If you ask people why they use side reins you often get the usual phrases: “engaging the hind legs”, “muscling the back”, “putting the horse on the bit”, “my trainer uses it”. These are answers which were heard somewhere without understanding the bio mechanics. The inexperienced rider often thinks to reach his or her goal faster by using auxiliary reins. But usually, the horse is only forced to a rigid posture which contributes to the problem on a long term.
It is obvious that although many people use auxiliary reins, very few truly understand or know how the systems affect the horse physique. The problem with all these restrictive systems, side reins, draw reins, shambon, gogue etc. is that they theorize a reaction omitting a fundamental fact: whatever the system applied, the horse does not work a muscle imbalance, weakness, reflex contraction or morphological flaw but instead protects it. The horse can adapt to the restriction of the side reins. Some side reins are built with a rubber theoretically designed to avoid rigid contact. But quite often, the horse uses this rubber action to lean heavily on the bit.
When up and down oscillation of the head and neck are restricted by the use of side reins, the horse will likely compensate for the restricted oscillation of his neck leaning on the bit. If the horse is too narrow in its neck the pull on the nuchal ligament and other ligaments in the back pull the sacrum up so the horse cannot step under anymore.
The problem with all these systems is that they dismiss the most fundamental principle of sound education. A horse always reacts protecting first any existing muscle imbalance, reflex contraction or bad habit. The riders capacity of analyzing these flaws is the horses only chance of success. At the lunge, one can change the cadence, or size of circle but guiding the horse's brain towards the most appropriate body coordination demands a conversation that can only be achieved by work in hand or riding the horse.
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