A Market Harbrough or a Abbot Davis?

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FrecklesMum

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I have recently bought a horse that has had a very bad back. I have not ridden him for the last 6 weeks and have been given the all clear to ride him again.

I rode him last night and the problem is that he lifts his head up very very high and then shoots off with you which is not great as it leaves you with no control, etc. My instructor suggested that I look in to getting an Abbot Davis or a Market Harborough for him to school gently in for a few weeks, in order to bring his head down without forcing it.

Which would you guys recommend out if the two? Whats the real difference?
 
My friend rides in an abbott davies and this is for precicely the problem you are describing, she doesn't ride in it all the time but you can tell it certainly works, i think you just have to be gentle when you first start off with such contraptions especially if you haven't used them before.
 
Hmmmmmm......

I am just slightly worried by teh rumor that the man who made abbot davis was killed by a horse reacting badly to one!

Master broze could you describe how it works?
 
This sounds a tricky situation which could go pear shaped for both horse and rider. Obviously, you post the basic details to keep it short but there are lots of questions that need answering about the pain and the memory of pain this horse has been in/is still in. My first reaction is that a horse that puts his head up and runs off when ridden may still have some pain. Presumeably you are absolutely confident your advisor (vet?) is correct in saying he is in no pain?

The problem is a horse will drop his back away from the rider if his back hurts and, as a consequence, his head goes up. If you try this yourself, that is really hollow your back then pull your chin down onto your chest while keeping the hollow in the back, it is very uncomfortable. My worry is that the horse will do something more drastic to escape the pain and that you might get hurt.

There are lots of exercises for helping horse's to build up back muscles without the rider initially including lungeing, trotting poles, stretches, stomach lifts, ride and lead, long reining etc.

I did have a bad reaction in a horse myself to an Abbott Davies, many, many years ago before I learned how to bring a horse's back up while riding. Luckily I hopped off before he bronced me off and I don't blame him one bit for doing it with hindsight.

Be careful.
 
I don't think he is still in pain but i think he is still worried it will hurt (if that makes sense!). He did relax at points and bring his head down and his back round but then something would spook him, etc and the head would ocme up and off he would shoot.

I have def had the all clear and have also spent the last 4 weeks lunging him in side reins in order to help him develop his muscles.
 
personally i like market harbroughs becaue it has a clear action that the horse activates himself its nothing to do with how you. he puts his head up the thing tightens, he puts it down it loosens. and if there is no reason for pain sometimes you have to ut the horse in a position where he can realise it is all in his mind and it does really hurt and in fact is easy to keep his head down,
 
They way I see it the AD has more give in it with the rubber and the pulleys the horse can use itself properly whilst the MH is quite rigid being fixed. We used to use the AD a lot on S_Jers and it was great really good at making them use their backs and building topline up. I suppose it must be similar to riding with a Pessoa on, I cannot ever recall one freaking out with it on and it was used on allsorts!
 
Well i haven't used an abbott Davis myself but the one my friend uses is positioned so it attaches to the girth between the horses legs and either strap then goes to the bit then up and over the poll.

I think if your horse was likely to rear then it would be an extremely dangerous accessory to ride in, thats why i wouldn't put my girl in one, plus she doesn't hold her head up.

But if your horse is fairly submissive when it comes to tieing her in a set position then it would greatly help with her topline and obviously keep her head down.

Hope that helps x
 
I have to agree with Oldred, the Abbot Davis is a very specialised piece of tack, it is mainly used to stop a horse going on the forehand, which is why its called a balancing rein, but obviously is used for other misdameaners and it should not be used for very long either, probably 15 minutes at a time.

If your horse has had a bad back you are probably better off lunging him in a Pessoa and riding in a normal martingale until the muscle in his back has built up again.

If you do want the Abbot Davis I would suggest you try and borrow the booklet that comes with it and read it, which will explain how it works and the benefits, or Allens do a book called "Guide to Training Aids" which I believe covers the Abbot Davis very well.

I have had one for a very long time and they are very expensive to buy about £140 whereas a Market Harborough is a lot cheaper. I have never had an adverse reaction with a horse, but I have never used it on a horse that has been injured.

All Training Aids have advantages and disadvantages and most horses accept them but there are those that will react badly, so BE CAREFUL as your horse is recoving from an injury.
 
I the horse shooting off with you in walk?

Just wondering, if its a new horse I take it you have not done alot with him?, plus the fact that he's been off for 6 weeks etc due to back problems, are you taking easy and building his exercise up slowly...walk work etc, is there any way you could concentrate on just doing this and using it as an opportunity to hopefully school it out of him? (if your in the safe confinement of of a school)or has the horse always done this in the past? It may just be something that in time he will stop doing rather than sticking an AD/MH on straight away which me lead to further problems and avasion etc.

Either way, I hope you sort something out, good luck

smile.gif
 
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