When I took riding lessons in Switzerland (some 20ish years ago) novice riders always rode with side reins on the horse. The instructor told me it’s safer because it helps keep the horse under control and also helps the rider learn to have quiet, soft hands,'develop a feel for the proper connection, and go to the leg rather than the hand first because they don’t need the hand as much.
What are your thoughts in terms of safety (of horse and rider) and effectiveness?
Is this useful / safe for only a green rider and a trained, steady horse? What about a more experienced rider on a greener horse? Assuming in both cases the horse accepts side reins happily on thrvlunge line.
Well, I’m not an expert, but one of the few times I know of personally where a rider was lunged on her horse in side reins, he flipped over, so I’m not at all a fan. The rider was fairly experienced and the horse was green-ish but not completely green (an OTTB who had already had some retraining for hunter/jumper). She is very lucky that she didn’t end up with a broken pelvis or worse when he went over on her.
I guess what bothers me about it is that since the side reins are independent of the rider’s hands, there is no give should something go wrong.I also don’t much like draw reins, but at least those the rider has some control over.
Heck NO. This is very dangerous! Never ride in side reins! The only reason the riding instructor in Switzerland did this 20 years ago was because it was 20 years ago, they were a riding instructor and the horse was assumably a 100% trustable schoolie. These days, most riding instructors would never dream of taking the risk of putting a rider on a horse wearing side reins. It simply is not considered safe. Some european countries might still do this at riding schools. It is an outdated method used on some rank beginner riders, usually little children on little ponies.
Riding in side reins is not safe for the horse or the rider. Nor is it effective riding for the horse, or effective education for the rider. A rider cannot “develop a feel for proper connection” if a horse has his head tied in one position. Without the use of seat and legs properly driving the horse from behind, a horse with it’s head held in position with side reins can suck behind the contact and hollow it’s back. Same goes for horse’s on the lunge line in side reins, if the person lunging does not keep the horse moving from behind and into the contact through use of the lunge whip.
No, it is not useful nor safe for a green rider on a trained stead horse. And holy moly, an experienced rider would never ride a green horse in side reins. There is absolutely no reason to do so.
PLEASE. For the your own safety and for that of any horse involved, please do not ever ride a horse in side reins!
I’ll take the detour with you. Vaulting. It is acceptable because it is not typically done in people’s back yards on a whim, but it done under the watchful eye of a specialized instructor with a specially chosen vaulting horse. Lungeing a horse in side reins is acceptable if people do it correctly. It’s when the person doesn’t have proper lungeing skills in general, knowledge of how to use reins, knowledge of how to introduce them to a horse, knowledge of how to adjust them properly, or quick reflexes if the horse starts to balk, that side reins are then unacceptable.
Since vaulting is not typically a common back yard activity a person does by themselves and lungeing can be a backyard activity done solo, lungeing might be considered to have more safety risks. Vaulting: generally more safety risks for the rider. Lungeing: generally more safety risks for the horse. However, vaulting also presents risks for the horse, as lungeing also presents risks for the lunger. Both present risks for the horse in terms of wear and tear on the joints from repetitiously going round and round.
Just to clarify - this isn’t something I’m planning to do, just gathering opinions. At the time I got the impression this was standard practice for lessons in much of Europe - assume that is no longer the case?
If I were going to ride with some kind of training device, I would choose one I could control / adjust myself, like draw reins. And since I know I don’t have the skills to use draw reins well (and my horse doesn’t require gadgets) it’s not about to happen.
That being said, I do often lunge in side reins and have never had an issue. And when my trainer gives me mounted lunge lessons, she usually puts side reins on my horse. He’s rock steady on theblunge line and I am very confident that between her experience on the ground and me in the saddle we could react quickly enough to prevent most problems.
When lunging you should be on a trained horse and with a trained lunger. The horse wears side-reins. The horse is warmed up in side-reins that are then loosened 2 holes for when the rider is on.
If you want reins in this situation, the reins are attached to the outside ‘d’ rings on the lunging cavesson and the horse is kept on the lunge. To attach the side-reins to the bit the horse would be receiving signals from 2 different directions, which is not what you want.
I would agree it isn’t safe, although I posed the same question on COTH a few years about kids lessoning in side reins and I was told “it’s how it’s done in Europe”.
I have had many lunge line lessons in my life…always with the horse wearing side reins, and the bridle reins knotted so that the rider holds the loop at the buckle (no contact). These were always position-centered lessons, no reason for the rider to have reins. I think side reins + contact on the reins would generally be too confusing for the horse. And if a rider has steady enough hands and contact for it not to be sending mixed signals, the side reins wouldn’t be needed.
Properly adjusted side reins - in the hands of a knowledgeable pro - on a horse that has been well-schooled to accept them - don’t get my hackles up. I think riding (not on the line) in them is probably not a great idea, but I’ve seen it done in some unusual situations. Still very confusing and sending mixed signals to the horse, though. I think there are better ways to accomplish the same end result.
Well. It’s going to depend on whether the horse has been thoroughly schooled in side reins earlier. If they have. getting on them for a longe lesson or kiddy ride is probably safe enough. But if the horse has never had side reins on to be longed, as mine hasn’t, then I’m certainly not going to do a longe lesson with side reins on her for the first time. She would be very upset to say the least!
So if the horse has been trained with side reins, you could do this. That of course raides the further question of whether side reins encourage a correct way of moving. I have not seen anyone use them to achieve correct movement. But that’s not the question being asked here.
I have never seen them used in kiddy lessons though I have also heard of this as an older European practice.
One thing, Europe does not always equal “better”. I know too many fresh off the boat young imports from Europe that have serious trust issues and ugly reactions from abusive tactics when started Not all, but enough to know that “done in Europe” can be sketchy as hell.
In the USDF certification testing, and in USDF work shops, riders are longed in side reins. The horse and hopefully the instructor are well trained and not unfamiliar with side reins. the horse is first longed in side reins. The side reins are detached while rider mounts, and reattached, immediately before moving off, outside rein first.
I haven’t yet seen them used correctly IRL, and the trainers I know who get correct movement don’t use them. I’m willing to believe someone out there does, but up until now all I can say is I haven’t seen it.
I once scribed for a judge who grew up riding in the UK. She said young kids were allowed to show in side reins at dressage shows (I assume at low levels). She preferred this because the rider could focus on their own balance without being pulled around by a naughty pony and balancing on the reins.
I am not sure how you would allow the horse to stretch in side reins. Most longing is done for short periods as compared to riding. I can’t imagine forcing a horse to hold its head in a steady position without break as per side reins.
Not all, but enough to know that “done in Europe” can be sketchy as hell.