# Side Reins: Your general opinions appreciated



## Delregans Way (Sep 11, 2007)

Well, im a fence sitter on this one. I am guilty of using them to lunge with, esp for some off the track Thoroughbreds (to gain balance, and to build muscel in the neck) although iv heard from great trainers that side reins are useless as they restrict the movement, and the horse learns to keep its head down it must look for that constant level of pressure (given by the side reins), therefore giving a horse a hard mouth. I do however, disagree strongly on riding a horse with side reins. I see no sense, and by what you think you can gain by that, you can get the same results in better ways.

Please DO NOT take shortcuts. If you take the long road, u'll get much better CONSISTANT results in the future.. 
Rome wasnt built in a Day :wink:


----------



## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

I use side reins on the lunge. Ten minutes in each direction at the trot. I use them to help my horse start to build up a topline and muscling in his neck. I don't do it very often, for a few weeks I did it maybe twice or three times a week, but don't really do it anymore. My trainer told me that having the inside rein shorter doesn't really do anything, so I keep both even, and they're not tight at all. They are just tight enough to give a constant light pressure, but not any more.

I have heard that for a green or inexperienced horse, it's not a good method. I have no personal experience with that though, because my horse is neither. I have seen results in my horse's way of going. They didn't force him into any kind of "frame", but encouraged him to carry his own head and seek contact when we're under saddle. He no longer leans on me like he used to either, although that could be from improvements in my riding.

Basically, I think that they have their use but are not for every horse.

Here's some pictures of Zeus being lunged in side reins.













































Sorry for all the pictures.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I love my sidereins. But you need to be using them for the right reason. People that verbalise that they are using them to 'get my horse's head down' are what gives side reins a bad rep. They are not designed to be used as shortcuts. They are designed to assist in giving the horse a steady contact to work onto on the lunge, to help establish the idea of working into a steady contact from the hind quarters, which in turn engages the hind legs and back.

Lunging with nothing in my opinion, does nothing more than allow the horse to burn off some energy and maybe listen to voice aids.
I know when I lunge, my aim is always to have my horse working through from his hind legs, over his back and into the contact, not backing off and not lugging. Without an outside rein at least, the energy you create at the hind legs travels up over the back but then straight out the outside or inside shoulder, generating a horse that ducks out or drops in on the circle, and after a long period of time, you will simply be building up incorrect and uneven muscling, making work under saddle a challenge. 

Side reins are the ideal 'hands'. You want your hands to have some give, but keep still and quiet to encourage the horse to take the contact. Side reins to just that, hence why I like the elasticised ones. They have that slight give in them, but remain steady and constant, which, if you are doing your job on the hind end well enough, will give the horse comfort if they take the contact. 

The use of side reins should be controlled by a horse person who knows exactly what they want to achieve with them, how they work and why they are using them. Having side reins attached so they are loose and swinging around is 100% pointless. They are there to give the horse a contact, so use them for that purpose.
Then there is the opposite dilema of adjusting them too tightly (most often done by the folk who follow the rule of using gadgets to jam the horse's head in because it 'looks pretty'). This will simply create either a horse that backs off the contact to escape the excess pressure, or a horse that leans heavily onto the bit. 

You must find a happy medium, and this can be longer or shorted depending on the length of neck, the level of work at which the horse is peforming, and it's experience in side reins previously.

Obviously the younger less experience horse will need the reins longer than an older horse working in collection. The most important aspect of successful use of side reins is that you work the hind end effectively. The hind legs MUST be swinging under the horse taking it's weight, and the back must begin to loosen and swing in accordance to the hind legs. 

I always keep my side reins at the same length. Shortening the inside rein only encourages over flexing to the inside, and gives the perfect oppertunity for the horse to duck out with the outside shoulder.
When you ride, you want your reins to be even, so it is the same with sidereins. The inside bend will come once the hind legs are working, the back is swinging and the horse is taking the contact. It does NOT need to be encouraged by shortening the inside rein to pull the head to the inside.


