Riding with a driving rein

[AskMyAccountant.17]

I have been focusing on riding with a softer arm this summer. One tool that has helped, particularly to keep that straight line from bit-hand-to elbow, is to ride with driving reins.

For those that haven’t heard of this, essentially the reins rather than coming up between you pinky and ring finger up through your index and thumb, you rather have the reins go through your thumb and index finger. For me this helps to keep a soft wrist and following hand. (I’ve attached a link that has a photo. I just googled “driving reins dressage” and this was a good image https://murdochmethod.com/no-56-holding-reins-like-driving-lines/ )

I believe there was one rider at Kentucky that rode like this in the dressage phase. Was it WIll Coleman ? What would be the cons of taking this position into the competition ring? I will sometimes incorporate this into my warm-up on my fussier TB before going back to holding reins as normal for the rest of my ride. But, are there any limitations of the driving rein as you progress up the levels?

Thanks!

[Jealoushe]

My coach has some of her students do this regularly, and Carl Hester had someone ride like this also at his symposium. I think he used it for horses who liked to curl behind the contact.

[BayBondGirl]

I tried this very recently during a hack and I felt like an absolute mess lol. Maybe it was highlighting my weaknesses too brightly? I felt like I couldn’t find any evenness in the contact… Perhaps I just need to keep at it?

How often do y’all implement this technique? Every ride? Portions of rides?

[Dr_Doolittle]

One of my students rides with driving reins on a regular basis; she has a sensitive chestnut TB mare (who has a VERY light mouth and goes in a Nathe), and the mare prefers this since it steadies the contact.

She does her dressage tests with driving reins and no judge has ever commented on it

IIRC, years ago Will Coleman had several students at T and P riding with driving reins at an HT - they did their SJ courses that way (not sure about x-country), and they all had beautiful rounds. Obviously it requires skill and core strength to use an auto release, especially over larger fences, but it certainly worked for them! I heard (on this BB) that a rider did dressage at Rolex with driving reins - this was awhile ago - but apparently there is no “issue” with this, so if it works better for the rider and horse, go for it!

[albertaeventer]

Doug Payne used it in dressage this year at Kentucky. I’ve used it lots myself and with students, such a great tool!

In a recent dressage presentation by Peter Gray there was a Q&A portion and someone asked about using the driving rein, if there was any problem using it in a test/show setting. Peter’s reply was that he would probably reflect and comment on it in the rider score since it isn’t classically “correct”, but if it made that big of a difference in the entire ride and overall quality it would probably even out in the scores.

[GoodTimes]

I’ll start out by saying I’m not an eventer (though I did dabble in it for awhile). I use the driving rein for my canter work once a week, more if needed. I can get stiff through my elbows which causes tension through my horses jaw and we get into a pulling match. He immediately softens with the driving because I can’t pull.

[LHL]

I often found that when a horse was leaning on the contact, that I automatically [without being conscious of doing it] changed to a driving rein with my left hand. By softening this one hand, the leaning would stop. I have often had students use the driving reins; but after the session was over, they would go back to their normal hand position. And we would start all over again in the next session.

[2horseowner]

The driving rein is so good to help me soften my arms. I can not pull which keeps the horse from pulling and allowing me to use my legs. Also great when jumping, as I can’t pull.

[Manahmanah]

@albertaeventer

Doug Payne used it in dressage this year at Kentucky. I’ve used it lots myself and with students, such a great tool!

In a recent dressage presentation by Peter Gray there was a Q&A portion and someone asked about using the driving rein, if there was any problem using it in a test/show setting. Peter’s reply was that he would probably reflect and comment on it in the rider score since it isn’t classically “correct”, but if it made that big of a difference in the entire ride and overall quality it would probably even out in the scores.

That is interesting. I noticed he had an uncharacteristically low score for dressage this year for that horse but never watched the replays to figure out why. Wonder if they dinged him.for it

[Auburn]

@Manahmanah

That is interesting. I noticed he had an uncharacteristically low score for dressage this year for that horse but never watched the replays to figure out why. Wonder if they dinged him.for it

Doug told us that he usually rides Vandiver in a snaffle. Vandiver was feeling a bit fresh, so he decided to ride him in a Full bridle in the Dressage test. The Full bridle made things worse, so Doug held the reins that way to try and keep a lid on the ride. He told us that he will not make that mistake again.

