Thoughts on draw reins

[gemma]

Hate the things.

There is a woman near us who can be seen hacking out her poor mare in a set, doing a stonking trot down the road with it's head on it's chest, her hands sawing away and with it's hindlegs about half a mile behind. I have dreams of dragging her off that horse, and making her run up the road with her head forced onto her chest.....

[xsamx]

Dont overly like them, i think they give a flase impression of head carriage.

[specialsparkle3]

No Sam, they don't give "a false impression of head carriage" they create a very real false head carriage by forcing the neck into an impossible outline that causes irreparable muscle damage.

[natalia]

They have their place, but I would never use them on a horse that isn't naturally forward, as getting the correct amount of impulsion to get the hind end working with them with a lazy/backward thinking horse is very very hard to do. The most common mistake people make is putting them on something thats way of going is stuffy and trying to just tuck the head in, and thinking that this will solve their schooling problems long term. They did work wonders on my boy who is forward going to the point of being reckless, they helped him concentrate and push the energy forward in to the bridle, rather than charging head in the air and rushing off then rearing when contact was taken.. After 2 session just walking and trotting we haven't needed them since and he seems to get the idea now and is working well walk trot and canter. Draw reins should really be used like the second rein ona double bridle, only tweaked when ness and left witha fairly slack contact at most times. My view is that if you can't ride a horse with sympathetic hands in a double bridle, there is no way you should touch them.

[xsamx]

specialsparkle3 said:

No Sam, they don't give "a false impression of head carriage" they create a very real false head carriage by forcing the neck into an impossible outline that causes irreparable muscle damage.

booo thats what i meant lol

There is a "trainer" who uses them on her horses and everytime i see her at a show her horses heads dont even move from being stuck on their chests, it just looks so un-comfortable and un-natural i'm suprised they can move their heads to do normal things like eat or breathe properly!

[rhillahorse]

Is that gb you're thinking of sam? Some very unhappy horses there. I've seen her jumping in draw reins.

[xsamx]

rhillahorse said:

Is that gb you're thinking of sam? Some very unhappy horses there. I've seen her jumping in draw reins.

You got it in one..

Can't believe it jumps in them?! How sickly

[janetgeorge]

Draw reins - like most 'gadgets' have their uses. And on about 1 in a thousand horses upon whom they are inflicted do they actually do GOOD. And of course, that 1 in a thousand is ridden by a rider who knows how to use them sensitively!

I haven't used them in about 14 years - last time was on a confirmed rearer who went up when he didn't want to DO something. Always used them as an add-on - rode on the snaffle rein and only brought the draw rein into play when Bramble decided to stand on his hind legs in the middle of the road!! They made riding him far safer in the time it took to persuade him that rearing was an unacceptable form of obhecting to something (and the main thing that made him rear was a BIGGER horse coming up alongside him - REALLY! Fortunately he was 16.3!!) I should add that they are NOT safe - nor effective - for ALL rearers!

I have known far more horses who have been 'spoilt' with them than improved!

[misty]

Rode my retired horse who was very forward going, very head in the air pba as said by Natalia. Was shown how to by my trainer who said my hands were good enough as the reins were not 'set' but as said by Natalia and jg only used when needed . As we often say, the gadget is only as good as the person using it.

[Azrael]

I learnt how to use them before finding out how Not Good they are so have far more experience than I'd like of using the flippin things. For getting a horse 'on the bit' they are a total waste of time and should be binned. As a martingale type thing or on the very occasional rearer they can have some use. I actually prefer them slightly to riding with a martingale since I can constantly be in control of how tight they are. Not my favorite bit of tack but wouldn't say I'd never ever use them.

[Margaret D]

Haven't had a chance to read the whole thread sorry, but meant to ask about these a few days ago?

We were out and about on Sunday, and came across ever so many people out and about hacking, lovely to see it was too. But, the first couple we met were in dark clothing on dark horses and one was being ridden out in draw reigns, not a bit of high viz to be had?

All the other pairs were in high viz and in "normal tack".

It stuck me as not the thing to be doing, riding out on the road with draw reigns?

[rach20uk]

Ive used them previously with my mare. Personally ive found they do a lot less damage then side reins if used correctly - as with everything its who is using them and she needed them, although she only wore them maybe 5 times.

I prefer to use nothing but if riding and i needed them i would use draw reins over side reins any day as draw reins only come into play when i want them to.

They, as with any gadget, are as good as the hands that are controlling them and used correctly can be beneficial.

[sara]

not a big fan personally

[horsey123]

i hate them personally they are jut a "quick fix" with a bit of schooling they will be kow need of them

[gypsycob]

I HATE them and a lady at my yard hacks out in them too
Isn't the horse supposed to enjoy being ridden?