How Do You Lunge A Horse In Side Reins?
Side reins are training tools used most often in English equestrian disciplines, such as dressage, and are intended to be used while working a horse on the lunge line. Side reins connect from the bit to either the rings on a lunging surcingle or to the buckles or rings on the saddle’s girth, and are typically made of either leather or nylon. They are used to build the muscles of a horse’s top line (from the ears to the withers along the top of the neck) without rider interference. Tack up the horse with either a saddle and saddle pad or surcingle and saddle pad. Disconnect the reins from a regular bridle with a snaffle bit, then clip a lunge line to the bit ring and attach the side reins to the saddle or surcingle. You should never immediately lunge a horse in side reins without first warming up. Lunge the horse for five or ten minutes at the walk, trot and canter without the side reins. This is to loosen the horse’s muscles and increase circulation without any undue stress. Some horse