[Manahmanah]

That explains it then. I am a huge fan of this pair and was super bummed out when they scored lower than they usually do. Cant wait to see what they do next year

[evilc123]

I rode with Will Coleman earlier in the season and he had all of us ride with driving reins. I found it to be too distracting to be useful, but he also had me put the reins over the horse’s head so that the buckle was against the horse’s neck and i had a loop of rein on either side, and I found this to be VERY effective.

[moxiecadeau]

@evilc123

I rode with Will Coleman earlier in the season and he had all of us ride with driving reins. I found it to be too distracting to be useful, but he also had me put the reins over the horse’s head so that the buckle was against the horse’s neck and i had a loop of rein on either side, and I found this to be VERY effective.

Could you post a pic of that rein scenario? It sounds interesting!

[evilc123]

@moxiecadeau

Could you post a pic of that rein scenario? It sounds interesting!

Absolutely! Just PM-ed a couple pics to you. Anyone else who wants them, just PM me.

[endlessclimb]

@evilc123

I rode with Will Coleman earlier in the season and he had all of us ride with driving reins. I found it to be too distracting to be useful, but he also had me put the reins over the horse’s head so that the buckle was against the horse’s neck and i had a loop of rein on either side, and I found this to be VERY effective.

I’ve been wanting to try this but often ride alone. Is it safe, in your opinion, to put the reins like that, and then get on? Or do you need a helper to set them like this when you’re already mounted?

[evilc123]

@endlessclimb

I’ve been wanting to try this but often ride alone. Is it safe, in your opinion, to put the reins like that, and then get on? Or do you need a helper to set them like this when you’re already mounted?

Eeek. Good question. I know you’re not supposed to say this…but I think it probably depends on the horse. If you drop a rein, you could be in some hot water because your reins would essentially be dangling in front of the horse. I ride my horse bridleless sometimes and she is pretty chill about me flinging things around her, so I am actually able to maneuver back to normal while I’m mounted. (For mounting, stick a crop/bat into the loop to hold them up at the pommel.) But if your horse is unpredictable in any way, it could result in a pretty chaotic emergency dismount, so having someone around might be good.

[endlessclimb]

@evilc123

Eeek. Good question. I know you’re not supposed to say this…but I think it probably depends on the horse. If you drop a rein, you could be in some hot water because your reins would essentially be dangling in front of the horse. I ride my horse bridleless sometimes and she is pretty chill about me flinging things around her, so I am actually able to maneuver back to normal while I’m mounted. (For mounting, stick a crop/bat into the loop to hold them up at the pommel.) But if your horse is unpredictable in any way, it could result in a pretty chaotic emergency dismount, so having someone around might be good.

Crap now that you say something about a crop I’m worried I’m thinking of the wrong thing. I was imagining wrapping the reins around the neck, and then buckling underneath. With that set up, there would be no risk of a rein dropping, because I’d do it before I got on. But if the reins are too short to have any control, it would be best that I don’t try to mount like that in case the mare takes offense to something.

Can you PM me the picture of the set up you’re describing?

[evilc123]

@endlessclimb you could absolutely use bailing twine or something to make sure they stay up actually. I’ll PM you in a min!

[Hilary]

The rein under the next thing is interesting because it really limits how much you can pull on their mouth - Wofford used it in a clinic once and it made a huge difference for that person. But yes if you drop the reins you are toast. So use some twine or something to keep them from dropping.

When I was trying to improve my automatic release I used the “driving rein” technique - which I have to point out is not how one holds the reins when driving unless you are driving a plow horse in 1872. When driving you hold the reins as you do when you ride - there is an advanced technique where both reins are held steady in your left hand coming down over your fingers. But everyone knows what you mean when you say driving rein so I will stop ranting.

And back to why it helps when you ride - as you no longer have the rein in a fist, your hand and arm remain much much softer and it’s much easier to follow the motion of the head/neck through your whole arm, so when I was working on the auto release this really helped me be softer in my whole arm.

You do have to have a really solid core/upper body position and strong leg because you can’t rely on the rein for balance. I know no one sets out to do that but it happens - if you are weak in your postiion using the ‘driving rein’ will point that out in a hurry.

[BayBondGirl]

@Hilary

which I have to point out is not how one holds the reins when driving unless you are driving a plow horse in 1872.

This made me laugh… Sometimes it feels like that is what’s going on in our rides :lol: