Draw reins

[hagazusa]

Several people at my stable use draw reins for both schooling and hacking. Curious to hear your views on this.

(I do not use them myself and don't think they would be a good idea for my particular horse.)

Comments

[akabins]

I've used them in the past, sparingly. They're good for teaching a horse how to come down on the bit in the simplest way. That being said, usually one or two sessions is enough. It can let them know exactly what you're asking for without tearing their mouth off trying to get them to understand what that means. It's also good for less experienced riders to get an idea of where their hands should be, I learned about framing in draws.

I would never use them for hacking or for more than 15 minutes. They're just a tool to make life a bit easier, but definitely should not be used as a crutch.

[blauereiterin]

i don't agree that using draw reins to force a head down is the way to teach a "frame." why would you ever have to tear a horse's mouth off to get it in a frame? that makes no sense.

anyways to the OP: we have one horse in training that we used draw reins on for a while, and this is the only kind of case i personally would ever use them. he would stick his head straight up, grab the bit and run and i was not strong enough to get control of him. the draw reins added enough leverage to get his neck out of the equation. so we used them for a while, not for anything like teaching him a "frame" or any nonsense like that, just for extra control if necessary. he goes fine without them now. i think they're good for that rare strong ass horse that needs to learn that he CAN'T just muscle his way past you and tank off. i don't consider them a "training" tool in any other sense of the word.

[akabins]

They don't force the horse's head down, just add a bit of downward pressure to make it easier for them to understand. And I've seen many people yanking horse's heads around to try to get them on the bit.

I've used them a few times in the past, and I'm talking like four years ago. I seriously hate it when people just snark their faces off in posts. Seriously? Do you have nothing better to do?

[blauereiterin]

yes, because my comment was just soooo snarky *rolls eyes* i don't know how you could bear to read it, you poor child!

[young_modern]

i exercise/train polo ponies, and eight of the nine ponies under my care have draw reins on their bridles. they stay on no matter what we're doing, whether it's prepping for a game or going for a relaxed trail ride. we're not always actively using the draw reins, but they are always there, ready when we need them.

[skitty_kitty]

Out of curiosity, how can you have draw reins just attached to the bridle? The ones I've seen used are separate pieces of leather that go through the bit rings and get attached to the underside of the girth.

[flax]

I'm fairly sure she just means they're on the horse but not necessarily in use all the time - it's easy to put them on and keep them loose enough not to come into action, after all.

[young_modern]

i didn't say the draw reins were just attached to the bridle. i said their everyday tack included draw reins.

if reins are only attached to the bridle, they're not really draw reins then, are they.

[alittledffrnt]

The use of draw reins should directly relate to the purpose of the ride. If you're just out to hack and muck around then draw reins on an even tempered horse have no place. If you're out schooling and you need them for a particular training purpose, then they should be used strictly for that purpose for a short period of time and only put in the hands of someone schooled enough to know how to use them properly. I've seen wayyyy too many people riding with JUST a draw rein and no snaffle and it's really annoying. Seeing draw reins in the hands of the inexperienced or, worse yet, the ignorant is just a bad scene. (Super pet peeve along with riding off of just the curb in a pelham or riding JUST with a gag rein on a rope cheek gag or a dutch gag)

[edited for annoying typo]

[meupatdoes]

I absolutely agree on PURPOSE SPECIFIC use of drawreins.

I have used drawreins three times on The Noodle when he was just learning to jump: they can very much help to keep a horse straight, so we clipped them to the elastic part of the girth, jumped four or five jumps with them, and then did the rest of the school without them. Repeat for three rides and they were put away and have been ever since

[hagazusa]

Very interesting, detailed post. Thank you. :)

[blauereiterin]

as usual, you said exactly what i was trying to say much better :)

[irishsaints]

I've used them once or twice on my horse, for his dressage training purposes only, and before I really understood how to control his speed, for woahability, but I don't use them anymore.

Also, I've used them on youngsters who are learning/being taught how to go in a frame, but as said above, they're not for every rider, and definitely not for someone who doesn't know how to use them.

[buymeaclue]

Like most tools, draw reins have their place.

For most riders and most horses, that place is hanging on the tack room wall.

They can be useful in specific situations. But it's not just about having good hands. To use draw reins properly, you need good everything (including judgment and also understanding of what you're doing and why).

Agree with alittledffrnt that, if used, they should not be your only option for communicating with the horse's mouth. Snaffle rein, too.