Ardall - horse breaking in tool - 699 euro! - is it worth it??

ArcticFox

ArcticFox

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So its been a wee while since I broke horses in, and now I am probably not brave enough.

When I opened the H&H this morning I saw this and initially thought it was a good idea but the price -:eek: wowzers :eek:- is that not a bit much :confused:


link: http://www.ardall.com/

I do think its a good product but not sure I could afford it!
 
Oh my word that's quite creepy! In that pic on lunge were it's wearing a grey hoody!!
Erm, I'm not sure I would bother unless had a particular problem horse? When we backed mine he didn't bat an eyelid at a person getting on for first time.
 
Erm no way

Much cheaper to buy a stock saddle if you are worried about being launched into orbit

Frankly the first backing is not normally a problem if the babies are handled well

Plus the price - wowsers; mine would get a sack of straw if ever necessary!!!
 
Agree - usually the actual backing of a young horse is never a problem.

Surely it's just not cost effective, even if you back young horses on a regular basis.

I wonder how many they have sold :rolleyes:
 
What a total waste of money!! Like someone else has said if the horse is well handled the initial leaning over/sitting on and being led around shouldnt be a problem, and to be honest nor should the lunging. I have seen people tie giant teddies to the saddle before (!) but to be honest i just dont see the point its not the same as having a human sat there whos weight shifts, and who has legs that move on the sides etc.
 
Nothing new is it? A yard I was at years ago had a straw man made from sacks stuffed with straw that was tied on to the saddle. Whether or not it made a difference I don't know, but it didn't cost over £600 either !!
 
i dont like the thought of how it could be used.

We are backing pink slowly at athe moment, and went through a good two weeks of desensitising her, then leaning over her back, then putting a little more 'oomph' into leaning on her back, and then getting leg ups over her back and then actually walking her with me laid across her (holding onto a roller lol) until i finally sat up and had a leg either side. She didnt bat an eyelid through all of it.

We were careful because at the end of the day my life aloneis far too valuable to rush into these things, and then theres the fact that i really dont like falling off :).

I cant help but think this could be abused with that contraption and a young horse be rushed and forced with it.
 
Never used a backing dummy and doubt I ever would tbh. I have had some 'interesting' backers over the years but nothing that I ever thought I would need one of these things for! As previous posters have said, if the ground work and the handling is done right then there should be no need for one.
 
you shouldnt need anything like that IF you've done the correct ground work- i break in/back youngsters and *crosses fingers* have never had a problem that would require any gadget, never mind that one..
 
It's a posh straw man!!!

Personally it's not something I'd be interested in as an amatuer horse owner I'd either take the time on groundwork myself or if I ended up with a pig it would be sent away.

That said I can see a theoretical place in the market. Large turnover dealer/breaker yards being one. Whether they would shell out that sort of money who knows, time will tell. I doubt it though.
 
I made one years ago, didn't realise it was worth that much! Its a giant fairground teddy attached to a pair of old tracksuit bottoms, stuffed and with old yard boots stitched to the bottom. Don't use it on every horse but some need a moment or two with my friend to get used to things towering above them and flapping around them.
 
fleabittengrey said:
I made one years ago, didn't realise it was worth that much! Its a giant fairground teddy attached to a pair of old tracksuit bottoms, stuffed and with old yard boots stitched to the bottom. Don't use it on every horse but some need a moment or two with my friend to get used to things towering above them and flapping around them.
Click to expand...

i use to have one made of a very large old womble and old trousers, perhaps i should have sold it!
 
I wonder how heavy it is?

Perhaps it might make sense for a large breakers yard- don't know! It says happier horses- but it can't compare to a human in an ability to judge a situation/be forgiving etc?!
Someone's beaten me to it saying it rides better than me!
 
I think the hoody guy needs to work a bit more on his upper body position... he's looking a bit stiff and wobbly...

Sorry, maybe I've got a strange sense of humour but found myself laughing out loud at that advert! Especially as it can be a substitute 'rider' for childrens ponies etc.. :)
 
Definitively worth it!!

To this point most comments have been dismissive, I have bought an Ardall in the Dublin Horse Show and have found it brilliant and ill explain why.

I have a tb mare, who was sent to two different yards. The first was a well established yard in the south of Ireland. After two weeks I was called and told take my mare away, that she was un-backable!!!

So I sent my mare to a second yard, with so called hardy men and a boiler suit stuffed with straw too go with it. Just over a week later I had to bring the mare home again, because the jockeys couldn't stay on, and the boiler suit had been dismantled from the mare rolling with it on her back. I had left her in the field for breeding after that.

However at the RDS horse show I came across the Ardall, which after spending €500 on a 2 yards without a mare being broken, thought id give it one more try and buy an Ardall.

To cut a story short, my mare did everything she could to get it off, rolled like she did with the boiler suit previously, however the Ardall stayed on. Now Two weeks after the show, my son of 15 is riding the mare as calm as you like in fields and on the road.

Ill admit the Ardall is not for everyone, however it worked for my mare and did what I needed it to do when none of the professionals could.

For single individuals, the cost may be an issue, but for a big yard producing young horses it is definitively worth a buy.

How much is a trip to A&E with a broken bone?? More than I paid for the ardall, thats for sure!!
 
Thanks for your view Sandy54 and welcome to the forum.

I think there are a few unbreakable horses out there but it is the exception isn't it? For those horses the Ardell is probably very useful but for me its just too expensive.

Sounds like your horse is going well now. any pics? :)
 
I have never used a dummy for breaking horses but am using one currently. Yes that is very expensive and the homemade dummy I am using is quite good. For all those who said they would never use one then you haven't met a horse like this before! Completely unhandled until the age of 5 (except to be gelded!). He is fine for so long then flips out. I have seperated my shoulder coming off it. He has been doing groundwork since April and is getting better, but suddenly decides to freak out (with no warning). Its very dangerous and impossible to sit on. I do think however if I can sit through it a few times, or replicate movement etc then he will come right. He is the most difficult horse I have ever known!
 
I love how the people in the photos are so safety conscious as to spend 699 on this gadget but can't be bothered to wear a hat and gloves when lunging an unbroken horse!
 
I think this is a great tool in the right hands, I.e like above where you have horses which are simply dangerous and need this to maybe help push them through any fears or naughtyness, However i think could quite easily be miss used with trying to push horses too quickly to be broken.

Im currently in the process of breaking my 3 year old and like many people before have said if you do the correct ground work then getting on should never be an issue.. everytime i do something with my mare be it lunging, long lineing or simply riding and leading out i always make a point of leaning over (hat on of course) and patting everywhere adjusting weight with more or less pressure in stirrup so eventually when i do get on these things will all be the norm.. and she will be sued to seeing someone behind and higher than her..

This is however the first horse i have ever broken in so i am no expert and can only go on how i think it should be done, i do understand however that every horse is different and so in some cases a plastic body on top maybe needed but do think a straw man/woman which ever you prefer wud do the job just as good as a £600 man/woman made of plastic..

I just like to think that the bond with me and my horse by the sitting on board stage would be strong enough that she will trust im not guna hurt her up top..

:) xx
 
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