Side reins can be extremely beneficial, when used correctly, to improve a horse’s understanding of rein contact, as well as help him to correctly develop his topline. Of course, the key phrase here is “used correctly.”

Why side reins? The simplest answer is: because they are not a leverage tool. They are to be used with a snaffle bit, and the side reins I select all have a stretchy element to them, whether it be an elastic insert, rubber donut, etc. Because they are used when longeing, once adjusted there is little to no human error involved, which is why it also improves the horse’s learning experience. I begin working a horse in side reins when he is having trouble understanding contact. It could be because the rider is still learning and is inconsistent, or the horse just is generally tense, worried, or trying to anticipate the next request.

How to Use Side Reins with Your Horse

Side reins can be used with a horse that is tacked up with a saddle, or they can be connected to a longeing surcingle. I use my side reins with my regular tack set-up by opening the buckled loop at the end of the side rein, running it underneath both girth buckles/end straps, and then returning it over the girth buckle closer to the horse’s tail and under the one closer to the horse’s nose (see Figure 2 below). As you can see this works best with a girth with elastic at both ends.

When buckling the side rein after securing it through the girth, you will be determining the length of the side rein. This is one of the most important moments. Take the snap end of the side rein towards the horse’s head while they have a relaxed headset. Their head shouldn’t be high and alert nor tucked down towards their chest, think of the head carriage they have when hanging out on the crossties or in their stall. When the snap reaches the horse’s mouth, that is the proper starting adjustment. If it is their first time in side reins, you can even loosen it an extra hole.

Starting too loose just means you will need to stop the horse and tighten it, while too tight could result in an accident or bad experience for the horse. Once you have found the correct length, clip the side rein to the D-ring of the saddle or a higher ring on the longeing surcingle. Repeat on the other side, while ensuring both side reins are adjusted to the same hole on both sides (see Figure 1 above for properly adjusted side reins).

Starting with Side Reins

When longeing with a bridle, I prefer to use a bit attachment (see Figure 3) with the longe line while the side reins are clipped out of the way on the saddle (see Figure 4 below). Allow your horse to longe normally for 5 minutes or so, going both ways to stretch and get any excitement or bucks out.

After that, bring him to a halt and clip the side reins to either side of the bit. Encourage him to walk on with a driving aid, such as the voice, whip, hand, or end of the longe line. You do not want to pull him forward and create tension between a forward pull and the side reins, which are holding backwards.

Once the horse is walking well, ask for the trot. Many times, this is when horses will object to the side reins for the first time. For example, a horse that is used to raising his head during every upwards gait transition will be surprised to find out that is no longer an option. Because of this, be ready for your horse to have a reaction in which he moves backwards or raises his head. Then immediately cue him forward. By doing this, you are showing him that going forward and relaxing through the topline is the answer for relief of pressure. This is why it is so important for the side reins to be on the looser side, so that the possible negative reaction doesn’t turn into more than his head shooting up and a few backwards steps.

As your horse figures out the side reins, continue to longe normally for 10-15 minutes. Be sure your horse continues to carry impulsion, pushing from behind and using his neck to fill out the side reins in a nice arc. You may find you need to tighten the side reins a hole or two, and/or you may choose to tighten the inside side rein one hole more than the outside in order to encourage an inside bend. Meanwhile, watch for signs of fatigue, such as the horse over flexing in the poll and dropping their poll below the withers. As soon as this happens, it is time to stop for the day, even if it has only been five minutes.

Incorporate this into your horse’s training program and you will see big differences in their understanding of the contact as well as their physical appearance. Just like anything, there can be too much of a good thing. For weaker or green horses short sessions once or twice a week are helpful, with more experienced, stronger horses only needing biweekly or monthly reminders.

The post Side Reins As Your Sidekick During Training appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Lack of riding time is a common complaint among adult amateur equestrians. Between professional careers, family commitments, and an often-overwhelming number of other responsibilities, riding for a short time, even a few days a week can be tough to fit in. But, even if you only have a short time to devote to working with your horse, there’s a lot that can be accomplished in less than an hour with some longeing and riding exercises.

Based outside of Franklin, Tenn., Raffi Kechejian is a hunter/jumper trainer who gives lessons to children and adult amateurs at his Parallel Farm and also at Heatherfield Horse Park near Chattanooga, Tenn. The 35-year-old trainer has been riding since the age of nine. Having come up through the ranks as an amateur, he’s well versed in the unique challenges and needs of amateur riders.

