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Location: Tenn. | Let me just start by saying in my 20+ years of barrel racing I have NEVER competed in split reins. When I was younger I ran in the Josey reins, and before I had children when I was competing pretty heavily I ran in Martin laced leather barrel reins.
However, I have since sold all of my finished barrel horses and have a mare that I was able to slowly start this year. I haven't competed in a couple years so getting my mojo back has been a challenge. I feel confident in my riding and honestly feel like I am a better rider now that I have been able to take some time off from barrel racing and help my husband with the ranch/rope horses.
Of course when I was training the mare I am riding now all I rode her in was split reins at home. I have taken her to two jackpots, the first one I put my barrel reins on her and she did ok ran about 1.5 seconds off the winning time. The second barrel race I took her to this weekend I cruised her through during trainers and left my split reins on and she did AMAZING besides being a little nervous of all the shadows which is to be expected. In the open however I put my barrel reins on her and she just wasn't as snappy.
My husband told me I rode better with split reins which I rolled my eyes at because he is just a cowboy and they don't know much about barrel racing (totally kidding)! But when I looked back at my videos he is completely right!!! I sit on my butt and really allow my horse to work when using my split reins, where as in my barrel reins I am the opposite. And lengthening them doesn't seem to help either....
So here is my dilemma..... Is this OK??? I understand that whatever works for you may not work for others, but it's hard for me to truly accept the fact that I would be competitively running in split reins.
If someone does this please tell me so I know I'm not the only one! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 808
 
| There used to be a girl here who ran her horse in an Aussie saddle and split reins and she was always in the 2D. Do what works for you. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 516
| Of course it's okay! Don't care about what others think, if I rode better in pajamas and flip flops you bet your butt I'd do it. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
 
| I think either ride her at home in barrel reins, longer perhaps like a full 8' roping rein and see how you get along - don't wait until the day of the race to make the switch, you end up thinking more about your reins than what you're doing.
Or run her in splits, consider using a couple braiding bands to hold them together just for safety sake and ride with the rubber bands on them at home to find a comfortable length.
The thing that drew me to barrel racing away from the judges disciplines I grew up in was the ability to "do what works for you". |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | OhMax - 2016-10-04 5:25 PM I think either ride her at home in barrel reins, longer perhaps like a full 8' roping rein and see how you get along - don't wait until the day of the race to make the switch, you end up thinking more about your reins than what you're doing. Or run her in splits, consider using a couple braiding bands to hold them together just for safety sake and ride with the rubber bands on them at home to find a comfortable length. The thing that drew me to barrel racing away from the judges disciplines I grew up in was the ability to "do what works for you".
Sometimes 8' isn't long enough. I wonder if you could contact a leather maker like Dennis Moreland and have him make you a custom set of super-long rains that are made with that good leather that split reins are made out of? Do what works for you but I couldn't trust myself to hold onto both reins LOL. I'd hate to drop one! |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| i ride myhorsein split reinsuntil i go inthe holding pen then i put the short reins on.works for me. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 974
Location: USA | I can think of one pro futurity trainer who will make a run in split reins, not necessarily all the time, but she does. It's whatever works for you =)
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 Expert
Posts: 1482
Location: on my horse | When I'm patterning or seasoning I have a super long pair of barrel reins I made myself that I like to use, they're 10' and I can shorten them up if I want but like to have the extra length when we are going slower and I'm working on a correct pattern. I actually run with them pretty long as well. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | My boy is well past his futurity days and seasoning days. He still runs better in split reins. People look and stare and judge but I'm okay with that. It's not socially acceptable to be different at some pens but others people will genuinely ask me about it and I just tell them that's what he is comfortable with and that's what I'm use too. You do you.  |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | I've had a couple that I was just more comfortable running in split reins - if it's working for her - why would you change? I'm either going to use split reins to run one or very short reins.... I cannot do long reins. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4642
Location: Texas | Do what works best for you! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| I just went to warming up and doing daily work in split reins. Horse works 100% better! I'm still running in barrel reins but I'm hoping the work with the split reins will help me and him. What you stated could have been me writing that. Exact same thing! |
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 I Don't Brag
Posts: 6960
| As long as you don't drop one, who cares what others think?
Go with what works and what you have confidence in.
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | hammer_time - 2016-10-04 7:49 PM
OhMax - 2016-10-04 5:25 PM I think either ride her at home in barrel reins, longer perhaps like a full 8' roping rein and see how you get along - don't wait until the day of the race to make the switch, you end up thinking more about your reins than what you're doing. Or run her in splits, consider using a couple braiding bands to hold them together just for safety sake and ride with the rubber bands on them at home to find a comfortable length. The thing that drew me to barrel racing away from the judges disciplines I grew up in was the ability to "do what works for you".
Sometimes 8' isn't long enough. I wonder if you could contact a leather maker like Dennis Moreland and have him make you a custom set of super-long rains that are made with that good leather that split reins are made out of? Do what works for you but I couldn't trust myself to hold onto both reins LOL. I'd hate to drop one!
Very true! My horse is big and I can barely reach 8' reins! Smartpak makes 10' braided leather reins. They're spendy but look super nice. |
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