After some time off, my problem not the horse, I am rethinking training methods. Is it really beneficial to slap some side reins on to force a horse into a frame? My horse is very laid back and it takes a while to get him working properly and forward. Once warmed up he will work from behind and is a lot happier. I lunge not to get the edge off but to let him loosen up without my nagging.
Opinions and advice is appreciated.
Think of side reins more of a way to provide gentle structure and connection. Much like your hands the side reins should not really be forcing the horse into a frame, sounds like you may need to loosen yours a hole or two.
You don’t put side reins on a horse that is not working properly forward.
Maybe you are not using side reins correctly in your training program.
OP I think by the way you frame the question you already know the answer.
I don’t personally use side reins, outside of a few very specific situations. I don’t think that side reins give you anything that couldn’t be achieved equally as well with some lateral thinking.
I also dislike that side reins are not dynamic; it’s far healthier to warm up with dynamic stretching than static stretching. Side reins by design are wont to fix the head in a position. I could get the same sort of connection with the horse dynamically by working in hand.
Although, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If someone forced me to use a gadget while lunging, I’d hands down chose a chambon. At least then you can get a full FDO stretch on a lunge line gently.
Cat Tap, your horse sounds like my horse – another laid-back character who will do the minimum unless he KNOWS you’re serious. Ride him forward from behind – think you’re riding his hindquarters forward into the bridle. You might find it helpful to have someone on the ground, your trainer perhaps, encouraging him from behind with a lunge whip.
Have a consistent contact on the reins and ride HIM into consistent connection. I’m reading between the lines here, but am thinking he’s not taking up the connection with your hands.
I always start with a 10-minute walking warmup. After that, I pretty much put my guy to work and expect him to go forward into connection. Of course, he improves after a few minutes, but I don’t start him off slowly. I expect him to work. NOW.
Side reins should be only used after you receive instruction from a trainer with continued guidance. You can teach a horse to have false contact and a low poll very easily.
Of course this can also happen with the help and guidance of a trainer too if you pick.the wrong trainer.
“Side reins by design are want to fix the head in a position.” I heartily disagree. And I will tell you what I tell anyone who thinks side reins are to create a “headset”: if they are good enough for the Spanish Riding School, they are good enough for me.
From the link above: “…learns to hang on it to make it stop bouncing the bit in his mouth, time is wiser spent trying to learn long-reining, or simple work in-hand.” Um, I don’t disagree with the second half of that sentence, but I really question the first half. Seriously? She thinks that side reins make the bit “bounce” in his mouth? She has a very imperfect understanding of how side reins work and how to properly adjust them.
I am going to stop responding now. I think I’ll pop some popcorn and pour a glass of wine to enjoy while watching this thread become the train wreck it undoubtedly will.
Side reins should not be short to force a frame. They are there to teach a horse correct contact if you use non elastic ones. They teach to lean and pull if using elastic ones. JMHO.
They are not put on at the start. The horse can relax and stretch yada yada. The reins are for work. A chambon - my mare was happy in the chambon, going around with a low head and not working. The side reins I could send her more forward and work.
Side reins do not mean a low head. They should be adjusted to the height of the level of training for the horse.
It is never beneficial to force a horse into a frame.
For me personally side reins are for brief, active work. I prefer them to have no elastic and especially no rubber doughnut (way too heavy). Plain side reins have a clearer release than those with rubber or elastic. That said I prefer Vienna/running reins as they allow the neck to stay open if the horse looks for a downward stretch.
I also prefer Vienna reins. I am using them on a 4 year old now, and she is not at all forced into a frame. It puts an uppper limit on her ability to invert and counter bend, but they are adjusted to where the slack is just out of them when she’s standing with her head in a natural position, and she is able to move her head naturally at the walk. Also, I run them through the side rings on a lunging cavesson, not to the bit. To me they are there more to guide the horse towards finding a correct balance, not to teach about contact with the mouth.
I really prefer long lining (double lunge lines) instead of side reins.
Correctly adjusted side reins introduce a young horse to the contact of a rider’s hands without the rider’s weight. They allow the horse to control the amount of rein tension without interference. He learns to connect and pump the right muscles. They have been used in classical training for a long time with good result.
I will try to explain without turning this into a novel. The horse is 12 now, I have had him since he was 3 but because of numerous changes, injuries, finances etc. in my life his training has been very sporadic. Also I am used to TBs and this is a laid back dutch warmblood. He is not nasty, has no bad habits but not the greatest work ethic. Back when I was working with a trainer she insisted I lunge with side reins, not the elastic kind. Of course I always started lunging without first.
Now that I am determined to finally make some progress I have found that he is happier if I give him a long warm up at the walk, trotting on very light contact first. Finally he will start talking hold and work from behind. I have not used side reins since starting him up again and just wondered just how beneficial they really are. Right now since neither of us is very fit I only work him 1/2 hour. I am thinking that once he is fitter I can expect him to take a good hold and work into the contact much sooner.
I know a lot of you will say “get a trainer” but can’t afford it right now.
I want to add that without proper guidance I am afraid to use any other gadget e.g. chambon or vienna reins.
Also want to say all my horses were started with long lines until they are backed. Never continued with them after.
That is all very well, but I don’t have the expertise or knowledge of the Spanish Riding School.
It is a fairly basic art. With a little correct instruction, and the will to listen ad learn, using side reins and longing properly is doable.
However a half hour on the longe is too long on the longe, as it is an intense activity.
10 minutes of Proper lunging in side reins means the same as riding for an hour, so you don’t do it for long. You can lunge him and then get on and warm him up the way you are now. It is beneficial as it allows the horse to gain his own rhythm and tempo.
Think of it this way. Ingrid Klimke. One of the best riders in the world. With her youngsters she rides one day and lunges the next to allow the horse to get it’s own rhythm. Ingrid Klimke. You would think that if riding was more beneficial she would not lunge. She does.
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