Oh please, Any problem in training can be solved with a step back, doing turn on the forehands, leg yields, and transitions within a gait and up and down. Anyone that thinks a problem can be solved with draw reins , a harsher bit or a double bridle are in denial. There is NOTHING that a little patience and getting a horse to respectfully move off the leg in conjunction with him simply getting to stop and go, can’t solve. What the heck is wrong with you people? Being seen in draw reins embarrasses yourself and damages the horse who is suppose to be your partner, not your slave. SEEE YAA!
I didn’t bother reading through this whole thread, so mea culpa if this has been mentioned…I was at a clinic not long ago with someone for whom I have great respect. They made the point that there is a place for draw reins in their arsenal. They referred to them as “training reins”, which I think is a proactive view point.
My second point is this- most people are absolutely incapable of riding with two reins, independently. If you cannot do this, you have got no business whatsoever, in my estimation, trying to ride with draw reins, or a full bridle. I watch more people hauling on both reins, together, or not having any feel, whatever, and trying to use either of these pieces of equipment. And you see it with professionals, as well as amateurs.
Godspeed barbaro as well! My point is…that there is NO place for draw reins or the inappropiate of a double bridle in “Classical” dressage. If someone doesn’t subscribe to this method? Not a big deal. Hey , what the heck? Who am I to tell anyone who’s right or wrong. All I know is from reading from the masters. practical experience and clinicing from trainers who have been in the business more than a measly 10 or 20 years.The best trainers I know wouldn’t be caught dead with stupid draw reins. But some people don’t quite “get it” and if that’s what they need to do to get a horse’ s head down, well then ,good luck to them. I pray for them and the poor horse. Especially in Florida or California, often competition results trump artisitry. Can’t save the world
Well, I have huge respect for classicists. Truly I do. I have one of the finest I have ever know on the property on a daily basis. More religious about dressage, and the necessity of doing it right than anyone I have ever known. I am honored to be able to watch and learn.
However, where I live- in reality- the perfect beginning, progressing, naturally, to a perfect ending, doesn’t always exist. So, like the clinician I mentioned, you use tools from time to time, to help your horse understand what you need, and where their comfort zone truly should be. Perfect, hell no. Necessary? Occasionally.
In my area, there is a moron of a now exalted dressage judge who competes their stud. The fact that they have pulled the horse over backwards on themselves- twice- is what is spoken of in hushed tones. The loyal groupies deny that this could have happened! :eek: How did they do it? Well, at least once, not understanding how to ride a horse in a full bridle. Yep. Sign me up to show in front of THAT judge :lol: As I said, amateurs a well as professionals…
dear asb, I agree with you that the real world is more often than not as all wine and roses as I wish. And sometimes tools, I supposed, can be justified, I’m certainly no expert on anything. I just do know that one should maintain a rather jaundiced eye. “tools” like draw reins, doubles, etc. can prove to be quite seductive. they can give give the illusion of submission and collection.I won’t presume to judge classicism with straight out competitive dressage. It’s like rap music V. poetry. Rap music is obviously more popular and $$$making. Like I said, I’m not here to judge another’s training goals. I will never be convinced by anyone though, that “tools” other than my own aids .
The only gadget I use is a running martingale, because I prefer to not be concussed when I ask for the canter.
I’d rather go a lifetime without using things like drawreins and never go as far as I could, than use them incorrectly once and damage a horse.
Quoted from amastrike:
“I’d rather go a lifetime without using things like drawreins and never go as far as I could, than use them incorrectly once and damage a horse.”
I wish more riders would consider this attitude in reference to their sitting on the horse in the first place and then “applying” any “aids”.
I couldn’t agree more about the possibility of damaging a horse outweighing the use of anything- a different bit, a tighter caveson, etc.
I do a whole lot of re-tooling of ASB show horses, into dressage horses. Using a draw rein simply to ask them NOT to come up, NOT to pull them down, has helped a bunch of them make a quantum leap to understanding where I need them to be.
I am not advocating the use of draw reins by everyone- or even some of the people who I have seen use them. I was thrilled to have someone who I respect- who has worked with the masters- also see them as a tool to be used temporarily on some horses.
“To sum up the application of the auxiliary reins: The master will use these instruments with due caution during the training process only if saving his own energy makes them desirable. The novice should never use them right away for training purposes. Instead, he should try their effect on a well trained horse first, in order to harmonize his aids with the altered effects on the horse. For a while, trainers liked to amass auxiliary reins of all kinds, so that their riding looked liked playing the organ, as they were pulling this register and that. The most common consequence of their excellent art was that the horses had as many bad habits as auxiliary reins! In a squadron I would allow an auxiliary rein only as an exception, even for training purposes. Auxiliary reins are usually just lazy servants that help to produce a superficial impression and support other lazy-bones in loafing.”
[INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT][INDENT]~ Friedrich Von Krane, 1856[/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT][/INDENT]
The use of a d.r. is NOT to limit longitudinal actions, that is how the d.r. should NOT be used. A d.r. was used (traditionally) on a caveson, and was for lateral flexability which therefore creates longitudinal flexion over time. And never should they be used as a pulley, nor w/o the support of the leg.
