Hackney and cob training aids - educate me please

[pennyturner]

I'm aware that there are various training methods to encourage show cobs and hackneys to lift their feet. The janglers I get - it makes a noise and rattles around their feet as they step. However saw this:

http://www.dragondriving.co.uk/harnessforsale-56308.html

What are the string boots for, and how do they work?

 

[Dogrose]

No personal experience with this sort of thing but I do remember a discussion on an American board about the elastic trainers (I think the tension in the elastic pull the feet up as they trot) and people were saying they give an unnatural gait where the feet go up and down like a sewing machine and don't reach out to the front, someone posted a youtube video and you could see the difference.

 

[pennyturner]

Right, so I've had a look at various saddlebred clips / sites, and I can see how 'stretchies' are used to resistance train - looks like the horse has to use a little more effort to pick up his feet (natural high step) against the elastic, so when they're removed the step is even higher. I can see how it could encourage the horse to step high and short, rather than a natural reaching out, as you say Dogrose.

Not sure that's what the string boots are for though - no evidence of any elastic, and the attachment strap is too long.