Hacking out gadgets - pls recommend!!

canteron

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Oldenburg's post on hacking out in draw reins got me thinking .....

I have a lovely youngish horse, who has tripped when hacking. Essentially, he loses concentration, up goes his head, he trips. When young we fell a couple of times and hence I lost my confidence hacking out.

In the school I use a snaffle - he is quiet responsive and we work in quite a nice relaxed outline most of the time these days.

Please recommend something to hack out in. Happy to let him stretch when walking, but anything faster and I want to be working in a outline!! A martingale just isn't strong enough.

Thoughts particularly on

Rubber/happy mouth mullen pelham with double reins
Market Harborough
Abbot Davies(!)

and any other suggestions

Thanks
 

Spyda

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I always hack out in a Market Harborough myself but using two reins so I can use the snaffle rein like normal and only employ the action of the M/H if (and when) appropriate. Works for me.
 

**Vanner**

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A market harborough should be used with one rein so it only employs when needed. Using it with two reins surely turns it basically into a set of draw reins.

I like market harboroughs because they only put pressure on when needed - if fitted correctly and so are ideal.
 

Spyda

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A market harborough should be used with one rein so it only employs when needed. Using it with two reins surely turns it basically into a set of draw reins.

I like market harboroughs because they only put pressure on when needed - if fitted correctly and so are ideal.

No, I don't agree. When I hack out I don't want the action of the M/H to be implemented all of the time when my horse raises its head; I hack out to relax my horse between schooling sessions and if his head pops up occasionally on a ride out I don't mind. Particularly when I am able to ask him to bring it down again through aids. I don't want to have to rely on the action of a M/H, and don't even like a running martingate. And I certainly don't want the M/H to act like draw reins and I don't fit it so it has a tight action on the M/H rein. I am small and ride big powerful horses and find having the option to use the M/H action reassuring on occasions that a horse becomes over excited and over exuberant. I use it as a reminder rein, only when necessary!
 

LaurenM

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There isn't any gadgets that I would recommend for your particular query, mainly because I don't have the knowledge or experience but also because I think by using a gadget, you are not addressing the issue?

There are horses that struggle with their footing and need guidance to reduce chances of tripping. The woman that I loaned from had a horse that would trip over air!

I think you would benefit more from stimulating your horse and keeping his attention throughout the ride. You could do some schooling exercises etc.

Not of much help I'm afraid! :)
 

millitiger

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can't you just ride him in an outline between hand and leg when hacking?

if he goes nicely in the school he should be fine without needing a gadget like the ones above.

Millie trips a bit out hacking so I always have a contact and always have her up in front of the leg- if she starts star gazing a little shoulder in or leg yield to get her back off the leg works well.
 

canteron

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Thanks for all your replies. Will perhaps try a Market Harborough. LaurenM and Multitiger, you are so right and how blissful it would be to have your confidence but ....

Having gone over twice (trust me, no fun) I want to be sure, absolutely sure, when out hacking that I can get his full concentration at any time, regardless of what is happening in the world around us.

By definition, the ground out hacking is uneven, which with a horse prone to tripping going faster than a trot requires quite a huge of trust.

Just looking for some advice on bits/gadgets to help us on our way. Once I have built up a degree of trust then sure, will move back to a snaffle out hacking as in school.
 

soulfull

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you probably already do but also make sure he has knee boots on.

some horses go more on the forehand when hacking as riders confuse speed with working correctly, he needs to work from behind all the time and teach him to shorten stride going down hill to avoid tripping.

My old horse silly bugger used to lengthen his stride downhill, took me ages to teach him to shorten. Also make sure they go up and down hills straight!
 

LaurenM

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Thanks for all your replies. Will perhaps try a Market Harborough. LaurenM and Multitiger, you are so right and how blissful it would be to have your confidence but ....

That's where you're wrong; I have lost my confidence so many times and the only way I stop him spinning and trotting off with me is to keep his mind busy. I got to the point that I was stood crying in the car park at the thought of riding him. I understand where you are coming from as if I ride without his martingale on it feels like i'm not as secure. I hope whatever you try works out for you :)
 

Santa_Claus

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you need to consider why he is tripping rather than a gadget to stop him! A horse on a long rein (i.e. normal hacking relaxed contact) should not trip unless there is a reason, namely a lump in the road!

Or more likely one of the following (these are not an exhaustive list of reasons but are common ones!);
*Horse is stiff through the shoulder causing the leg to be dragged forward rather than lifted
*Horse is long in the foot and needs the toe shortened so there is a quicker breakover point, this may even involve putting a two clip shoe on the fron rather than standard one clip.
* horse is on the forehand due to stiff/weak hind quarters/hocks putting more weight on the front legs and unbalancing the horse so more liable to trip. think about carrying a large pile of books it tips you forward, this is how the horse will feel if unable to carry proper weight behind

Both of the above should show a distinctive wear pattern on the shoes whereby the front of the shoe wears quicker than the rear.

Even if the shoes arn't wearing down as described I would have a chat to your farrier explaining that he is tripping regulary resulting in him going down on the road.

In addition if the horse is normally balanced they should be able to recover from most trips as long as you don't end up thrown up their neck. If regulary (ie more than once) going down on to the knees it would suggest there might be either stiffness/weakness or similar in the hind quarters/hocks as when a horse trips they will crouch behind to bring the weight back off their forehand and so balance themselves again.

So personally I would chat to your farrier re the tripping and consider doing more schooling work to concentrate on strengthing and flexing the hocks and hind quarters. Trotting poles are a simple exercise to flex the hocks in addition to simple lateral work as this will engage the hind quarters so bringing the horse off his forehand which will give more strength and flexibility behind.

But please leave the gadgets alone they won't solve your problem infact they could well make it worse as if the head is retsricted when tripping it could stop the horse recovering from the trip meaning they could end up going down when normally they could have recovered.
 
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