Once upon a hafflinger
New User
Just wondering whether to put my pony in a bungee what does everyone think about them have they been beneficial and/ or do they help build muscle
Bungee training aid
- Thread starter Once upon a hafflinger
- Start date
Mule
Well-Known Member
I have never used them but I do know some posters are fans. I think they have different types for lunging and riding. I'm doing raised ground poles at the moment to build muscles. I have each pole raised on alternate sides. They are recommended by physios. I'm finding them helpful.
twiggy2
Well-Known Member
Pole work, raised poles, ground work, getting them stepping under themselves, backing up, carrot stretches are all much better at getting the correct muscles developed.
Look at Paul Cornish on Facebook lots of good ideas.
Look at Paul Cornish on Facebook lots of good ideas.
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Sorry to butt in with a non-bungee question but has your horse always been quite respectful of poles? Mine is....not bothered, and will trundle through going "clonk clonk crash". I'm hoping this is just because he's struggling to balance with me on board and it will improve on the lunge (planning to try tonight) but if it doesn't I'm not sure how to tackle it. Don't worry if you've not got an answer, I'll see how he goes then start my own thread if necessary.
FlyingCircus
Well-Known Member
I once tied some tinsel around a couple of poles for a pony who didn't see the point in picking his legs up..moved lovely when he didn't want the moving shiny stuff to get his little tootsies ?
rextherobber
Well-Known Member
My Irish youngster was like this (once sussed that they were plastic poles) a few sessions over 4" round wooden poles proved useful in regaining a bit of respect
sbloom
Well-Known Member
No. Muscle is built through lifting the shoulders (thoracic sling) and holding the head down limits the horse's ability to do this, and may actually cause more issues than it solves. A good thread here https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/best-lunging-aid.814474/#post-14817626
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
Gillian Higgins uses tree branches as poles. Perhaps I should do that - give up on the areana and just haul some trees about at one side of the car park!
Birker2020
Well-Known Member
Mule
Well-Known Member
Well mine adores jumping so he isn't prone to touching the poles. I don't have to bother setting up seperate walk, trot and canter poles as he does trot and canter over walk poles without any input from me
I think when they do clunck then it's often because they aren't forward enough.
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Rowreach
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Yes, yet again it is people misusing a piece of equipment to put a horse in a certain place, rather than fitting it so that it prevents the horse from being in the wrong place.
A bungee is probably the only gadget I use but I would never fit it so that the horse's head is held down, I fit it so it only acts if the horse's head is way too high.
tristar
Well-Known Member
if you lunge a horse nice and quietly this is what develops the back muscles, when the horse has muscle and suppleness it can start to use its back, i think its essential to let the horse put its head where it feels most comfortable, so its not tense, the ultimate head carriage is the result of the conditioning of the whole horse
sbloom
Well-Known Member
Dup
sbloom
Well-Known Member
Personally I can't see the benefit except in intractable cases. If we make it easy for the horse to do what we want - release with a bodyworker, stabilise the horse by working slowly and within its understanding, and strengthen the appropriate bits - then it seems superfluous except in a small minority of cases.
To the OP - the head and neck is the horse's balancing rod, they need to move them as a result of what the rest of the body is doing. Not commonly talked about or understood but equine biomechanics 101 and a clear reason not to restrict the head or neck in anyway when working from the ground, and gives food for thought about how we should ride them. Can asking for "round" as the main focus ever be the right thing?
tristar
Well-Known Member
ask for everything else when the horse is ready for them, the head position is the reflection of everything else being right, or should i say the proof
not so much asking for round but when the horse is ready showing it the way or supporting it and saying , yes that is what i want you to do
sbloom
Well-Known Member
Absolutely. Of course we need the subtleties - poll, jaw etc, lateral flexion where appropriate - but we have an obsession with head down and "round" which is so often on the forehand, overbent and dropped under the saddle.
tristar
Well-Known Member
and you can see instantly it does not look quite right, even in top level horses you see it
sbloom
Well-Known Member
The webinars on topline syndrome on Equitopia are a good start for educating the eye on what is correct/incorrect and what we can do about it. Manolo Mendez FB page etc - the photos on his are so inspirational!
Rowreach
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I don't.
sbloom
Well-Known Member
And didn't mean to imply, at all, that you did.