How do our reins keep you safe? Let us count the ways…

If you've read up about our back story, you’ll know that our founder Laurie was inspired to develop safety reins after witnessing a child get tangled in her pony’s reins. It wasn’t the first time Laurie had seen an incident like this, but it was the most terrifying. The reins became wrapped around the child’s neck, and they were dragged as their pony ran loose, only being freed when the pony was caught by bystanders. Thankfully the child was just bruised and upset, but the whole thing could have been so much worse.

After seeing that scenario play out in front of her, and as the mother of a young rider herself, Laurie quickly set about developing our patented quick-release connector. An innovative addition to reins to ensure that if a rider or horse becomes tangled, the reins will simply release. That connector now forms the heart of all FR Vincitore safety reins today, and it’s helping riders and horses in so many ways.

A horse or the rider can become tangled in the reins due to miscommunication, inexperience or simply an accident. In this month’s blog, we’re looking at how our reins work in different situations to keep horse and rider safe when it matters most.

The rider falls from the horse

If a rider falls and they try to hold onto the reins, they might get tangled around their hands, wrists or arms. Or, in the case of the child Laurie saw fall, they fall out ‘the front door’ and the reins become tangled around their neck or shoulders. This not only means there’s a risk of being dragged if the horse bolts, but it could cause injury to the neck as the person falls. When FRV reins are being used, they will separate the moment the rider’s weight is taken by the reins, releasing them and any pressure on the horse’s mouth.

The horse gets caught after a fall or stumble

If you’ve ever watched jump racing, you’ll occasionally see a horse fall or peck badly on land, and when they get back up, they’ve put a leg through the reins. The resulting spectacle is not pleasant for any horse lover to see, as quite often the reins don’t break, and the horse is dragging its own bit onto its tongue and bars with every stride. The same can happen when horses get loose hacking, cross-country or team chasing, but with our reins the connector will immediately work, releasing the reins and freeing the horse's leg.

The horse steps on the reins

This can happen both when the rider is in the saddle or when they’re dismounted. If the rider is waiting for their instructor to start or space in the warmup ring and drops the reins or they dangle too low the horse can step on them. The same could happen If the reins are not properly secured or shortened when the horse is tied up and can get tangled by the horse shifting, pawing or rubbing its head. If this happens, the FRV connector will come apart when the reins are under that sudden, sharp pressure and release, stopping the horse suffering a horrible jolt to the bit. No broken reins to replace, and you can carry on and ride as you planned!

Getting in a tangle out hacking

If you’re out enjoying the countryside with your horse, what would happen if you’re miles from home and the reins catch and break? They could get caught on a tree branch, gate post or jump and not only potentially cause a painful jerk on the horse’s mouth but also lead to the horse to suddenly pull back and snap the reins. If you’re many miles from home and the rein is broken near the bit, that’s a long in-hand walk home… FRV reins are easy to reconnect when they come apart in incidents like these - just unscrew the connector and reattach the ball!

These are just some of the circumstances where using FR Vincitore reins will help keep both you and your beloved horse much safer. Why risk injuring them or yourself, when you can simply choose peace of mind instead? Shop our safety reins here.