Not necessarily, no. All you need to ride is the horse.
The 'split reins' you are talking about are Western reins. 'Combined reins' are English. Both are good, just different riding styles.
There isn't one. If you ride with split reins you can tie a simple knot. Both types of martingales (standing and running) will stop the reins from going over the horse's head but their purpose is training. These are 'head setting' devices. I thought of 'draw reins' and 'side reins' but these also are training equipment. There are 'stoppers' made of rubber or leather but these are used to keep the bit and reins where they belong. Unless someone have invented something new in the last 5 minutes there is nothing that has the 'sole' purpose of keeping reins in your hands.
I rode my horse on the left reins around the riding ring!
One very popular way is draw reins, A string that loops through the girth and the bit on both sides, which doesn't allow a pony to pull his head up.
to gather the reins, you take the reins in one hand and grab lower with the other hand, do this with both hands until you have collected your reins to a good length. do not just wiggle the reins through your fingers to shorten them, this is incorrect.
You hold the snaffle reins(usually braided) like you normally do, and pick up the curb reins(thinner, not braided) with your index and middle fingers. Tighten both reins to where you can effectively steer without pulling your horse's head down too far. To bring nose down hold both reins and alternate hands back while encouraging your horse forward. Hope that helps!
You always use two reins in English. In Western you generally use one.
The surcingle is most commonly used for longeing, mainly to attach training equipment such as side reins, lauffer reins (sliding side reins), and chambons. A surcingle is also important in long reining, as it provides rings for the long reins to run through
The main function of the reins is to communicate cues to the horse through the rider's hands. They are used to direct and control the horse's movements, including steering, stopping, and regulating speed. The reins are an important tool for communication between the rider and the horse.
Horseback riding is something that has been around for thousands of years and it is taken very seriously these days as a sport. English horseback riding is seen throughout the world today. To do it both hands have to be on the reins to control the horse.
No Reins was created in 1986.