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Side Reins: What do they do?
If you are new to lungeline training you may be confused about side reins. Many people understand the benefit of exercising a horse on a 20 meter circle but the use of side reins can be confusing. In general, side reins help the horse to keep his head properly in line with his shoulders.
In dressage training they are also used to introduce the horse to rein contact at the bit. We start by adjusting the side reins loosely so that the horse is aware of slight contact at each side of his mouth. As the horse learns to move actively forward, the side reins are gradually shortened. The horse learns to bend at the poll in response to the contact, producing stretched muscle throughout his neck and back. Because the side reins are fixed at the saddle or surcingle, they provide contact that is steadier than a rider’s hands. This is one way to teach a horse to be round.
Why are there so many different kinds of side reins? While we want the horses to learn to be round, we don’t want to be punitive in getting them to stretch. Some horses are softer in their response to contact than others, so some side reins are more giving or stretchy than other types.
The traditional side rein is a single piece of webbing or leather that goes from the saddle or surcingle to the bit. We put one side rein on each side of the horse to make a pair. Each side rein has adjustments so the trainer can make the inside shorter than the outside to encourage lateral bend through the body. Traditional side reins come in three styles: Elastic, Donuts or Plain.
The Benefits of Elastic side reins: The elastic side rein has an insert of heavyweight elastic webbing near the bit attachment. This is a good side rein for the horse who quickly responds to contact with soft stretching muscles. It provides steady but stretchy contact. If the horse offers to pull on the side rein, the elastic encourages him to give at the poll. Many trainers start a new horse with this type of side rein to see how he will react to contact.
The Benefits of Donut side reins: This side reins has a thick rubber donut sewn into the webbing near the bit attachment. Like the elastic side rein, there is some give to the donut, encouraging the horse to give at the poll, without completely restricting him. This is a good side rein for the horse who leans on an elastic side rein making the elastic ineffective. The donut is less stretchy than the elastic and provides steadier contact.
The Benefits of Plain side reins: Some horses are not comfortable with the weight of the rubber donut in their side reins, especially if the side reins are adjusted so that the donut is bouncing up and down as they work. For an experienced horse, the side reins without elastic or donuts might be best because they provide steady uncomplicated contact. This type of side rein is not recommended for the young horse who is just starting training.
What about Sliding Side Reins? Invented by a dressage trainer in Europe, sliding side reins go from the girth or surcingle, to the bit ring and back to the girth. The side rein on each side of the horse is a double side rein, forming a triangle that goes from the saddle to the bit and back to the saddle. Because the side rein slides through the bit ring it has an effect similar to draw reins in that the horse really cannot pull or lean on the side rein without pulling against himself. Since the rein slides at the bit ring, it cannot tighten, as the regular fixed side rein does, when the horse changes position during work.
The Benefits of Sliding side reins: These side reins are by far, more effective and versatile than traditional side reins. Because the line is not fixed at the bit, the horse is able to raise and lower his head without getting jammed up against the side rein, preventing panic behavior. Sliding side reins invite the horse to stretch his head and neck both forward and down, developing relaxation and self-carriage. They are especially effective on horses with high head carriage, tightness in the back muscles, or for horses who have learned to lean on the side reins rather than carry themselves. While testing the ReBalance™ Sliding Side Reins, we found them to be extremely effective on a wide range of horses, regardless of breed or body type.
How to choose? The horse’s behavior while on the lungeline, will tell you what needs to be done. Or you may ask your trainer for an evaluation before you buy side reins.
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