----------



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

I think what side reins accomplish is a way of providing consistent contact in cases where the rider might not have a completely independent seat and not be able to provide the same consistency. If used properly, I find them useful.


----------



## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

I'll never use side reins. IMO it's a mechanical device that that MAKES the horse carry himself in a way that he doesn't/can't do willingly....it's a shortcut IMO. If the horse needs muscle, there are much better ways to go about it than strapping some device on.


----------



## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

Spirithorse said:


> I'll never use side reins. IMO it's a mechanical device that that MAKES the horse carry himself in a way that he doesn't/can't do willingly....it's a shortcut IMO. If the horse needs muscle, there are much better ways to go about it than strapping some device on.


 I generally don't like to use "devices" but if it can influence my horse in a positive way (and is humane and gentle), why not?
I'm not forcing him and i'm not making him. He can still put his head up in the side reins, but when he does he meets resistance, so instead he happily obliges by lifting his back, stretching down and forward, and moving in a beneficial way. JUST like when I ask him to do the same under saddle. I see no difference when used correctly. As Kayty said, "Side reins are the ideal 'hands'. You want your hands to have some give, but keep still and quiet to encourage the horse to take the contact. Side reins to just that."


----------



## gypsygirl (Oct 15, 2009)

in response to spirithorse

your post tells me you are ignorant about the correct use of side reins & are basing your opinion purely off of how you have seen them be misused.

the point of side reins is to teach the horse how to move up into the contact [& trust the contact-b/c it is consistent], like they would if a rider was holding the reins, NOT to force the horse in a frame.


----------



## Seahorseys (Nov 14, 2009)

Thank you for all this very informative commentary, keep it coming, i enjoyed reading what everyone has to say, and will talk it over with my trainer, especially the bit about shortening the inside rein. I know that you can't just put a piece of equipment on your horse and force it to change strictly based on its presence, so we do quite a bit of strengthening, stretching, and suppling exercises in conjunction. Today, obviously, the side reins were just introduced, so there was only slight contact and we did notice some positive results. I think it's easy for all types of equipment to be improperly used. Even a halter and lead rope. I can see how easily the side reins can be misused, which is why I am generally very cautious about using them correctly.


----------



## roro (Aug 14, 2009)

My trainer uses them on my horse when needed to help him learn to reach into the contact and balance( I would use them myself, but I am a big believer in only those that are experienced enough should use tools like this). They are quite loose, and that allows him to find and hold the contact by himself without being forced into a frame. It will also help for when I will take lunge lessons on him without reins, so I can focus on my seat while he still has rein contact. They should not be used for the purpose of 'keeping his head down' or 'keeping his pace slow'.


----------



## Mercedes (Jun 29, 2009)

Do not make the inside side rein shorter than the outside one. It creates false flexion. They should be the same length just as they'd be if you were riding.


----------



## xsaramariex (Feb 6, 2010)

I use side reins on my horse when lunging just tight enough to feel a consistant pressure but loose enough to allow freedom of movement. In canter she used to throw her head up and run the transition due to previous bad training now shes able to make a more balanced transition due partly to the use of side reins.



> mechanical device that that MAKES the horse carry himself in a way that he doesn't/can't do willingly....it's a shortcut


 if used properly it cannot 'MAKE' the horse carry himself but encourage better self carriage.


----------



## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

I have a pair of side reins and a surcingle, but I don't generally use them since my TB has a very sensitive mouth so we're still on the search for a good bit, and he is an OTTB--he leans in to constant pressure. However, used correctly, I think they can be a useful training tool.


----------



## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

I'll use side reins on Rocky occasionally, but only when lunging. Because we're still working on him using his hind end at the trot and canter, i find that side reins really help him. That constant pressure encourages him to stretch down and engage his muscles correctly. And it's easier for him because ill admit that i dont yet have perfect hands. it eliminates my error. however, I dont keep the side reins on for long periods of time and we always work on the same stretching down under saddle. I'm hoping pretty soon that he won't even need them and we can do all of our work under saddle.


