[ASBJumper]

I need to find a solution to this extremely annoying little problem, and i'm hoping there is a brilliant trick that COTH'ers will share that will enable me to keep riding with my present set of reins.

I have a beautiful set of flat leather Stubben reins on my Dressage bridle. I LOVE them, the leather is super soft, pliable and grippy. But here's the thing - the loop of "extra" reins get caught under the saddle pad all.the.time. It doesn't seem to matter which saddle pad I use, I find myself pulling the slack over my horse's withers all the time, and it's driving me bonkers. I've resorted to tucking the buckle in between the pommel of my saddle and the sheepskin pad, but that comes loose within a minute or so... grrr... I thought maybe the reins were too long or heavy, so I switched to my friend's brown braided reins for a while.. same deal - they still get caught under my saddle pad, and it turns out they're exactly the same length as my black Stubben reins (so clearly a standard length).

Do I need pony reins or something?? I have never had this problem before, and when I ride in my close contact it's not an issue. It's not even just the getting caught under the pad that drives me crazy, the simple weight of the slack is annoying - i.e., say I have the loop under my hands draped on my horse's right shoulder, the weight of the loop on my left hand bugs the heck out of me. I keep pulling the loop up so it's equally draped over his withers (and the buckle is right on his neck), but it invariably slips down..

I never, ever had this problem before I started riding Dressage. When I ride him in my Hunter bridle & close contact saddle, no issues. The extra loop doesn't feel heavy at all and doesn't bother me.

What gives? Is there anything I can do besides just buying another set of reins??

[SendenHorse]

yeah, they do make cob sized reins. Bobby's are really nice.

[Eclectic Horseman]

What you are referring to is actually called "the bight" of the reins.

[retrofit]

Is your saddle pad really big or something? It shouldn't be that far forward or that loose.

[ASBJumper]

Is your saddle pad really big or something? It shouldn't be that far forward or that loose.

Hmmm... you may have hit on something there... my horse is very refined & my saddle is little, so I have actually been avoiding buying big, square Dressage pads because i thought they would look ridiculous on him... maybe this is happening because i'm using thick close contact pads under my Dressage saddle???

[Equibrit]

Knot them if it bothers you so much.

[ASBJumper]

Knot them if it bothers you so much.

That would make stretchy work pretty durn difficult, but thanks for the oh-so-serious suggestion anyway.

[Equibrit]

That would depend on where and how you knotted them - wouldn't it ?

[netg]

Can you take a picture or something?

The only way I can imagine it happening is a combination of hands in the wrong place, reins coming back over the hands like if you were holding them to drive, too big saddle pad, saddle too far above the horse's withers, and saddle too far forward.

Typically just having your thumb on top of the reins so they are folder over away from your body is enough to fix it.

[Blugal]

It's not just you. I am short-armed and I have this problem with certain reins/saddle/horse combos. Depends on the length of the horse's neck too.

I just gave up and bought some different reins for that horse. What's worse than the bight getting caught in the saddle pad is having it caught in your stirrups when you are jumping!

[atlatl]

Since the same thing happened with your friend's reins, but you don't mention that she has the same problem, could it be you are carrying your hands too low?

[ASBJumper]

Can you take a picture or something?

The only way I can imagine it happening is a combination of hands in the wrong place, reins coming back over the hands like if you were holding them to drive, too big saddle pad, saddle too far above the horse's withers, and saddle too far forward.

Typically just having your thumb on top of the reins so they are folder over away from your body is enough to fix it.

Well i don'T have a picture of them actually getting caught, but this is my usual tack set up:
http://sports.webshots.com/photo/233...46770113MAsTli

My regular schooling pad is about the same thickness & size as my qhite show pad - both are CC pads, and yes, to be able to get the pad's loop done up around the billet, the pad has to be fairly far forward...

[ASBJumper]

Since the same thing happened with your friend's reins, but you don't mention that she has the same problem, could it be you are carrying your hands too low?

I do tend to carry them a bit low on occasion, but I find it bothers me more when I have my hands up where they're supposed to be (the weight, at least). It seems to happen whether i'm carrying them high or low, to be honest.

And my friend has never said anything about it happening to her on my horse (she's ridden him before), but honestly she carries her hands even lower than I do!

I should ask her though.. i do remember my trainer saying the reins seemed quite long to her...

[ASBJumper]

It's not just you. I am short-armed and I have this problem with certain reins/saddle/horse combos. Depends on the length of the horse's neck too.

Thank GOD.

[rabicon]

I have the stubben dressage reins also. There seems to be a good bit extra. Lol but I never have an issue. One of two things either your pad is to far forward or he is more short necked than my guy is so you have way to much left getting in the way. You can go with shorter reins or get a smaller pad or move it back some

[Hampton Bay]

Hold the buckle in one hand with the rein. When I find it getting stuck somewhere it shouldn't, I Just grab the buckle and hold it too.

[netg]

Based on the pic I'd be doing these things right away:
Get the CC pad off your horse's withers so it's not pressing there any more
Check the saddle for fit as that much height often means the saddle is too narrow
Don't use the straps if they don't fit with the pad in an appropriate place so it's not so far forward
Get your thumbs up and reins properly going across them, as you will keep having problems with the reins held that way

[ASBJumper]

Based on the pic I'd be doing these things right away:
Get the CC pad off your horse's withers so it's not pressing there any more
Check the saddle for fit as that much height often means the saddle is too narrow
Don't use the straps if they don't fit with the pad in an appropriate place so it's not so far forward
Get your thumbs up and reins properly going across them, as you will keep having problems with the reins held that way

Saddle is not even remotely close to being too narrow, it fits him beautifully and has been pro fitted (if anything it's a smidge wide, which is ok cuz he's growing). Chiro & massage ladies have both said my guy's shoulders/withers/back are 100% issue-free, no sign of pressure or discomfort whatsoever.

But I agree that I should try a square-cut Dressage pad, that might help...!

[ASBJumper]

Hold the buckle in one hand with the rein. When I find it getting stuck somewhere it shouldn't, I Just grab the buckle and hold it too.

Ooh, i might try that next time I ride, see if that's doable for me.. thx!

[see u at x]

I'd try the suggestions here first, and if there is still a problem and you totally love the reins, I might consider taking them to leather repairman and see if they can shorten them slightly for you. I have a pair of beautiful plaited reins I plan on doing that with because they're just too long and get caught on the front corner of my square saddle pads.