@TimKStanton@mstdn.social Yes! I can imagine not being able to do that while on the trail. Every horse has a different mouth. For example, my ranch horse, Jake, could neck rein and did not like when the reins were pulled tight. He didn't need it. But my paint horse, Cherokee, required short reins all the time. He was clueless about neck reining. I actually used roping reins on him. Worked perfectly. Maybe Dusty was a horse like that who needed you to be "in his mouth" all the time to keep him under control.