Do you use sidereins attached to the bit or something else?

Purely honest question, just wondering what is the norm these days?

Personally iv would never use anything attached to the bit apart from the actual reins, but im seeing alot of people these days using training aids attached straight to the bit...

What are your thoughts?

I would have thought it would deaden the mouth and encourage the horse to put its head behind the bit, resulting in a restriction of the hind quarters and all that jazz.... but am open to other peoples views

I think the correct way is to connect side reins etc to a lunging caversson. Personally I don't use side reins and I don't use any type of English style lunging equipment so I am probably not very helpful

retroremedy said:

I think the correct way is to connect side reins etc to a lunging caversson. Personally I don't use side reins and I don't use any type of English style lunging equipment so I am probably not very helpful

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Iv only used them with a caverson when iv used them I thought that was the norm... But I'm seeing a lot of attaching to the bit lately!

I use them from time to time, attached from the lunging surcingle to the bit but but my side reins have rubber rings in the centre and i attach them to the top ring on the sircingle. Its not ideal posi but it helps with training particularly in greener horses. Also used to use em on my old event horse if he had been outta work and i wanted him to work up his topline. Saying that tho was only for short periods and he was naturally forward so worked properly on them.
Current event horse i dont use em but thatscoz hes so difficult to lunge (ie doesnt move fwd) so he wont work into them also he has a short neck so in order for me to use em properly i need to put more holes in them.

Personally I don't like the use of side reins, or lunging systems as it builds up incorrect muscle, more underneck muscle rather than top muscle. The horses aren't using their full impulsion to flex down, they're just going along with their necks breaking at the wrong spot.

You may also notice a dip just in front of the saddle where the neck joins the withers, this shows the muscle has not formed there.

If anything, I use a market harborough from John O'Leary, it is a training aid, when you're on the horse's back. It is a set of reins, a running martingale and straps which pass through the bit ring from the inside to the outside and clip onto rings up the reins. Starting off, I use the loosest, allowing my boy to stretch down and work all through his back, I gradually go up to the third rings (out of 4) and find that's enough. The main technique is to use leg and hand aids at the same time, when they come round then loosen with the fingers for soft hands.

I used to the old see-saw action as a lot of people are wrongly taught (especially at pony clubs), this not only ruins horse's mouths but doesn't have them respect the bit or rider. I used to find my horse would bob his head up and down at the inconsistent bit pressure.

Nowadays, I use the same pressure in both hands, with impulsion from behind and he keeps his head down constantly. I have noticed a huge improvement in his movement, he's using his whole back more and not just his neck.

Here's link to John O'leary's MH youtube video. Hope this helps =)

German Martingale Training PT 1 - YouTube

German Martingale Training Pt. 2 - YouTube

Yep we use market harboroughs too! We much rather ride the horse and teach it to move correctly that way. Fully agree with the above post and we never use luging systems etc for those exact reasons.

On another note though I did see a picture someone posted elsewhere once of them using 'side reins' connected to a bull bit. Serious wtf there and made me cringe.

To a bull bit?! What were they thinking? Something seriously wrong could've happened there!

I know! Reminds me we had a farrier once who tied a horse up with a rope still clipped to the bullbit. That and a couple of other wtf were you thinking incidents made us go yeah you're not welcome here again.

You've got to wonder how they get so far! One day they'll cause a big accident and wonder what they did wrong I feel so sorry for horses exposed to people like that

For lunging I wouldn't hesitate to use side reins attached to the bit on a green horse. I agree that they do little for building up the correct muscles but they can be very beneficial to some horses in teaching them to accept a contact by mimicking a very steady contact of the hands.

I use side reins attached to bit- and lunge rein attached to bit *#)

I've been taught both methods, sidereins to the bit or cavasson, and oth have pros and cons. If not using a cavasson I was taught to run the lunge line through the bit ring on the inside, over the poll and clipped to the other side. Used correctly, this can be ok, but incorrectly or on a horse that doesn't know how to lunge, can encourage head tilting. At the stale I worked for, it was common as I was lunging a horse at home or at a event until the rider got on, and there was little patience for having to fiddle with gear and take off a cavasson

I guess with anything it's best t go over it with a coach and never over lunge a horse as it's such hard work.