----------



## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I use side reins all the time on my horses. Moderation and gradual conditioning are the keys. They're really useful for building muscle and teaching balance. My TB's trot has gotten much more controlled and rhythmic since I started using them. I don't think they restrict movement at all, in fact, they've had the opposite effect on my horses. I was always taught that side reins are only a lunging tool, never for riding. Although I have seen people ride with them. :-|


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I don't use the side reins as a 'gadget' to build muscle. The muscle building on a horse in light work is only a positive side effect of their use. For me, as stated in my original post, is to give the horse a steady contact onto which they can come onto, using their back to reach into the rein.

So for those who boo side reins or any other lunging 'gadgets'... do you care to explain the way that you lunge which apparently does a better job of getting your horse to reach for the rein, swing their back, stay straight on their line and remain in self carriage without dropping the shoulders or swinging the hind quarters?
Because without an outside rein at least, where does the energy from the hind end go???? Straight out the shoulders, that's where. How is this benificial????


----------



## Clementine (Sep 24, 2009)

I love side reins! (Actually, this thread just made me realize that I should really use some on Jazz...) I find that lunging a horse two or three times a week in them for about ten minutes in each direction has great effects. For the horses that I have worked with at least, they have encouraged them to stretch over their back, and therefore allows them to work through their back from the hind end. 

I wouldn't ride with side reins. However, I've sometimes wondered if they might be beneficial for trainers to use with their beginner riders - particuarly for lunge line lessons, as it wold keep the horse working correctly (instead of hollowing through the back, becoming tense, raising their head, and poking their nose out). For the horse, it would sort of be like that beginner rider had perfect hands, wouldn't it? If they were going to be used off the lunge, I can only think that they would have to be very loose (I know that loose side reins aren't all that effective, but it would still be useful for keeping the horse from becoming inverted when it is subjected to a beginner rider (LOL), wouldn't it?)


----------



## Gillian (Aug 2, 2008)

I don't think they should be used undersaddle at all. Just on the lunge. I can see my horse becoming confused with "two hands" asking him different things. But perhaps for a lunge line lesson, for which the rider would drop their reins and work solely on their seat and leg aids, it could be beneficial for the horse to still have that steady rein and work correctly.


----------



## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

lol I'm not ignorant of them at all. I used to lunge horses in side reins, draw reins, etc. before I found a better way and quit using devices to get what I want.

If the horse has confidence issues going into the bit, I do it from his back, stroking the reins to get him to reach for the contact and to achieve longitudinal flexion at w/t/c...also working on finding that 'sweet spot' where he feels completely balaned so that he feels comfortable stretching....then when I pick up contact and he reaches for it, to get him to come up into a more uphill posture I simply change my position and start doing exercises to help lift him up...."snakey" bends, pushing him sideways while on a circle, etc. Soon I have a horse who is very confident in the contact because I've taken care to show him that I will always use a soft hand on him, and he feels physically able to go into the contact because he's balanced.

Also, if a horse needs to learn to use his body better, I use trot poles and hill therapy.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Yes under saddle it all comes from driving the hind legs up towards to hand to create a swinging back and a contact in the bridle. 
However, this is about side reins on the lunge.

So, if you are anti-all gadgets, how does your horse lunge and 'reach for the bit' with no outside rein contact???? And don't use the excuse 'horses shouldn't be lunged if they are trained correctly' as that is a load of crud sorry. Lunging is very usefull when you don't have the time or cannot ride, bringing them back into work, working on forwardness and balance in a young/green horse without having the added pressure of an un balanced rider on its back- and unless you are some top GP rider i highly doubt that you are in absolute perfect balance so as not to interfere with the horses balance in the slightest.


----------



## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I rarely lunge a horse and almost never use side reins. When beginning a horse's training, I will ground drive and long rein. I do not want a horse coming against an unyielding "hand" as a side rein will present. A horse will have MY hand to listen to, even long before they are backed. BUT, that is because I know how to drive well. Most people do not. I would rather see people lunge with side reins than attempt to drive poorly.

