equiami for riding

neddynesbitt

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Just wondered if anyone has used one and if so how did it go? I use the lunge version and it's great and my mare works well in it and I'm thinking the riding attachment may be good for schooling? Not sure if people would agree hence my question :)
 
I have both the Lunging aid and the Riding aid and find them both very useful.

I lunge once a week and ride out with the riding aid a couple of times a week, my boy does not do "In the school schooling" so I school out on a hack.
 
I was debating one of these a few months ago, Paulineh do you find them useful with horses which have a lot of trouble with working correctly? Mine is part giraffe and naturally has very high head carriage so I have had a huge struggle to get her to work correctly no matter how well she is using the rest of her body!
 
I use the lunge one and really like it.
I do have the ridden aid but haven't used it yet. You've inspired me to get on and do so over the weekend. I'll report back.
 
Does anyone know how the riding aid works? I can't make it out from the pics on the website? How does it encourage the horse to work through from behind?
 
I did think about using this as mine also has natural giraffe-like tendencies. I wouldn't necessarily rule it out but, partly thanks for some sage advice on here (which was a bit hard to take at the time but in hindsight was spot on, thanks!), I haven't needed it so far.

Instead I've taken perhaps the longer route of making sure horse was fit and comfortable, then building up strength on the lunge, pole work, carrot stretches to build core, lots of regular lessons and developing her topline. She is now much less 'upside down', much softer and tends to naturally work in a more rounded outline. The giraffe only appears when she's excited and jumping (need to work on my hands/contact more for that).

I also didn't find that much info on how it worked from their website, seemed like a bit of a bungee type arrangement over the poll, through the bit, to the girth. It may well help if you have contact issues I suppose.

So, a bit like the advice I was given on a similar thread, it might help in the short term but there's no subsitute for correct work and building up topline and suppleness. Bah :-)
 
Thank you for the replies and I totally agree re the info on their website regarding the riding aid. It's just not clear at all and my friend commented that it looks very similar to a bungee which I have as I used to lunge my old pony in it. My friend suggested using the bungie and saving my money on the riding aid if they are pretty much the same thing? Your thoughts pls?
 
I took the plunge and ordered the combi yesterday, although my mare cant lunge due to a few legs problems I read a few old posts on here and other places suggesting that you can use the lunging aid while long reining so I am going to give this a go along with the ridden aid! I will let you know how I get on .
 
I am a huge fan of both the [content removed] lunge and riding aid and have found them both extremely useful and effective on my team of Exracehorses. The lunge aid encourages the horse to work out for itself the correct way of going and never forces the issues and never restricts the horses way of going, instead encourages them to "sit" more and take the wight behind enabling them to step under further and lighten the forehand. As for the [content removed], it may not actually seem as though it is doing anything as it generally appears fairly loose, however it again is encouraging the horses to lighten its forehand therefore aiding the "sitting" position again, imagine a speed boat moving off across the water, the back end sits and the front end lightens, this is exactly what is obtained from the riding aid as well when used correctly. It also assists with the consistency of the contact through the reins if the rider is a little less experienced, therefore encouraging the horse to stay still on its own again without being restricted, forced or tied down like other training aids on the market do. The [content removed] in my eyes, whether experienced or not.
 
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VBEventing I would doubt your views are subjective, given that all of your posts since you joined in 2012 are to recommend this piece of equipment. What is your link with the Equi-Ami company out of interest? And yes, I do possess the lungeing aid and I really rate it, but would be interested on an unbiased opinion on the riding aid.
 
The EquiAmi combo definitely has a place in every tack room in my eyes, whether experienced or not.
I think that you blew your cover with this last gushing sentence ;).

As it happens, I am a big fan on the lunging aid. Have you pics that you can post of the riding aid in action? I bought the combo but have never used the riding aid part.

0310star, I would be very interested to hear how you get on with long reining with the lunging aid. I think that it should work well.
 
The only reason I have responded so many times regarding the [content removed] is because I truly believe in it. Yes I may have been fortunate to have been able to trial one in the first instance but I have since gone out and bought my own. Both the [content removed] have helped every single one of my Exracehorses individually, especially my mare who has mild KS. It has helped her to develop muscle and to become stronger where needed, which has in turn improved her dressage score and her whole outlook towards work. So that is the only "connection" I have to the company, so my views are completely unbiased.
I do understand that everybody has their own views on various products and I am only offering people my views whether anyone decides to act upon them is entirely their choice.
 
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The meaning for my comment "whether experienced or not" was meant to read along the lines of if someone is not experienced enough to encourage the horse to develop and work in the correct way, then this aid can assist in a kind way, in the same way that an experienced person may be working with a difficult horse who struggles to understand what is being asked of them, therefore this training aid can help to spell out the question to the horse, again in a kind way.
 
The meaning for my comment "whether experienced or not" was meant to read along the lines of if someone is not experienced enough to encourage the horse to develop and work in the correct way, then this aid can assist in a kind way, in the same way that an experienced person may be working with a difficult horse who struggles to understand what is being asked of them, therefore this training aid can help to spell out the question to the horse, again in a kind way.

The words 'shovel' and 'digging' come to mind here! I think you should try be a bit more subtle when you're advertising it :)
 
0310 & Tiddly - I ONLY use the lungeing aid for long lining since my horse dislikes working on the lunge. I long line regularly and find it's a great piece of kit and horse is very happy to work in it.

VBEventing - I've been toying with the idea of the riding aid but I'm unsure if it would be suitable to hack out in. I school whilst hacking as don't have anywhere suitable to school at home. For how long (once carefully introduced) would you say one could be worn on a hack? or would this type of use not be appropriate in your view?
 
0310star, I would be very interested to hear how you get on with long reining with the lunging aid. I think that it should work well.

I will let you know how I get on! I had been looking at the equiami lunge aid for a few years but as my horse cannot lunge I figured we wouldn't be able to do much with it, So hearing that people long rein with it is quite encouraging! I want to long rein her in it once a week min and the ridden aid twice a week for 20 mins so I will take some before and after photos. I think my mare just needs a little help when it comes to carrying herself properly so I am really hoping this points us in the right direction.
 
0310 & Tiddly - I ONLY use the lungeing aid for long lining since my horse dislikes working on the lunge. I long line regularly and find it's a great piece of kit and horse is very happy to work in it.

VBEventing - I've been toying with the idea of the riding aid but I'm unsure if it would be suitable to hack out in. I school whilst hacking as don't have anywhere suitable to school at home. For how long (once carefully introduced) would you say one could be worn on a hack? or would this type of use not be appropriate in your view?

I am sure it said on the website somewhere that you can un-clip the ridden aid whilst tacked up, as I will be using it while hacking too so figured I could put it on for my 20mins then un-clip it for the remainder of my ride!
 
I am sure it said on the website somewhere that you can un-clip the ridden aid whilst tacked up, as I will be using it while hacking too so figured I could put it on for my 20mins then un-clip it for the remainder of my ride!

The ridden aid goes around the poll and unless you slide the top piece back towards you it has no effect. So if you leave it on the poll no need to unclip. But to be honest even when its meant to be doing something it doesn't ! It just annoyed my ex-racer who needed to work on accepting a contact.
 
I tried out the ridden aid this morning and I have to say I was very impressed! We went out for a hack with another horse (just in case she really objected) It didn't restrict my horse in any way and all the time it was at her poll she had just enough movement as if it wasn't on, every so often I slid it down for a couple minutes and she was a bit fiddly while trying to get used to it but once she realised what it was doing she was very accepting of it! Afterwards when I slid it back to her poll although it wasn't in action at all she was working fantastically! Very impressed :)
 
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