An abomination, that’s what that device is.
The kind of gear someone with absolutely no clue whatsoever about how to get a horse working correctly might use to force a false ‘outline’ .
I’d hazard a guess that their only skill is causing an inordinate amount of pressure and pain on any living being they come into contact with.
Usually side reins allow some give as most have some degree of rubber or elastic. There are solid leather side reins but these are generally used with horses that already have self carriage.
What bothers me most is the severity of the small, rolled leather over the sensitive, frail tip of the nasal bone. I think I’ve seen this picture before and these are solid leather so no give.
Disagree 100%. Seriously? Side reins attach to the bit. That thing is over the nose. On the most sensitive part of the nose. It is acting in the exact same way that a ring in the nose acts on a bull. That’s a torture device.
Side reins do not put pressure on the mouth. Where do you get this stuff? DRAW reins do. Is that what you are thinking of?
This is patently false. You shouldn’t use side reins at all, because clearly you have no idea how to adjust them properly. Of COURSE there is release on the tongue and bars. This is so weird you guys. Let’s not get into a pissing match about side reins and discuss the torture device in the OP.
If a horse spooks, trips, or tosses its head, this device and/or side reins would cause damage to the horse. Last I checked the mouth is pretty darn sensitive. The horse gets relief from side reins by putting its head where the side reins allow and taking contact.
I’m not saying side reins shouldn’t be used… they have their place. Pressure is pressure whether on the mouth or nose.
And please don’t think I’m defending this device I’m not. But to vilify it when it’s no different than cranked side reins which I’ve seen in warmups and in training barns more than I care. I don’t see people posting about those trainers.
I can’t figure out what I’m looking at based on this photo
A thin cord that fpgoes from the girth, through the bit, around the nose, through the bit and back to the girth on the other side.
Before the edit it was a lot easier to understand what the photo was, now it’s very confusing.
Of course there is release if they are used properly and appropriate to the horse’s level of engagement.I apologize for not including that disclaimer, I thought the level of discourse was a few steps above that, but clearly I was wrong.
So to repeat what I thought was obvious, this makes them a tool designed to be used by people who have a clue how to use them.
The only release the horse has is if he yields to the pressure. This is lovely if the tool is used correctly. If it’s not, and it’s too tight, where the horse feels like he has to balance against the side rein, there is no release, just pressure. Ditto for draw reins or this stupid nose thing (which might be a Bungie, not leather). If the tool is used incorrectly/tight, there is no release. If the tool is used correctly, release.
I bumped the exposure so the device is lighter.
Ohhh that’s a long ass bungee through the bit rings then the flash loop. Weird.
I’d much rather ride above the vertical and tweak the the body so correct posture produces a horse on the vertical than use a severe device to manufacture a false frame. But that’s just me. I can’t see a good use for this device.
Oh I saw the original post before the edit so I knew what was going on, just sympathizing with people who came in later and found it hard to figure out what was happening.
Ah, much better. Now I can actually recognize it as a horse! Thank you
Does this device have a name?
I nominate “the shortcut to nowhere” if it needs one.
The harshness of this contraption aside what on earth is this intended to teach the horse in the long term? I can’t see how this would solve any training issue. And I have used side reins in the past and think they have a place and purpose when thoughtfully employed.
Right, but I have a hunch that it’s not marketed that way.
I have a good friend who is in Germany for a few years and I was shocked that all the lesson videos she sends me of her daughter have all the horses in draw reins. I was so disappointed. I had told her how lucky she was to be in Germany for the start of her daughter’s riding career, how systematic the training is, etc, and then I saw that and cried. And it’s been at multiple barns. 
It’s Scheisse. That’s what it is.
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