Auxiliary Reins For Horses: What Kinds Are Available And How They Work

For many trainers and novice riders, auxiliary reins are part of their riding equipment. They help insecure and unbalanced riders to feel more secure. However, auxiliary reins are also often used when training and exercising horses on the lunge. When fastened and used correctly, auxiliary reins can be an enrichment in the training of horse and rider. At the same time, incorrect use can cause great physical and psychological damage to the horse. In order to avoid this, the training objectives must be compatible with the use of auxiliary reins. For this reason, this guide will familiarise you with the variety of auxiliary reins and their effects.

What Are Auxiliary Reins For Horses?

In order to use auxiliary reins correctly, it is important to understand in advance that they are not a basic piece of riding equipment, but a targeted addition. Auxiliary reins support the achievement of a specific training goal. As soon as this goal, or the first successes in the right direction have been achieved, auxiliary reins should be superfluous again. They should therefore be used as much as is necessary, but as little as possible.

Auxiliary reins are often used when the rider’s hand is not readily available, for example when lungeing. They are also used by beginners who need to concentrate on their seat and not on contact to the mouth. We will expand on the advantages and risks of auxiliary reins in the corresponding section.

Auxiliary reins and their use are often criticised not only by laypeople, but also within equestrian sport.

The criticism is based on the fact that the effect of auxiliary reins can be misunderstood, underestimated or even misused. In the case of misuse, any criticism is more than justified. In the first two cases, an understanding of the effect of auxiliary reins can become very blurred. In order to counteract misuse stemming from a lack of understanding, we will explain the effect of auxiliary reins below.

The Effect Of Auxiliary Reins

In principle, auxiliary reins show the horse the way to a certain position and limit it laterally, forwards or upwards. In most cases, they are intended to show the horse the way to stretch forwards and downwards so that it learns to round its back and swing its hindquarters forwards. In addition to the type of auxiliary reins, the effect is also influenced by the way they are fastened. We differentiate between two basic types of auxiliary reins: fixed auxiliary reins and those that allow the riders‘ hands to exert influence.

Fixed auxiliary reins that are used for both lungeing and riding:

• Side reins
• SHOWMASTER Training Aid
• Running side reins
• Lauffer reins
• Bungie Training Rein
• Chambon Training Aid
• De Gogue Training Aid

Auxiliary reins that can be influenced by the rider’s hand:

• Draw reins
• Market Harborough
• Martingale

Side Reins

Classic side reins are two individual leather straps that are attached to the left and right of the girth and in the bit rings. There are also models with elasticated straps or elastic rings, which are designed to allow more flexibility. However, the horse does not have a hard stop with these, but a permanent pull on the mouth. This leads to a tug-of-war between the horse and the bit, which is why the horse will not push off the bit but will lie on it and fall onto its forehand. When lungeing beginners or when vaulting, however, side reins with rubber rings can be gentle on the horse’s mouth.

Side reins are attached to the lunge roller or girth at the height of the point of the shoulder or a hand’s width above it. The side reins must not be any lower, otherwise the front legs will cause a sawing effect in the horse’s mouth during movement.

While the lunge roller has several rings to choose from in terms of height, attaching it to the saddle is more difficult. The leather straps must not slip lower under any circumstances and therefore require a lower limit. For example, they can be buckled into the first girth strap between the lower edge of the saddle flap and the girth loop of the saddle pad.

The correct length is achieved when the head is carried at the height of the point of the shoulder and the nose line remains in front of the vertical.

Effect: The aim of the classic side reins is to bring the horse on the bit. With their help, the horse should learn to seek a light but firm contact with the bit and to carry itself. Side reins are often used for beginners or when lungeing. In addition to stimulating the horse to round itself in the topline, the side reins limit the horse laterally, which is particularly advantageous when lungeing.

