Getting Out of Draw Reins

[LaurenVA]

I’m not even sure how to put this, but: Does anyone have any experience with training/retraining a horse out of a 90% draw rein background?

I have an 8 year old 17.3h loooong-backed mare with a lot of flexibility (the hind end and neck swing very easily in either direction) and a selective attention span. She came to me from a trainer with an iron leg/hand who trained her flatwork primarily in draw reins set through the sides of the girth.

Getting her active behind, working through her back, and on the bit is usually doable for me with a pelham or gag bit and a spur, but a battle (not with my horse, just in feasibility) in any kind of a snaffle, which is where I would like to be. Her trainer is very much a “step into the ring and pull the head down immediately” kind of guy, so my background of moving forward with light contact to warm up is met with derision from him and confusion (day off mode) from the mare. Unless I’ve got her pulled together from the get go, the attention span and work ethic kind of go out the door. This is an issue because 1.) I hate riding that way, and 2.) I couldn’t if I wanted to, because I’m nowhere near as strong as her trainer, and he’s always used force/strength.

She’s not difficult in character, but good at well-timed spooking to avoid working effectively, swinging the butt to avoid using it once tired, and she gets heavy/dull easily. In short, she is huge, long, and weak (more so after 3 weeks time off due to illness). I’d like to hit reset.

What can I do? She drops muscle quickly and it really shows after her time off.

Do I throw away the draw reins and work her in a leverage bit with the goal of gradually working toward something less?
Use draw reins sparingly?
Lunge once a week in a de gogue (to trade a gadget for a gadget… although this + the pessoa were a large part of her training as well) and work to establish contact more naturally when I ride?

I am lost and not getting much help at my stable, where draw reins are god. I actually hate them and they were never a part of my training. For sure my flatwork can improve, but I honestly feel like I’m not German enough (I’m an expat in Germany) to ride this horse the way she’s used to.

[Scribbler]

Do you own this horse now? If so can you go shopping for a better trainer?

[LaurenVA]

Yes to both. We are moving to another country in six weeks and already feel like we have a better bearing on the equestrian world there. I just feel like I’ve reached my threshold with continuing on this way, especially now that I’m bringing her back into work.

[Scribbler]

Then I would suggest over the next 6 weeks just starting her over from the ground up, in hand and longe s bit. Lateral work at the walk in hand and in saddle will help build her ability to use her hind end and focus on you. Use a mild snaffle. When you ride work on her accepting and stretching into the snaffle. You need to build her strength before you start asking her to carry herself.

When you relocate find a good trainer that doesn’t use gadgets.

[mbv]

What about a pelham? Obviously you know there is retraining that needs to happen, but as temporary measure in your current situation it could be helpful. Work towards riding her off the snaffle but the curb is there when needed.

[Virginia_Horse_Mom]

I agree with the lungeing suggestion. Basic side reins, with an elastic donut adjusted not too tight, paired with a simple snaffle, might help the mare relearn the idea of connection without being heavy, and help build a bit of muscle ontge topline. It will also help keep her from swinging her front or back end around. Lots of walk trot transitions, and transitions within the trot (big trot to slower collected, back to big), and some ground poles can make basic lungeing at walk and trot more dynamic.

I like the side reins because the horse gets rewarded for going along with a nice light consistent connection.

[alibi_18]

Like Scribbler said. Start over quietly.

A young huge horse is demanding. Find a good trainer who will help you out correctly ride and muscle her up properly.

Good nutrition will help with her overall fitness but supplement like Equitop Myoplast could be beneficial. Lots of bigger horses don’t get enough fuel for their muscle and are often under ridden which lead to heavyness and behavioral problems.

[merrygoround]

It sounds as though you, as a rider, are not using seat and leg to ride this horse. It also sounds as though you, too, are focused on her head and neck. The riding you are describing sounds remarkably not-German, at least any well trained German instructor/trainer I know.

If you truly want to get to a snaffle, start as suggested with a snaffle on the longe. when you get back to the saddle, use the voice commands you used on the longe to reinforce your body and leg aids. She should initially be ridden on a light contact, then when she is stronger and more able to carry herself, you can ask for more. Until then be happy to have her poke her nose out, so long as she’s accepting of the contact. If problems develop, consider that you may need help with feeling correct contact.

[IPEsq]

Yes I have done this. With the lack of focus of your horse, that adds another wrinkle that’s not just retraining balance and contact. For the focus, you can do a lot with ground work. I personally wouldn’t use any gadgets. I also would start in a cavesson or halter. Work on her mind, basic understanding of forward, and bend in the body. Then you can introduce long lines which allow some give and take unlike side reins.

In the saddle, you may want to go back to the walk for a while. You can do a lot in the walk to get her moving through and paying attention, and you may be able to accomplish this in a snaffle. It sounds like she needs stuff to do. So, walk over poles, do serpentines or a lot of random changes of direction or circles. Do leg yields and other lateral work. Don’t worry at first on how correct her legs are but is she moving from behind into a light rein? (The rein won’t be light at first and that’s ok). This will help her build strength in a gait that is controllable for the both of you.

Once she starts to understand this new contact, you can move on to more difficult exercises. Anything that will encourage the long bodied horse to sit down and lighten the front without you doing all the work is what you need. Gymnastics, poles on a circle, etc.

[tinah]

Any time I have a horse that sucks back/ducks under the contact/is afraid of the bit, I put them in a sidepull, and we ride in that however long it takes for that nose to come out and the back to start swinging freely. Sometimes they are a little hollow, and that’s okay. Most of the time steering isn’t great, and that’s okay too. The only thing I am concerned about is getting them to move forward. Even quick is fine. They’ll relax eventually.

once I’ve got forward and relaxed, I’ll leave them in the sidepull for another ride or three until we establish that leg means MORE PUSH and not necessarily faster. They figure out how to push into the contact, but if they start leaning, whether from weakness or laziness, I’ll drop the reins and back off and let them relax some.

after we have relaxed and push, I go back to a snaffle. I’m not going to carry a horse. A quick tap behind the leg will normally get them to lighten up, but if they start leaning or running downhill with their nose tucked in they might just flat be tired. I’m big on letting a horse stretch and doing something else for a bit. I don’t like to run them into the ground or endlessly drill them when they’ve already given me the best they can do.

[Jealoushe]

It’s time to stop worrying about the head.

If your horse only goes round in a leverage bit or draw reins then the Horse is not truly round at all.

Start over. Wayyyy over. Back to basics. Worry about everything else but the head. The head comes last. Any good dressage trainers near you?

[kmwines]

Take the next 6 weeks and hack out/walk as much as you can. Not sure what the weather is over there right now but if you can get out on some hills the better. If she doesn’t get fit quickly, it’ll probably take those 6 weeks to get back to where she was before the illness. Take this grey zone time to work on fitness and relaxation and then you can start over with the contact issues. She’ll probably be much better equipped to carry herself if she’s in better shape.