Pelhams w/draw reins.

[tBHj]

I noticed a lot of pro's warming up for the jumpers at the Royal last night using a pelham & draw reins.

For what reasons would someone need draw reins with a pelham?

It looked like overkill to me. But I am not a pro.

[MistyPony]

And where on earth do you hold a THIRD rein? Agreed that it seems like overkill, but also not a pro.

[klmck63]

But... How would that work? Three sets of reins in your hands? I can't picture it.

ETA: I see we're thinking on the same level, Misty!

[blackcat95]

I've used drawreins before (VERY carefully...) and pelhams and I don't think they'd even fit in a pelham bit... ?

[mvp]

I'll guess, giving a pro a the benefit of the doubt-- a big, fat hunk of it.

First they chose a pelham because they wanted more "whoa" but also "raise your shoulder" and maybe "Jeez, you high-headed SOB, you can't see the jumps looking down your nose and I don't want to die, so, you know, could you tuck your nose, too?" That's right, the pro means all three things at the same time. There are other bits that will do similar things.

The draw reins, I'll venture, are to produce "head down" and "whoa" without "curl up and run faster" as you might get if your brakes and (especially) shoulder-raising was supposed to come from the curb-rein alone.

Got it?

[yellowbritches]

It could also be that the horses in question tend to come out tense and tight, and the draw reins encourage them to put their little heads down and relax through their backs in their warm up. They do it with a pelham because that's just what the horse jumps best in (just because you have a pelham in their mouth doesn't mean you are constantly hanging on the curb). I have ridden more than a few horses that draw reins seem to be the release valve to get them to take a deep breath, give, and relax through their backs. If I was jumping fences as tall as I am, I think I'd want to make sure my horse had relaxed through it's back and was soft, flexible, and willing to work and USE their back. Ideal way to get it done? No, but it is a useful tool, the rules allow it, and I'm figuring they wouldn't be at the Royal if they weren't doing things that worked. ;)

OP, were they just flatting, or were they jumping, too?

PS- Drawreins aren't evil. They are very useful when used correctly.

[mvp]

Oh, and the pro knows that the back and hind-end matter too.

The problem with the Pelham in the warm up arena is that the space is small. So the pros may be thinking along the lines yellowbritches mentioned-- They want to get their hot headed beasts to relax and start pushing, not just go faster, shorter and remain inverted but perhaps with chin tucked as an after thought.

Out in the main ring, they have the size of the space to help their horses use their hind end for forward. Coming out tense in a crowded warm-up ring can be a tough problem.

[klmck63]

I understand how it could be beneficial. I have nothing against draw reins in general.

But does it mean you have a rein in between each finger? What order would they even go in? Such a handful!

[Go Fish]

It looked like overkill to me. But I am not a pro.

I think you nailed it and I agree with you.

That being said, I'm not a big fan of draw reins at all.

[MistyPony]

I understand how it could be beneficial. I have nothing against draw reins in general.

But does it mean you have a rein in between each finger? What order would they even go in? Such a handful!

I am just really not that coordinated. Perhaps if I had been better at those piano lessons, but getting every finger to do something independent of the others and all at the same time...yeesh!

[CBoylen]

If I remember correctly that's a really small warm up ring. If the horses are fresh, and are showing in a pelham because that's what they go in, there are probably a few people who are going to add draw reins to warm up just to keep their attention.

One of my most memorable riding experiences was with a pelham and draw reins. After figuring out how to get all three reins in hand (I don't remember what goes where, but it's not comfy no matter how you do it), I discovered that the horse I was schooling (appropriately nicknamed "Butthead") would try to stop and duck out the gate every.damn.time. Which required taking a hand off the reins, whacking him behind the girth with the stick that I was also trying to carry in that hand, and trying to get all three reins back in the hand before you turned the corner to the next line. I wish I could tell you what the purpose was, but I have a feeling it was probably for my trainer's amusement ;).

[Go Fish]

I wish I could tell you what the purpose was, but I have a feeling it was probably for my trainer's amusement ;).

Don't you hate it when that happens? I'm a constant source of amusement for my trainer. I just plain make his day, half the time! :lol:

[TheOrangeOne]

It's been a while, but I remember putting both the curb rein and the draw rein in together. So, snaffle rein in between pinkie and ring finger, and the curb and draw reins in between the ring and middle fingers. I assume you could also run the snaffle under the hand, curb or draw in between pinkie and ring finger, and whichever is left in between the ring and middle fingers. I assume you would just leave the curb rein alone and use it like you were warming up in a snaffle and draw reins, and then you can just unhook the draw reins easily and go show in the pelham. It's just a way of avoiding a bridle change right before the class.

[tBHj]

I have nothing againest pelhams & draw reins. But I've never seen them used together. They were flatting & jumping in them.

There were 2 warmup rings, and the one I was watching wasn't crowded.

One women I watched using them had the curb & draw rein in the same fingers, and was using them more then the snaffle rein.

[arktos19]

It is not uncommon for polo horses to go in a pelham and draw reins, though in that case the draw rein replaces the snaffle rein so you still have only four reins.

Which you carry all in one hand of course!

[foursocks]

I've also noticed that a lot of people come out for the awards and victory gallop after a GP with draws on.

I always figured it was for much the same reason those riders at the Royal were probably using them: extra control in unusual circumstances.

[Alterrain]

(I DON"T DO THIS) But the people (BNT) that used to have my horse used to warm him up in pelham and draw reins. Just flatting and jumping the first 5-6 small oxers. He uses a converter and they just ran the draw reins through the converter. When we got him they said he sometimes spins in a crowded schooling area for the first couple jumps. But he has never done this with me, I think he is older now and more mellow. Also we keep him less fit, as he does the low AA jumpers now, not the A/Os. I just use the pelham and converters, no draws.

[tBHj]

So am I right in thinking it's a control thing, and not for anything other then that?

[findeight]

So am I right in thinking it's a control thing, and not for anything other then that?

Late on here...but, yeah, it's a control thing.

Being faced with climbing on a fresh horse coming out of a tent stall in a parking lot, warming up in the 75x50ft cement walled basement of a multipurpose arena-possibly with metal poles in the middle-in preparation for facing 5' jumps jammed in a tiny ring???

Yeah...it's a control thing;).