I have not used side reins since a friends horse freaked out once when being lunged in side reins in a round yard, went up, was unable to correct himself as he was in the side reins and went over onto the rails, killing the horse.

I used to use a lunge rein attached to the roller, run through the bit to my hand to assist with flexing to the inside (as horses often run around the round yard with their head to the outside.

However, since remouthing my horse using the John O'Leary method (which is BRILLIANT btw), I now use his running rein system for all my lunging which works a treat. From Johns point of view, any horse that is not training at elementary level dressage or higher should not be lunged in side reins as it diminishes the mouth on the horse. The running rein system allows the horse to find relief at various levels of head carriage but stops the Llama neck and encourages the horse to work in the correct frame without forcing it. Side reins allow the horse to lean on the bit whereas the running reins will not allow this. Running reins can be used with a roller or with a saddle and is a great training tool.

samgard said:

I have not used side reins since a friends horse freaked out once when being lunged in side reins in a round yard, went up, was unable to correct himself as he was in the side reins and went over onto the rails, killing the horse.

I used to use a lunge rein attached to the roller, run through the bit to my hand to assist with flexing to the inside (as horses often run around the round yard with their head to the outside.

However, since remouthing my horse using the John O'Leary method (which is BRILLIANT btw), I now use his running rein system for all my lunging which works a treat. From Johns point of view, any horse that is not training at elementary level dressage or higher should not be lunged in side reins as it diminishes the mouth on the horse. The running rein system allows the horse to find relief at various levels of head carriage but stops the Llama neck and encourages the horse to work in the correct frame without forcing it. Side reins allow the horse to lean on the bit whereas the running reins will not allow this. Running reins can be used with a roller or with a saddle and is a great training tool.

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I use side reins that have a clip on one end and a metal thing that the rope slides through. If you put a lot of pressure on it, it will come loose. I much prefer to use these to avoid the situation you described. I make the inside a tiny bit shorter to encourage inside flexion without using excessive pressure on the bit.
I am not that familiar with John O'Leary but I certainly don't want my horse to find pressure relief at different head carriages. I want her to find pressure relief when she responds exactly how I want her to. I can't see how correctly using side reins would be any more wearing on the mouth than riding, and I have never had a horse lean on side reins if they are forward enough. Personally I am more of an Andrew McLean fan though, so I don't really value lunging as a regular training tool.

If you want to seriously erode your horses mouth, use side reins!!*#)

Ask Fred Watkins how good they really are (not!!!!) and what problems they create!!! tir:

Caroline said:

If you want to seriously erode your horses mouth, use side reins!!*#)

Ask Fred Watkins how good they really are (not!!!!) and what problems they create!!! tir:

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Oh FFS, really????

Incorreclty fitting saddle, bridle, girth etc cause problems too, doesn't mean we get rid of them completely and all hoon around bareback, in halters.

Like anything else, sidereins have a place and they work really well when they are fitted loosely-ish, so when the horse hits it's sweet spot they release.

Man, I see the stir-the-pot smiley and I still get sucked in

Caroline said:

If you want to seriously erode your horses mouth, use side reins!!*#)

Ask Fred Watkins how good they really are (not!!!!) and what problems they create!!! tir:

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Bahahaha Caroline! Fred Watkins uses John olearys mouthing system and methods he went to SA to work with John a few years ago and was at the Perth clinic
That little stir-the-pot smiley needs a green witches hat

I would not use side reins on my horse, I just want to use thetir::}

I don't really see the point of side-reins, I mean isn't collection from behind...? But that's just me. Personally I think that by the time you tack up with alllll the gear required to lunge in side reins, why not just get on and ride, where you have the advantage of feedback from your legs and hands

Caroline said:

If you want to seriously erode your horses mouth, use side reins!!*#)

Ask Fred Watkins how good they really are (not!!!!) and what problems they create!!! tir:

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Yes they create stiffness up front they can't bend or flex, they also teach a horse to lean on the bit and cause most of the back problems in horses.
Sorry hate the rotten things I won't click on the silly what sit just leave with a smile