Saddle vs Roller

Kira657

New Member
Jul 18, 2005
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North Cornwall
Would like you opinions on the two, I am currently following the advise of the 'back lady' and lunging my horse in side reins (with her saddle on). I've thought of getting a roller but would I be spending an unneccessary amount of money on one when a saddle does the job just as well? By the way at the moment I have no intention of using any other training devices on her, just the side reins for now. Are there any advantages that the roller has over a saddle other than the fact you can use more things on them?
 
i use saddle to lunge in with side reins too, back lady also reccomended i did that too with a few more tactics too!!! roller is a waste of money if your saddle fits properly!!!
 
if your just using side reins then the saddle will be ok.

rollers come into play when you are using a more complicated device and need several D-rings :)
 
I'd advise buying a roller. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but rollers are handy, especially if you're trying to long-rein, as the reins can be run back through the loops on the roller.
 
I have a roller cos - they are easier to carry down to the field, for long reining, so I don't have to clean the saddle, so the saddle doesn't get wet in rain

in other words - sheer laziness other than the long reining bit :D

If a horse had a really sore back I might use a roller instead of a saddle as it would be less weight etc, but you'd have to watch that it did not cause any pressure high points.

IMHO I suspect for what you want to do, the saddle is fine.
 
hApPiNeSs said:
i agree - but she is only using side-reins ;)

True, she's only using side-reins now. But who knows what tomorrow will bring? Rollers aren't that expensive for what you can do with them. :)
 
I got a nice leather roller from Ebay (I think the store was Greenhawk) for only $30 and love them. Not a necessity but very convenient. :)
 
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I watched a demonstration on long reining on my riding holiday and they used a saddle not a roller.They put the 'reins' through the pushed up stirrup irons.Is this wrong ??
 
Karin, I think you may have the same surcingle I do :)

I like them. They're convenient for a lot of things. Among others, working a horse when you don't HAVE a saddle that fits, or introducing a horse to the concept of being girthed up...not having to get out your whole saddle every time...not risking your saddle when you're not actually using the saddle itself...

Granted, much of what I find it useful for is outside the scope of your current work, but it has so MANY uses. I can't imagine how I got along without one.
 
Cherokee said:
I watched a demonstration on long reining on my riding holiday and they used a saddle not a roller.They put the 'reins' through the pushed up stirrup irons.Is this wrong ??

Its not "wrong" - its just that a roller has pairs of rings set at different heights so you can use whichever ring is right for what you want to do. Plus I have always had problems getting the lines to run freely through stirrups, so you don't get a quick "release" to the horse when you release the rein :(

We've had a conversation about long-reining lines before. I've never really got on very well with a pair of lunge lines - I found them bulky and they didn't "run" freely. So when I found a set of reins that had a round cord for the front part (which goes through the rings) and then webbing for my part, and they were a continuous rein rather than split - I was a happy bunny. But an instructor who used them felt they were way to long and other people have commented (on here) about the risk of getting horse or person tangled up in a continuous rein if something goes wrong. I suspect what I have are a form of driving rein - hence their length.

Now I tend to long rein closer to the horse, I would probably agree they are too long.
 
I too use a roller for convenience and like cvb I find it hard to get the reins running freely through run-up stirrups. I have longreined with the stirrups down and strapped together under the belly so they don't swing but this gives you a very low setting for the reins so useful if trying for a relaxed long low walk or similar but too low (I feel) for 'normal' longreining. Mind you that is on a 13.2hh with adult (albeit short adult) length stirrups - it does depend on how long your stirrups are in relation to the horse's belly!

I like to use a roller with driving reins, in fact I really like to use a driving pad with driving reins, that is even nicer to longrein from. I use my shetland tandem reins so they are very long on the shetlands (a touch too long for longreining really) but ideal for Rupert.
 
It sounds as though it's not really worth getting one unless i'm going to anymore with her ie long reining or any other training aids. Maybe i'll splash out on one when i'm feeling a little richer (i'll be waiting a long time!).

To add to the topic, how many of you use a lunge cavesson as oppose to a bridle or even both? I know you can get cavessons with bit attatchments on them. I'm currently using a bridle, passing the lunge over her head but am on the look out for a cavesson
 
Kira657 said:
To add to the topic, how many of you use a lunge cavesson as oppose to a bridle or even both? I know you can get cavessons with bit attatchments on them. I'm currently using a bridle, passing the lunge over her head but am on the look out for a cavesson

I lunge my RI's horses and we free-lunge all of those without a line. When we do use the line, it's clipped to a lunge strap on a halter.
 
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