Elastic training reins, cruel, lazy or useful??

[opinionuk]

I have just brought some shire elastic training reins for my horse who seems to have lost her way, she had 6 months off and has now been brought slowly into work but seems to have lost all knowledge of accepting a contact, I have spent countless hours try to reschool her with this, have also had an event rider ride her just in case it was me, we get there after about an hour but she seems confused as to what we are asking her to do.

She is nearly 7 and previously worked in a lovely contact, back, teeth, saddle etc has been checked all ok.
I certainly don't want to force her head to her knees but just a gentle encouragement to reinforce what I'm asking her to do, just out of interest do people think this is cruel, plain lazy or a valuable tool ...

 

[emma.is]

I tried my mare in reins with elastic inserts and found them useless, she goes just as well with normal reins.

Is it possible she is weak over her back? Try lunging her in a pessoa on a very loose setting

 

[peanut]

I use elastic training reins (or what I normally call a bungee) when lunging and find them very useful for encouraging the back to round.

I don't ride with them but would never think of them as either cruel or lazy. As someone once said on here, there's nothing wrong with gadgets so long as they are used for the benefit of the horse.

If she previously worked in a lovely contact then I would suspect that there must be a good reason for her reluctance now - maybe lack of muscle/strength?

ETA: My post crossed with emma's. Yes, I would agree with gentle lunging and going back to long reining for a while.

 

[Crackerz]

I think most tools have their place, used correctly.

I have no objections to using an elastic bungee, they are very forgiving ime, and has been really useful on the lunge.

 

[opinionuk]

I put her on the Pessoa the other day on a light contact she struggled, it could well be because she has lost her top line, she has slight kissing spine so have to do a lot of long and low work with her, ill see how she goes later, she does struggle with flatwork, finds it difficult in trot work but put a jump up and she's off!

Vet has checked her back and soundness and she's fine.

 

[Luci07]

If she struggles with a pessoa and has been off for 6 months, it would suggest she has lost all her muscle tone and needs to go back to basics. My old mare would still happily pee off if I showed her a jump and she is no where near fit enough to contemplate jumping.

 

[opinionuk]

If she struggles with a pessoa and has been off for 6 months, it would suggest she has lost all her muscle tone and needs to go back to basics. My old mare would still happily pee off if I showed her a jump and she is no where near fit enough to contemplate jumping.

Lol, when I say she has been off for 6 months I meant not done any flatwork just gently hacking out for last 4 months as she had a splint that wouldn't settle 100% so vet said hack her out in straight lines and no school work, so she has just been used to dawdling about for 4 months she's fit enough but has very little muscle so I'm introducing her back to school, back on the Pessoa me thinks, although vet said don't put her on too many circles, might have to stick to long reining!