I also never lunge "to get the bucks out". I get on and direct their freshness and exuberance into the job they are being asked to do. If they buck, I persevere until they do the job asked better. Then they are well praised. I teach the horse to want to do what is asked that way. Lunging allows the horse wander without good direction, IMO.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Certain Alison, I 100% agree with you about lunging to get the bucks out. A very pointless exercise unless you are a newbie nervous rider and doing it for peace of mind, however I find lunging to 'get the bucks out' tends to make them get the impression that every time they are lunged it is 'play time'.

However, I don't think that lunging allows the horse to wander without good direction, IF being lunged for a reason. Yes, you see many people lunging endless circles without a real purpose in mind.. just because they feel like it or feel as though lunging prior to a ride is necessary. 
I lunge my horses when I am lacking the time to ride, or recovering from an injury/illness, or when I just want to see whether the horse has come sound after some time off. 
I lunge with a purpose, I demand that the hind legs be working actively behind, the back must be swinging and there must be a steady contact into the bridle, the horse is straight, forward and correct. I lunge a horse how I like them to go under saddle, soft forward and swinging. I do not see how this is wandering without good direction when it is clearly benifiting the education and balance of the horse.

As for young horses/breakers, totally different story and like you I much prefer long reining. I believe that side reins should not be used until the horse has established a contact under saddle and has learnt to work over his back into the bridle, only then are 2 side reins introduced for lunging.


----------



## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

I do not "lunge" my horse "normally."


----------



## Beling (Nov 3, 2009)

This thread got me thinking: what's the difference between riding with a fixed hand and lunging with fixed reins? 

Although I do lunge, I'm beginning to think it does very little to help teach the rounding, and coming under, that one seeks while riding: there's no weight on the horse's back.

As for seeking the bit, my method is, initially, to take a contact, ask for a yield, and then _give it back_. That's impossible with a fixed rein. On the lunge, is the horse actually seeking the bit, or learning he can lean on it?


----------



## justsambam08 (Sep 26, 2009)

^^I think as long as you don't jack up the side reins too short, and there is some swing to them, it gives the horse the option of coming up in to contact. 

As for rounding the back out, I would most certainly want to warm up a horse to using their back muscles without the weight of tack and rider.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

You don't need the weight of a rider on a horses back to get them seeking the rein. Have a look at the horses in the Spanish riding school. They are all worked in side reins without a rider and look at the astonishing levels of collection they achieve. 

Of course you will teach a horse to lean on the rein or back off it in side reins if you don't know how to use them efficiently. Hence my constant emphasis on 'experienced' rider/handlers knowing how to use the reins, what they want to achieve from their use and how exactly they work. 
People seem to be under the impression side reins are their to crank the head in and thats it. That is an extremely misguided and uneducated idea. 
Side reins should be adjusted to a length that has a small amount of slack in them when the horse is working just in front of the vertical (if the horse is at a level where they know how to work on the bit and in the early stages of collection, for young/green horses of course you will let the reins out longer to get the neck stretch). From that, you MUST drive the hind legs, expect them to really motor along and take their weight on the hind legs. Exactly the same principals apply on the lunge as they do under saddle. You want the hind legs to be driven forward, transferring energy over the back which in turns begins to soften and 'swing', and up over the neck and through to the bridle, thus taking a steady, but relaxed contact with the bit. If you don't drive the hind legs, then of course the horse is going to fall on the forehand and lean on the reins. If he is working powerfully from driving hind legs, his forehand will soften and he will not learn to rely on the reins for support. 

AGain I refer to my initial post. How (if you are a dressage/flat rider who knows about outside rein connection, straightness, throughness etc. ) do you lunge your horse and maintain a connection to the bit, a straight body, swinging back with not outside rein contact? Unless the horse is highly trained under saddle and works naturally straight, or he is a saint, the energy you create in the hind legs will flow straight out through the outside, or inside shoulder, without an outside rein to contain the flow of energy, thus creating a crooked horse who has now found a good evasion to use under saddle.