Longeing Exercises

Keeping horses fit can be a challenge for the adult amateur equestrian who doesn’t have a lot of time to ride. Luckily, there are a variety of longe line strategies to help you meet a variety of goals even if you’re short on time.

Kechejian says that it’s important to always have a plan and to keep it simple and fun for the horse.

For the series of exercises Kechejian recommends below, he suggests setting your horse up in side reins, or even better, a Pessoa Lunging System, which consists of a training surcingle with ropes, clips and pulleys attached to it and a breaching strap that goes around the horses hindquarters. However, he does advocate for correct use of the rig and cautions against getting the horse behind the vertical.

Once your horse is appropriately outfitted, they are ready for the following longing exercises:

1. Transitions

Make the horse trot two circles and then walk for a circle. By use your voice for the transitions while longing, it reinforces the idea of transitions to the horse. And it helps when you ride them, because longeing works through voice command, says Kechejian.

2. Poles

The purpose of poles is to improve your horse’s balance and keep him thinking during his time on the longe line, says Kechejian. Set up one or more poles and ask the horse to trot over them. You can even add in transitions. If using multiple poles, they should be set about five feet apart.

Kechejian likes to see the horse’s front end freed up and emphasizes that the biggest goal with these exercises is not to have the horse just run around in circles. “Depending on your horse’s fitness level, include more trotting than cantering,” he adds.

For longeing, Kechejian suggests a maximum of 30 minutes with 15 minutes max spent in each direction.

Riding Exercises

If you have a bit more time to ride, Kechejian suggests additional exercises after warming up with a good working walk.

“I think the biggest thing we don’t focus on is the walk,” he says. “When you get on your horse, you should focus on a working walk for the first five to seven minutes of your ride. This way, by the time you start asking for a trot, they are going to be engaged and listening to your leg.”

Once your horse is warmed up, you can try one or more of the following exercises:

3. Poles

Just as on the longe line, poles can be an invaluable training tool and can improve the horse’s balance.

Kechejian sets them five feet apart. Depending on how much the horse knows, he suggests starting with two to three poles, and then adds more—up to five or six—as the horse advances.

“And, as your skill level increases, you can also intersperse the trot poles with elevated ones,” he adds. “It’s a good walk-trot exercise.”

4. Serpentines and 20-meter circles

Serpentines and circles also work to improve the horse’s balance by keeping him upright and coming from behind. They also work to keep the horse moving off the rider’s inside leg. When executing this exercise, Kechejian urges riders to watch how much they use their hands and to focus more on using their leg to create the bend for the turn.

“Have a purpose when you ride and don’t focus on being stuck on the rail,” says Kechejian. “Incorporate serpentines and circles. Add in some trot poles and canter poles. Keep them busy and focus on a goal.”

5. Shortening and lengthening of strides

Shortening and lengthening the stride improves your horse’s rideability and balance. Kechejian suggests lengthening your horse’s canter stride down the long sides of the arena, then going back to a collected canter on a twenty-meter circle.

“As you flat them, make sure that you use all those gears to collect and lengthen the canter,” he says. “Go to a half seat and make them gallop and then bring them back. The ability to shorten and lengthen your horse comes into play when you want to jump them or do dressage.”

6. Spiral in and spiral out

This exercise is designed to improve your horse’s lateral movement in each direction, and it helps them to open up their shoulders and sit up. Start with a big circle, and then ride additional circles that get smaller and smaller. You can ride up to nine or 10 circles until you finally hit the smallest part of the circle. Then, start spiraling back out.

Kechejian reminds riders not to rush the exercise. “As you spiral in, it’s all off of your outside aids, but your horse isn’t over-bent to the outside. It’s just slowly moving the shoulder in a circle following the track you want, then open it back up and slowly ask him to move off of your inside aids.”

7. Transitions

This exercise gets the horse rocking back on his hind end and helps him become lighter in your hands. Kechejian suggests riders ask their horses for six canter steps and then six trot steps. Then add in six walk steps then go back to a canter. And then just change it up.

After about 25 minutes of these types of longeing and riding exercises, horses can be cooled down at the walk for five minutes.

Even with a short amount of time, by practicing these exercises on your own, you’ll be keeping your horse fit, solidifying his skills, and improving your own riding until you have more time to work with your horse or until your next lesson.

Further Reading

• 5 Safe Longeing Habits
• Stay Safe While Longeing
• Longeing Gear

The post Seven Riding and Longing Exercises to Improve Your Skills When You’re Crunched for Time appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.