Trainers Pen

Trainer’s Pen

 

Right as Rein! The length and style of reins can help or hurt your performance.

 

If you were to sit on the sidelines at a mounted shooting event, you’ll frequently see novice riders make a big mistake—their reins are way too long. This not only affects their reining ability, but it can cause a chain reaction of other technique-related problems.

 

Unlike other timed events, mounted shooters have only one hand to rein their horses; the other is busy shooting or changing guns. The rein length we start a pattern with is generally the length we’re committed to for the entire course, so it is very important that you set the correct length before engaging the course.

 

Before we get into that, a word of warning—NEVER use your gun hand to adjust rein length or help turn your horse during a pattern. You’re liable to accidentally fire your gun, and that puts both you and your horse in danger.

 

Roping reins or split reins?

The simple answer to that is: whatever works for you. Either can be used correctly; even the top shooters are split on the subject.

 

Roping reins.

Roping reins are a great choice for riders who do not like the responsibility of having two reins. They can set their roping reins at the exact length and not worry about ever dropping a rein, or not holding a rein firmly enough and letting one slip longer than the other. They can also be great for Rifle Class shooters, especially if you prefer to drop your reins on the rundown. No matter what happens, you know there is no possibility of your horse stepping on reins and they are easy to relocate at the completion of the Rifle run.

 

Roping reins can be somewhat uncomfortable for the rider when you’re waiting your turn to shoot because they have to be set relatively short. But there are a couple of ways of dealing with that.  A small length of leather string tied to the center of the rein can make holding on to the short rein a little easier. Or buy a second set of roping reins, a longer set, that you can warm up with or hold whenever you’re not shooting, These can be quickly unsnapped when it is your time to shoot.

 

Split reins.

Split reins are very adaptable, and they have the advantage of each rein working independent of the other. If you have a running-type pattern coming up (i.e., an ‘X’, or ‘Double Rundown’), you can lengthen your reins slightly, or you can shorten them for a tight pattern (such as a pole bending setup) without having an extra loop of leftover rein in your hand.

 

And you can easily lengthen split reins while warming up or waiting for your turn to shoot.

 

A disadvantage of split reins is that they can be hard to set before a run. A rider needs to learn what length works best for them, to know how that feels, in order to run at the correct length every time and to avoid running into a pattern with too much rein in their hands.

 

Whether you choose to ride with split or roping reins, make sure your hand is centered and there is an even amount of rein on both sides, to avoid pulling your horse’s nose to one side.

 

Rein length and mounted shooting.

Split or roping reins—they must be held correctly for them to be fully functional. Rein length is critical to your shooting technique and your horses performance. Your rein length will dictate your shooting style and in turn your accuracy.

 

Reins that are too short affect your horse’s turning ability because your hand is too far up its neck. Your body position is too far forward, which means you can’t effectively sit back in the saddle during barrel turns. It also hurts your ability to rate.

 

Reins that are too long—the most common mistake—also hurts your ability to turn because your body position is too far back. Your upper body position becomes too upright, or you can lean too far back in the saddle. This makes it hard for your horse to understand when you need him to rate. It also takes your eye off your pistol, hurting your accuracy, especially in a cross shot. You need to be tilted slightly forward in order to look down your firearm in both strong and off shots—and this means a shorter rein.

 

Unsure of what is a good length? Practice at home. See what works. And remember, you can always move your hand forward up your horse’s neck a little in order to give him a little more rein.  But it’s very hard to gather up excess rein when they’re too long and you have a gun in your hand!

 

What about reins in Rifle Class?

Neither is right or wrong, but here technique is everything.

 

Four-time defending CMSA World Champion Rifle shooter (and my spouse) Matt Sronce is a split rein advocate who drops his reins on the rundown: “I use split reins in all of my pistol competitions, so I don’t want to change for Rifle. In all the years I have been shooting Rifle, I have only ever lost a split rein once. My reins are long enough that the weight of them keeps them in place when I drop them for the rundown. If you prefer to hold onto your split reins during a Rifle rundown, while holding onto the barrel on your rifle, be careful not to have your rein length too short.  The movement of your rifle barrel will pull your horse off track.” 

 

Top Ladies Rifle shooter Theresa Cox prefers roping reins. She ties on a short leather strap in the center of her reins to avoid completely dropping them during her rundown. This additional strap ensures that she can quickly and safely bring her horse to a stop after completing the run.

 

I use the same split reins for my Rifle competitions as I do in main match competition. I just feel more comfortable with them.

 

It’s all about technique.

Be open-minded and experiment with both styles at home before you make up your mind—but remember that technique is everything.

 

And also see what length works for you. Your reins can have a huge impact on your overall shooting performance.
 

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