draw reins...need help!!!?

Question

i recently started using draw reins...my horse wont lower its head...any tips?!?!?!

Answer 1

Draw reins and martingales are the worst thing you can use. Draw reins should never be used except for fully trained horses who need a tuneup. They are severly overused and teach the horse improper head position by bending them mid-neck instead of flexing thru the poll. Martingales just serve to hold the horse's head down, it doesn't address the problem of why the horse is putting his head up in the first place. Slow, methodical training is the only way to reliably train a horse to lower it's head and carry itself. It's quite possible that the horse has pain issues, the bit fits improperly or is the wrong bit, you're too strong in the hands, the horse's back is sore, or it's teeth need to be done. Find out why the horse is doing what it is doing instead of trying to force it into a position. You're not going to teach it anything that way.

Answer 2

I personally don't like draw reins because it just forces your horse into the frame with his head and not to come under behind, which is the point of being on the bit. What I would do is pick up a firm contact and every time he puts his head up, send him forward into the bridle and then soften when his head is down. This will not only teach him to want his nose to be down, but he will be more uphill and coming under behind.

Answer 3

get him looking downwards to start with-get the biggest ,fluffiest sheepskin noseband you can find and try that.carefull with the draw reins,i am not a great fan of them.just think how you would feel is all of a sudden someone fited a device to you that forced you to keep your legs straight and touch the floor with the flat of your hands!-it would hurt like hell and this ,in inexperienced hands is what you are asking the horse to do-most likely all that will happen is that you produce a broken poll effect-one that is not a submission but just an avoidance.good luck but go slowly.

Answer 4

Take away the draw reins and work with the horse with your reins on the bridle. Be gentle, patient, and use your own hands.

Answer 5

With a snaffle bit, you on board, gently pull one rein until your horse's nose almost touches your foot. Maintain presssure until he drops his head. IMMEDIATELY release the pressure (reward.) Repeat on the other side. Repeat....he'll catch on after a little practice. Draw reins are for professional trainers, not casual riders.

To ask him to lower his head run the bit from side to side, gently! as soon as he lowers it reward! by releasing pressure, give and take is the secret of soft hands. Being OUT of his mouth is reward.

Madeline is almost correct. Reins under stirrup/leathers, then tied on saddle seat. Lunge. Notice how he wont allow himself to bump his own mouth with the bit?

Answer 6

te best think to get your horse to lower his head is put him in a snaffle bit and tie the rains around his neck to the way you want his neck to look put him on a lunge line and lunge him like that for 20 minutes a day for about 3 weeks. after that use draw reighns!

Answer 7

where are u connecting the draw reins to. the best place would be to connect them right in between there legs.. like some girth have a ring there, or u could just wrap them around the girth

Answer 8

draw reins are not good...they turne my perfect pony into a mess up because my trainer was overusing them...they didnt do anything to help lilly...she just figured out how to escape them by rearing...the next time i rode her i pulled her back to a stop and she reared

Answer 9

maybe you have overused them and your horse has a sore neck... have you thought of that? if the horse isn't used to using those neck mussels it can get sore after one short ride in them..

Answer 10

nope dont know anything cause my horses have never done that