As a very rigid auxiliary rein, the side reins determine the radius of the neck movement. If the horse’s head moves upwards beyond its natural position, its neck becomes short. It pushes out the lower neck, while the topline takes on an unnatural kink. If the head drops lower than the front joint, the side reins limit the horse’s nose to the front and the horse’s nose comes closer to the forelegs. If there is no driving force from behind to encourage the hindquarters to actively step underneath, the horse will get behind the bit.

Due to their rigidity and lack of flexibility, side reins are not suitable for hacking, jumping or for panicky horses. It is also only possible to a limited extent, if at all, to stretch, flex or bend the horse with side reins.

Training Aid

The training aid is a variation of the side reins. It is a single leather strap that is attached to the lower girth, passed through the front legs and attached to the bit with a lunge coupling (similar to a Harbridge training aid). It limits the upward head movement of horses that jerk their heads upwards in an uncontrolled manner because they are not yet able to balance themselves. The advantage of the training aid is that the horse cannot lean on it. However, it does not provide any lateral restraint and is unsuitable for lungeing, as the horse can step into the slack auxiliary rein when its head is lowered.

Running Side Reins and Lauffer Reins

Running side reins are a mixture of a side rein and a training aid. These auxiliary reins form a triangle: the strap is attached to the lower girth and passed through the forelegs. In front of the chest, it splits into two individual straps, which are threaded through the bit rings and then attached to the side of the horse at the level of the point of the shoulder.

Effect: The running side reins are used to encourage the horse to move forward-down while limiting the lifting of the head. However, the horse has more freedom than with side reins as the straps slide through the bit rings. The horse can therefore balance itself better and does not lean on the bit.

However, even with these auxiliary reins there is a risk that if the reins are too short or the horse’s head position is too low, the head will come behind the vertical. As a result, the horse does not work through its back and falls onto its forehand.

A modified form of the running side reins are the Lauffer reins. These are two individual, 2.5 metre long straps that can be fastened like running side reins. In addition, they provide lateral restraint by attaching both strap ends to the girth/lunge roller. The second variant gives the trainer more options for adjusting the auxiliary reins to the respective training objective, depending on whether the Lauffer reins are buckled higher or lower. The Lauffer reins are the most versatile auxiliary reins and can be used when riding or lungeing and both in the relaxation phase with a focus on forwards and downwards as well as in collection work with increased collection.

Due to their effectiveness and ease of use, Lauffer and running side reins are also suitable for beginners who are not yet able to push their horse properly from behind into the bit, but have sufficient self-carriage and a seat that is independent of the reins.

Bungie Training Rein

A bungie training rein is a fully elasticated rubber rein that is passed over the poll. It allows for two different types of fastening: in the first option, it runs from the girth between the front legs through the bit rings over the poll. In the second option, it can be attached to the left and right of the girth or lunge roller and also passed over the poll.

The aim of a bungie training rein is to achieve better contact and to “lengthen“ the neck, i.e. to stretch it forwards and downwards.

But be careful: Not every horse accepts the pressure over the poll and some resist it. There is also a risk of a continuous pull, as the elastic never yields one hundred percent. This can cause the horse to lean on the bit, get behind the vertical and fall onto the forehand.

Chambon and De Gogue Training Aid

The chambon and the De Gogue training aid are two auxiliary reins that are used for lungeing and are very similar.

A De Gogue training aid consists of a strap that splits into two double straps in front of the chest. These run through two rings on the headpiece and are led along the cheek straps through the bit rings back to the strap between the front legs. This creates a triangle on both sides.

The chambon training aid is a mixture of a De Gogue and a bungie training rein. In contrast to the De Gogue, the cords are attached to the bit rings using snap hooks instead of being led back to the low strap. This creates the appearance of an inverted bungie training rein.

The length of the chambon and De Gogue can be adjusted via the low strap. They are buckled so that the horse’s head is level with the shoulder joint. If the horse’s head is a hand’s breadth above the point of the shoulder, the low rein must be in contact. If the training aid is looser, it has no effect. If it is shorter, it works backwards and the horse will get behind the vertical. When trotting and cantering, the chambon and De Gogue should be shorter than when walking, otherwise there is a risk of stepping in.

