horse!

 

[Annagain]

I checked when I rode tonight and it’s the left. No logic to it that I’m aware of, it just feels right.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Just had to look at some photos to check but apparently it’s right for me!

 

[Muddywellies]

I always thought left was correct. I wonder if it goes back to the days when horsemen carried swords, getting on and off from the left etc etc?

 

[Mule]

I always thought left was correct. I wonder if it goes back to the days when horsemen carried swords, getting on and off from the left etc etc?

Possibly, you wouldn't want to leap of your horse with your sword drawn just for it to get tangled in your reins

 

[Mucking out - still]

I always thought that the rein with the buckle should be on the near side, but seem to remember saying that before on this site, and others thought it should be on the other side. I've just looked it up on Google and found a site that also advocates the buckle rein should be on the offside - and that was courtesy of an 'Olympic gold medalist' (so it must be right!!). I'm sure the reins work just the same whichever side we do them on!!

 

[Mucking out - still]