----------



## ReiningTrainer (Dec 30, 2009)

I agree, especially with an inexperienced users, that side reins will make a horse heavy as they are fixed. They have no feel and cannot reward the horse like a hand can. Yes, the horse can 'find his own release,' but some horses will find it quite acceptable to let the side rein 'hold' them. Horses are lazy by nature and if they find that someone or something will do the work, they will lay on that someone or something all day.


----------



## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

When used correctly side reins are great for "explaining" to the horse how they should engage their hindquarters and come over their back.

1.) Start with them long and as horse develops muscle and become more engaged (years) you can shorten them to mimic the shorter rein you'll be riding in.
2.) You must always use the whip to keep the rear end (engine) engaged. If horse is not stepping underneath iteself at trot and canter (even if it's going fast) then use the whip to drive the horse more forward. Trick to telling is if hind legs seems to be quite a bit behind it's butt horse is not truely forward - even if they're running. Another way I prefer to use is if I ask for a transition and it takes a few steps (walk to canter and I get trot steps, or walk to trot and I get a few bigger walk or smaller trot steps) then horses is not engaged behind and you need the whip to encourage them forward. 
3.) If horse likes to drop onto forehand (neck low) attach side reins up as high as possible, if they like to brace and hollow attach them as low as possible. 
4.) Un-snap side reins quite often so horse can stretch it's nose down and stretch out it's back (just as if you were riding and giving the horse walk breaks on a long rein). 
Suggest your trainer watch you lunge a bit and comment on what if anything you need to change in using them.


----------



## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Valentina said:


> When used correctly side reins are great for "explaining" to the horse how they should engage their hindquarters and come over their back.
> 
> 1.) Start with them long and as horse develops muscle and become more engaged (years) you can shorten them to mimic the shorter rein you'll be riding in.
> 2.) You must always use the whip to keep the rear end (engine) engaged. If horse is not stepping underneath iteself at trot and canter (even if it's going fast) then use the whip to drive the horse more forward. Trick to telling is if hind legs seems to be quite a bit behind it's butt horse is not truely forward - even if they're running. Another way I prefer to use is if I ask for a transition and it takes a few steps (walk to canter and I get trot steps, or walk to trot and I get a few bigger walk or smaller trot steps) then horses is not engaged behind and you need the whip to encourage them forward.
> ...


thankyou!!


----------



## Seahorseys (Nov 14, 2009)

Thank you for all your posts. It's so nice to have kept the thread so constructive, full of different opinions but maintaining civility. I have been using the side reins solidly for about a week now. The footing in my arena is really undesirable but progress has been made. I usually lunge her without them, snap them on for a bit, then unsnap them. They will be loose for a while longer before I shorten them up some. I notice more engagement when I've just finished lungeing with them on, snap them off and ask her to trot. Her trot actually looks a little better than when the side reins are off but I have just finished using them, if that makes any sense. I don't use side reins with canter work but I have been asking her for canter from a walk a while before we started using them and she would spring up into a trot, then canter. Just this week she picked up the canter from a walk, and although she appeared slightly unsure, I was very pleased, and wondered if the side reins had helped her with that. Her headset doesn't show too great an improvement in the trot, I mean there is definitely a difference but it is not as dramatic as the change I have noticed in her headset in the canter. It has actually dropped down quite a bit in the canter, she looks smoother, more relaxed and round. She actually corrected her lead a couple times, which I had never seen her do on her own on the lunge when she's picked up the wrong one before. I've spent a great deal of time just concentrating on driving her out on the circle, so I have mainly pointed the whip at her shoulder to try and keep her out. She has seemed to have got the point about maintaining her distance from me. With the side reins, I have to drive her a bit more so I'm slightly closer to her hind with the whip pointed at her hindquarters, and the results have definitely begun to show.

Thanks for your feedback.


----------



## Meaghan1011 (Dec 28, 2009)

I use them on my 5 yr old and have used them on her for about a yr on her, she has dropped her head and prefers a low head carriage and to have contact while lunging ,


----------