Effect: Chambon and Gogue have the same effect when lungeing. When the horse lifts its head over the desired line, pressure is exerted on the poll and bit. The pull on the bit works upwards, while the pressure on the poll works downwards. This causes the horse to lengthen its lower neck and round its topline and back.

The biggest advantage over other auxiliary reins is that the De Gogue and chambon do not force the horse into a rigid posture. However, they also offer no lateral restraint. The horse cannot lean on the bit and has to find its own balance. This makes the chambon and De Gogue very suitable for developing suppleness and rhythm.

Draw Reins

Draw reins are one of the auxiliary reins whose strength and effect can be influenced by the rider.

Draw reins can be attached either between the front legs or to the side of the girth. Depending on how the reins are buckled, the aim is either to encourage the horse to arch the poll or to elevate the forehand. The fastening height has no influence on the strength of the pull, only on the direction of action. Finally, the ends are held in the hand like an additional pair of reins.

Effect: Thanks to its pulley mechanism, draw reins can be used to exert a great deal of force with little effort. It must therefore be used with great sensitivity and should only be used by calm, experienced riders. At the same time, it offers the opportunity to apply the aids much more finely than is the case with other auxiliary reins.

Draw reins are used as an interim solution and correction for horses that suddenly lift their head up or rush off. Draw reins can also be used to support horses with a strong lower neck and narrow jowls that push away with their back or fall onto their forehand. In the right trainer’s hands, draw reins can be an opportunity to show horses that struggle with a natural neck position how to move correctly.

Market Harborough (German Martingale)

The Market Harborough, which was ‚invented‘ for jumping, can be seen as a more streamlined version of the draw reins. It is a combination of draw reins and martingale and has a neck ring, a strap that splits into two with snap hooks, and reins with 3-4 rings:

• One strap is placed around the neck as a ring.
• The second strap is attached to the lower girth, passed between the front legs and between the neck and the neck ring.
• The strap, which is now divided, is then pulled through the bit rings from the inside to the outside and attached to the rings of the reins using a snap hook.

It is important that both Market Harborough reins are the same length!

It should also be buckled in such a way that it only has an effect when the horse lifts its head upwards or forwards; the horse should not be hindered by the auxiliary reins during normal contact.

Effect: In contrast to draw reins, the advantage of a Market Harborough is that the rider only holds one pair of reins in his hand. Additionally, the pulley mechanism is not further reinforced once the horse is running in the correct position.

However, as with the draw reins, an unsteady rider’s hand is reinforced with a Market Harborough. This is why the Market Harborough is not intended for beginners, but for briefly correcting horses or to shorten the signalling time of the aids in the show jumping course.

Martingale

The martingale is the only auxiliary rein that may be used for jumping, cross-country and hacking.

The martingale consists of a breastplate and a martingale fork, which on some models can be separated from the breastplate using snap hooks:

• First, the neck ring is pulled over the head.
• Then the end of the breastplate is attached to the girth. Caution: the strap must be close to the chest, otherwise the horse can get caught in it when bending the front legs.
• The reins are then pulled through the rings of the martingale fork.
• The reins must have martingale stoppers so that the rings of the martingale do not get caught in the rein buckles.

The reins must not be pulled through the rings twisted. The martingale is the correct length when the eyelets of the martingale fork reach as far as the cheeks. This ensures that the martingale only comes into play when the horse pulls its head up unnaturally. This creates a bend in the reins that points downwards.

Effect: It is often described as the most horse-friendly auxiliary rein, as it is only felt by the horse when its head is unnaturally high. It also intercepts signals sent by an unsteady rider’s hand. Furthermore, studies analysing rein tension with and without a martingale have shown that the martingale significantly reduces rein tension. The running martingale also distributes the rein pressure more evenly. This is why the martingale is not only used for jumping, but is also popular with novice riders.