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Side reins or auxiliary reins should help the beginner to learn and feel the right fit. At best they should get the horse to drop its neck and arch its back. The aim of every riding training should be to get away from these auxiliary reins. Auxiliary reins should only be strapped in after the horse has warmed up and not strapped in for too long. In the terrain, side straps should definitely be removed. Known auxiliary reins are simple tie-in reins, the Wiener or triangle reins, Thiedemann or Lauffer reins. Auxiliary reins that should only be used by experienced riders include draw reins, chambon or gogue. Side reins such as triangular reins, simple side reins or special lunging aids are also used for lunging.
Every beginner rider is familiar with side reins. Where the steady rider's hand and the right influence is still missing, when lunging or when doing manual work, reins are used. The advantage: They provide a clear framework, the horse is delimited at the front and sides. It finds support and lateral limitation. The disadvantage: With correctly buckled outrigger reins, riding forwards and downwards is not possible, since the horse is limited to the front and comes behind the reins when stretched. Reinforcements made entirely of elastic material often tempt horses to lie down on the bit and let their head carry themselves instead of carrying it themselves. The horse comes on the forehand. Buckle the reins properly: One side rein is fastened to the saddle girth on each side. The snap hook is attached to the bit rings. The restraints should be buckled so high that they are almost horizontal when the head is held normally. The length is adjusted so that the horse stands with its head straight and does not fall behind the vertical.
Triangle reins are a modified form of the reins and are also called Viennese reins. The triangle reins are often used for lunging. This rein is also popular with novice riders who are not yet able to ride their horse completely by hand, but who can already use a good amount of lateral restraint. The advantage: The horse finds its way into the forward-down stretch. The back swings. The triangular reins also prevent the horse from raising its head too high. The disadvantage: The triangular rein offers hardly any lateral limitation. If the horse goes too low, it also gets behind the reins. Fasten the triangular reins correctly: The triangular rein consists of a single, thicker strap that splits into two straps. The three straps are connected by a metal ring. The single strap goes through the front legs and attaches to the bottom of the girth (to the D-ring if present). The two straps, which are often narrower, are each passed through a bit ring from the inside to the outside and attached to the saddle girth. With a normal head position just before vertical, the upper straps should be approximately horizontal.
The Thiedemann reins or Köhler reins are a somewhat less severe variant of the draw reins and tighten the rein aids of the rider. Der Vorteil: In contrast to draw reins, the rider only holds one pair of reins in his hands. This makes the Thiedemann reins easier to use. With the correct buckles, the rider cannot exert any more influence when the horse is walking in the correct position (unlike with draw reins). The Thiedemann reins only work if the horse puts its head too far forward or too far up. The disadvantage: The Thiedemann reins are not suitable for riders with unsteady hands, offer no lateral limitation and, if used incorrectly, lead to a blunt horse's mouth. Therefore, this auxiliary rein only belongs in soft and experienced rider hands that are independent of the seat and where a soft, springy connection between the rider's hand and the horse's mouth is guaranteed. Buckle the Thiedemann reins properly: The neck ring and chest strap are buckled like a martingale. The two narrower straps are passed through the respective bit rings from the inside to the outside and hooked onto the metal rings on the respective reins. The Thiedemann reins must be adjusted so that they are only used when the horse's head is too far up or forward.
The Lauffer rein is closely related to the triangular rein and can also be buckled like it. In contrast to the triangular reins, it consists of two individual leather straps. Der Vorteil: The Lauffer rein is probably the most variable auxiliary rein. It can be used for stretching forwards and downwards as well as for straightening. Depending on how it is buckled.
The disadvantage: If the Lauffer reins are buckled like a triangle reins, there is hardly any lateral limitation. In addition, the horse may come behind the reins. If the walker reins are buckled for the erection, it is not suitable for the solution phase. Buckle the horse reins properly: For solution work and for stretching, the Lauffer reins are buckled like a triangular reins. In order to achieve a higher erection or more lateral limitation, one end (with a loop) is buckled in as high as possible. The running reins are attached to the D-rings on the saddle (to which the Maria auxiliary strap is also attached) and on the lunging belt in one of the upper rings. The running reins are now passed through the respective bit ring from top to bottom and fastened again to the saddle or lunging belt at the level of the bow joint. A running rein is attached to each side of the horse. As a result, the horse has a stronger lateral limitation and is encouraged to hold its head higher.
The chambon and also the gogue are intended to teach the horse to lower its head when pressure is applied to the muzzle and poll. In contrast to the chambon, the gogue can also be used under the rider. The chambon is only used for lunging, since the rider would have to give up the reins very quickly as soon as the horse showed the slightest tendency to move forwards and downwards. This is very demanding and can only be done by very few, extremely sensitive riders. Chambon and Gogue are for horses that have trouble stretching and have trouble dropping their necks. If the horse raises its head too high, Chambon and Gogue press on the poll and corner of the mouth. If the horse now lowers its head, the pressure is relieved. If the posture is correct, the help is completely eliminated. The difference between Chambon and Gogue is mainly that on the independent gogue, the rubber goes through the bit back into the strap from the girth, forming a triangle. There are two options with the guided Gogue: either the ends are buckled to the reins like with Thiedemann reins, or the rider holds a second pair of reins in his hands like with draw reins. With the chambon, the rubber ends in the bit rings. Disadvantages of the Chambon: The chambon offers neither lateral limitation nor the possibility of leaning against it. In the worst case, the horse will curl up to avoid the pressure. If it is buckled too short, it can tighten. On the other hand, if it is buckled too long, it can become a tripping hazard. The disadvantages of the gogue: The independent gogue has the same disadvantages as the chambon, but also seems backwards. The guided gogue acts like a draw rein when used incorrectly and is just as demanding to use. Important instructions: Chambon and Gogue only belong in the hands of extremely experienced riders! In addition, incorrect buckles can lead to severe defensive reactions in the horse. Therefore, only use these auxiliary reins when you are in the saddle under supervision. Chambon and Gogue should therefore only be used in individual cases.
The neck extender is a rather controversial auxiliary rein. The name suggests that the horse should stretch long in the forward-down position. But the more the horse stretches, the greater the pressure on the bit. In addition, the neck lengthener is ineffective if buckled correctly (hangs with normal head posture) and is therefore often buckled much too tightly. The flexibility of the neck extender leads to two more in most horses disadvantages: The horse either learns to lie on the reins or crawls behind the reins to avoid the pressure. Therefore, the neck extender is not suitable for every horse.
