Abbott Davies??????????

[charlie55]

Just a couple of questions as everyone has different views. Wondered what all yours are??

1) What are your views on these?

2) If you have used one, did the horse go back to his old self once taken off?

3) Did Peter abbott davies infact die using this on a horse? Or is it just a myth?

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

never been able to buy one to be honest as company dont make them anymore

 

[Chloe_GHE]

I was given an AD balencing rein kit and still have it, the manual book that came with it had pics of people jumping xc and sj in them!!!

I was v sceptical especially when one of the positions has a string tied round the horses tail and back to the reins part!

I tried one of the other settings on my very sensible tbx and it had a dramatic affect on him he was considerable more bouncey and uphill in the canter but couldn't sustain it for more than half a circle. I took it off and schooled him without it and as much as it made a slight improvement to the canter it also made him alot heavier in the hand, so it remains on the shelf in the tack room gathering dust...

I think it was probubly good for it's time but has now been out moded by safer, softer more effective training aids and methods

 

[kerilli]

i knew someone with one in the 1980s, they used it a lot (and never got anywhere, fwiw.) whatever you could get from the horse with it on, disappeared the moment you took it off, and since you can't compete in them, what's the point of that?!
i remember videos of Malcolm Pyrah jumping pretty huge fences on a horse with it in the tail-tied-to-head position. i thought he was crackers.
my opinion is that it is another gadget that promises a quick fix, and that there are no such things in the horse world.

 

[Pasha]

I used one years ago for 6 weeks on a horse that had developed muscles on the underside of it's neck, purely as a stronger martingale - I used just the rein and the bit that went between the legs through the bit to the rein - basically a market harborough! It did the job in that it allowed me to prevent him from throwing his head up so I could get rid of that muscle... but of course then the hard work began

I never had the problem of incorrect muscle build-up again though... I still have it but someone stole my reins so it is useless!

I've just got a new horse and he has a similar problem - head in the air, hollow backed, on the forehand! Anyhoo, various friends have suggested the Market Harborough to me as I really don't like gadgets as a general rule. Going to do lots of lungeing in the kalvacade thingy first and see how we go, but would be interested on people's views on the MH!

 

[charlie55]

I too will only be using the bit through the legs to the girth, i would never tie anything to his tail. x

 

[CrazyMare]

I used one on my mare once. Only once.

She is usually very up in front of the leg, it made her ever so heavy in the hand and right behind the leg - hated the feeling it gave. She hated the feeling it gave too - tail was swishing away and ears pinned back.

I'd leave well alone.

 

[Thunderbirds R Gone]

It is basically an elasticated market harborough.

I have a friend who used one for months, but every time she took it off the horse reverted back to how it was.

However, during the time she used it, her horse was much easier for her to ride so she spent the time working on her position so she was a better rider for when she took it off, if that makes sense?

 

[jess_asterix]

I use one whenever i ride my boyfriend grade A as i cannot hold it if not lol.

It works a treat and goes exactly the same when taken off although a lot stronger!

 

[charlie55]

Thankyou for all your replies, i will ride him wed night in one on the loose setting a see how he goes, i cant keep having pulled muscles lol x

 

[siennamum]

I think to use anything like this to stop a horse from pulling is risky. He is just as likely to learn that instead of throwing his head around & buggering off he can do so far more effectively by putting his head in his chest.

It would be a far better idea to try lunging to get him settled and balanced & loads & loads of flatwork to sort the canter.

 

[TarrSteps]

The problem with any of the aids which use leverage to make the horse FEEL lighter is they do so by increasing the force the rider can apply, not by lessening the the force the horse applies to the reins. In other words the aid (draw rein, pelham, Market Harborough, gag etc.) turns every 1lb of pressure on the rein into 1 x whatever the size of the lever is (for most pelhams, for example, that would be x2-2.5, for draw reins as much as x7).

This CAN be used to make the rider momentarily stronger in order to apply say, a firm correction or to override the adrenalin of an exciting situation. BUT if the pressure is applied continually it effectively builds up the horse's resistance, both by teaching it that the much stronger aid is "normal" and literally by making it pull against increasing force, rather like a gym machine. Also, if the horse is continually pushing against the force it's actually building up the wrong muscles, the pushing ones rather than the carrying ones, and infecting the whole system with tension. That's why so many horses start out a little better in such devices and then, as the get stronger, end up a whole lot worse.

It can also break a horse. If the amount of force is more than the horse can stand structurally - if say, the horse trips or the rider applies sudden extreme force for some other reason - it can cause an acute injury. Far more likely though is long term "repetitive strain injury", likely to one of the weaker, more mobile, already under stress areas of the horse's body such as hocks, neck, hind leg tendon attachments etc.

All of which is not a reason to completely forgo these aids. Sometimes it's necessary to take the risk in the short term to allow the horse a safe, useful ridden career and even prevent other damage. BUT I think it's a reason to use such devices VERY carefully, not just to cover up or produce a short term effect on a long term problem.

 

[Tnavas]

I love mine - I bought one second hand many years ago and made my own for one of my pupils. His pony had been badly ridden for many years and had a terrible upside down neck and hollow back. He also was very strong into fences , becoming dangerous while his rider was growing.

He was ridden daily in it from girth to bit to rein. Adjusted so that it only came into play if his muzzle got to wither height. It worked wonders on him. The photo below though not going forward as much as he should he at least now had a better muscled back and worked more kindly.

And now controllable cross country

I also used it on my TB on the lunge from his tail - he was much better balanced and all his work improved. I used it a couple of times a week fo almost a year.

 

[charlie55]

Thankyou