best ridden training aid for long and low?

Trotting poles :)
They are very good to get the horse to stretch.
When I ride and I want "Up and round" I have my hands up and together. When I want long and low I lower my hands and widen them and gently "sponge" the rein while pushing the horse into the contact with my leg. They do eventually get it :)
 
Damnation said:
Trotting poles :)
They are very good to get the horse to stretch.
When I ride and I want "Up and round" I have my hands up and together. When I want long and low I lower my hands and widen them and gently "sponge" the rein while pushing the horse into the contact with my leg. They do eventually get it :)
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I have to say I do agree with this^^^ I've used a few, draw reins, harbrough, market harbough and I didn't get much benifit from any. I prefer to use my leg and hands to direct the horses head into a long and low position as described by Damnation (wide and low hands) this way you encourage the horse to stretch across thier entire back and then down threw the head and neck. My horse has learned as soon as I widen my hands she is allowed to strentch long and low.
 
I'd agree, your seat legs and hands. In walk asking the horse to stretch down. why do you want an aid to do this when you have the aids yourself? Draw reins will just force the head down. (Good to use if a horse is dangerous or to show it the way once)

BTW why ask a question and then be rude!
 
poles poles,time and patience

every training aids,draw reins etc have there uses but i prefer not to as in the wrong hands can do more damage
circles,long reining/riding over poles
 
My instructor suggested a bungee to assist my youngster while she gets the hang of what I want, as it's stretchy it allows for budding muscle tone rather than already built. She is going really nicely with it on for 20 mins once or twice a week.
 
You need to get to the point where the horse is relaxed and working long and low at his own free will, otherwise well personally I don't see the point of it otherise, your not really acheiving anything if your using a training aid (for ridden work) as you need to feel this when your riding, just my view however.
 
cm2581 said:
There had to be one! Answer the question or go away!!
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Haha!

I use something called a balancing rein that the person I bought my horse from makes. She is called Jane Beswick, I could find her details if you want one. It's like a gentle de gogue type pulley system thing, creates a gentle even pressure on the bit so when the horse lowers his head the pressure goes away. It's so gentle and makes the horse so soft. I have been very impressed with it.
 
YasandCrystal said:
I like the chambon.
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This is a fantastic aid which I have just rediscovered. Combination of horse with a pulled muscle in his hip and a saddle which required reflocking I have been working him in the Chambon and the difference is astounding. Really free through his back. Works the stomach muscles as well without the use of force.
 
How foolish of me to think if I avoided details of why I was using one I would avoid the all training aids are evil and you obviously can't ride if you need to use one brigade!! Several good trainers have recommended this approach. And I can ride. The reason for using one is this. The horse has a very low set neck and poor topline when out of the way of proper schooling. Her natural way of going due entirely to her conformation resembles an upside down banana. This includes her free movement. And she is a sloppy mare! Subsequently when beginning schooling her after a break (5 months due to my injury, moving house, bad weather and no arena) I could easily spend 45 mins persuading/asking/fighting/whatever you want to call it to get 10 mins of nice ish work or use draw reins (or any possible alternative) and have a 30 second question of boundaries and then 10-15 mins nice work. After a few weeks of this approach and the subsequent build up of appropriate musculature, they are no longer necessary. I personally think this is a much better approach for this horse although it wouldn't be for every situation! I had already considered a chambon as I think it prevents the head going up like a giraffe without pulling the nose in which is what I'm after. Although I have previously used draw reins with success, I'm not entirely sure they achieve exactly what's necessary. I am unaware of any other market advances which is the reason I asked!
 
I used to ride a mare like that :)
She was the length of a train, croup high, and huge amounts of muscle on her underside of neck and no topline to speak of. She had been allowed to get away with her giraffe impression for the 14 years of her life she had been broken in for!

Perhaps try a different approach. Say you use the draw reins (yes I think that every gadget in the right hands has its place) at first them loosen them out and out and out until she is going long and low on her own and the draw reins are doing nothing. She will get the idea and will find it easier once she builds up her back after her little holiday! Trotting poles help because she will have to engage more and once she is engaged will find it easier to drop. I find people lul into the trap of "My horses head is down therefore its nice" when they aren't actually going anywhere! Trot poles will keep her forward because she has to step through over them!
Hope this has helped a bit :)
 
a loose ring snaffle, lots of leg and a forgiving hand when riding. when lunging a pessoa or strategicaly placed side reins. gadgets usually produce new problems which wouldnt have risen given time and correct training. there is no short cuts with horses sadly.
 
It isn't 45mins of persuading/asking/fighting. It's 45mins of training. I horse knows how to go long and low. It's people that don't know how to ask it to. If my trainer suggested that I use draw reins, I'd be looking for another trainer.
 
wow some people here really need to lighten up, she has clearly said why she wants to use them! if a horse has been ridden wrong all its life then it helps using different tack to re-school it. maybe not everyone is the perfect riders you seem to be!
and it can help you if you are learning too, using it occasionally to learn how the horse 'should' feel can be helpful. obviously it cant be used for competitions so riders have to lean how to ride without them but its a step in the right direction!
 
Hi - in western riding the horse is asked to go long and low and the well trained horses have great muscle tone and hold themselves in self carriage. Generally they are framed up to take bit contact, asked to round up, and then bit pressure is released. Eventually they learn to hold themselves in frame - time it takes depends on the horse (and trainer!) and aptitude and level of fitness etc.
There are lots of suppling exercises that are widely used by western riders and trainers, and will involve working on all parts of the body, to get the horse to be relaxed and yielding. For example, in a tense horse, carrying tension in the neck and withers, a western rider may work on a loose rein at walk, gently asking the horse to 'follow it's nose' to the left and the right, changing direction every so often, until the horse starts to drop his head a little and give to the rein pressure, knowing he will find the release. Western riding, like English riding, is a huge subject - it might pay you to look up a western trainer for a few sessions if you have one nearby, or go to a clinic or show, to see if this type of training might suit?
 
My horse sounds very similar to you, no topline and refuses to work long and low.

Slow down your trot, like really make it as slow as possible so your horse can balance without having to put his head up. Be as soft through your body as possible and go with the neck of the horse. If he starts stretching down allow with your hands so you make it as comfy as possible to work like that.
I found getting my horse to flex his neck really relaxed him and he dropped his head, so we would bend him normally then over exaggerate the bend then bend to the outiside then over exaggerate it again. Do the transitions between each bend very slowly and gradually though.
 
tigerlily12345 said:
wow some people here really need to lighten up, she has clearly said why she wants to use them! if a horse has been ridden wrong all its life then it helps using different tack to re-school it. maybe not everyone is the perfect riders you seem to be!
and it can help you if you are learning too, using it occasionally to learn how the horse 'should' feel can be helpful. obviously it cant be used for competitions so riders have to lean how to ride without them but its a step in the right direction!
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'Fraid not! It's a step in the wrong direction and you will never learn how the horse 'should' feel. You don't learn to drive a car by being a passenger. You learn by driving the car. I don't think any of us think that we are perfect riders. I certainly don't and I've been riding for 44yrs! We are just trying to give other people the benefit of our experience, and mistakes! The problem is, when we make mistakes, it's the horse that suffers for them. Draw reins have been proven to permanently damage horses necks. Light enough for you!
 
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