# Benefits of Lunging with Sidereins?



## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Pro's 
They help a horse learn to accept pressure from the bit
They can help 'focus' a horse
They will help a horse develop and learn to use the neck muscles needed to hold itself in collection
Cons
If put on too tightly you can end up with a horse that's got a 'dull' mouth
The horse can develop a tendency to get behind the bit to avoid the pressure
Used incorrectly you can end up with a horse with its head so low its on the forehand all the time and pulling itself along so not using its quarters
You can create too much 'muscle memory' resulting in a 'fixed' headset rather than a horse that 'follows the bit down when allowed too


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I love side reins for lunging - there's a reason they are the only approved lunging aid allowed by the FEI.

But you need to know what you're doing to use them without causing detriment. 
They are not used to 'get a headset' as many people seem to think. They provide a contact and connection with the hind legs, allowing the horse to reach into the rein and connect the power from the hind legs to the poll via the back and neck. 
Without side reins horses tend to overbend resulting in a crooked horse that loses the energy through the inside or outside shoulder.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Kayty said:


> I love side reins for lunging - there's a reason they are the only approved lunging aid allowed by the FEI.
> 
> But you need to know what you're doing to use them without causing detriment.
> They are not used to 'get a headset' as many people seem to think. They provide a contact and connection with the hind legs, allowing the horse to reach into the rein and connect the power from the hind legs to the poll via the back and neck.
> *Without side reins horses tend to overbend resulting in a crooked horse that loses the energy through the inside or outside shoulder.*


*
*
That's an interesting comment - why do you think would they reduce the tendency to overbend?
Its not something I've ever noticed - all the horse that I've ever lunged without side reins have either wanted to have their heads too high or necks too stretched out with their noses poked forwards - and a few that seemed to find good natural balance and only slightly in front of the vertical. I don't think I've ever seen one that wanted to overbend


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Overbend in relation to lateral, not vertical. In a green or unbalanced horse the neck will often be carried bent to the inside/outside, resulting in the power from the hind legs being lost through a bulging outside shoulder/dropped inside shoulder. 
Obviously when the horse is more balanced and established in working straight, it will naturally want to travel in balance.


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## aclassicalpaint (Feb 11, 2015)

There are no benefits, imo. All the horses I've seen in side reins/draw reins/lunging systems do not use themselves. They put their head in a fixed position; which, a lot of the time, is incorrect anyway. 
Something Buck Brannaman said has stuck in my head and I live by it. It goes: 
"I don't use gimmicks. I don't use martingales. I don't use draw reins. I don't use tie downs. I don't use dropped nosebands, flash nosebands, hinged jaw nosebands. I don't use any of it. I can get it done with my hands and my feet and if I can't, I'll figure out why I can't."


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

I would have to agree with Jaydee, although "setting" a head with side reins and expecting the rest to fall into place is backwards. I just bumped heads with my BO over that one. I have light hands when I ride and my use of side reins when lunging would be to replace my hands. Contact rather than pressure that would cause the horse to back off from the bit. I tend to think like Buck Brannaman about a lot of other things though. About the only thing that play around with are bits simply because some fit an individual horse's mouth better than others, but I don't use martingales or nosebands


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

The purpose of side reins is never to 'set' a horse's head. Anyone who uses them for that purpose needs to go back to school.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Kayty said:


> Overbend in relation to lateral, not vertical. In a green or unbalanced horse the neck will often be carried bent to the inside/outside, resulting in the power from the hind legs being lost through a bulging outside shoulder/dropped inside shoulder.
> Obviously when the horse is more balanced and established in working straight, it will naturally want to travel in balance.


I understand what you mean now - and it is one reason I will use them on horses that won't focus on staying in the right 'line' and have their heads/necks going in all directions and tend to counter bend


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

It's helps them to find that "sweet spot" on their own, plus it builds muscle. When I don't have time to ride I use the side reins or I'll use them before I ride. That way I can concentrate on other parts of the training.


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## Nikkibella (Mar 10, 2012)

I find that when lunging correctly with a horse who knows what he's doing, side reins act as your hands if you were riding. When lunging correctly your horse is already pushing from the hind end and the side reins *placed correctly* give him the contact he needs to complete the cycle so to say, connecting the back and front end. Otherwise he's just plodding around strung out. Even if he's moving from behind, the energys not going anywhere without front end contact.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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