Harbridge training aid and any advice please!

[CharlotteA]

Hi All, this is my first post on the forum.
I've been reading some previous posts about the use of the Harbridge which I was going to try on a mare TBxID I've recently got on loan with view to buy.

Firstly some history....
She was at my friends yard waiting to go to market because the riding school she was at could no longer afford to keep her.She is disunited in canter, pogos then goes back to trot. I have been told that she may have been held back by previous riders because she is a fast horse and has been re-schooled but this has not been sucessful???? have also been told she would be great to hunt etc. but can't see that this is a particularly sensible thing to say if she has issues cantering. Other than that she has a beautiful trot and will make a really good horse if I can get the canter sorted.

When I first got her 2 months ago she was standing in the field with her legs extended, which has now been corrected by light lungeing and possibly the ridge and furrow field I keep her in. Also had no muscle in her back end which is now building up a little but I must admit I've been going gently gently with her to build up our relationship rather than asking for too much too quickly. She has been checked over for back injuries and there is nothing apparent. However I will be getting a chiro out to double check. She's a bit funny about her back being touched by other people at the mo.because she had a wound on her withers when I got her from an ill fitting rug that had become infected (now all cleared up but she's a mare and can be a bit pedantic!).

So far I have been lungeing her in walk only in a Pessoa, in trot she goes out fine but rushes and comes in as soon as you slow the pace. So have been working on getting her to go out and stay out in walk to break this habit.

I've had all of her shoes taken off as she was only shod on the front, seems to me that there's been a lot of emphasis on her front end but nothing on the back.
I'm getting to the stage now where I would like to take her out hacking, again in walk to start off with as we have some good hills to build her up and to stop her from getting bored going round and round all the time. She's very calm on the roads and totally unphased by the farm machinery that we met on our walk to where I keep her, planes taking off in the field next door etc.

I have been looking at the Harbridge as a way of using minimal contact on the bit while riding and encourage her to use her back and hind more. I am not a novice rider and am perfectly capable of getting her to engage her hind quarters but I want her to keep off the bit as much as possible to try to undo the tendancy to rely on her front. I have also changed her bit to a copper snaffle and bought her a comfort bridle and saddle that fits her properly (she previously shared one at the school).
I thought about using the Harbridge after she has warmed up both out and about and in the school but I'm not familiar with using it and wondered if you all had any pros and cons from experience???? Or indeed any other advice for getting her back into shape (I do intend to do a lot of transitional work and poles, leg yields etc.in the school).

Thanks for your help,
Charlotte.

 

[quirky]

Have you considered lungeing in a De Gogue?

That would encourage her head not to come above the bit, but will not pull her head down and in. It also encourages the horse to lift the back, therefore strengthening in it.

Harbridge? Personally, I am not keen as it attaches directly to the bit. I have used a similar arrangement but attached it to the noseband, to prevent unnecessary jarring to the mouth.

 

[CharlotteA]

Thanks for that.
She seems pretty happy in the pessoa on the lunge but will bear the De Gouge in mind for the future. I like the idea of attatching to the noseband as one of my concerns for her being in the pessoa was that it clipped to the bit.

I haven't ridden in any training aids with the exception of the Market Harborough on someone else's TB as I've never really felt the need to, so further advice on using these aid is really handy.
Cheers,
Charlotte

 

[horsimous]

I found harbridges are great for ponies or compact horses but on a large, weak horse caused back/neck problems.

I have used a standing martingale, fitted slightly short to encourage lower head carriage initially instead more recently as it's not onto the bit. i found the effect subtle but effective to help build the right muscles without force and also used it for lunging.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

You'd be better off getting forward hacking with a running martingale on. Hacking is a great way to build up strength and muscle.

I'd avoid anything that will 'pull' the head in and just concentrate on suppling exercises whilst hacking. Working in an outline can only come when there are no physical issues and the horse is forward and straight

 

[shell1978]

I have used a harbridge in the past, but I much prefer to use an Equilonge. Im not sure if you can get them here yet though, as I got mine from Germany. Its quite similar to a Chambon. Its really helped my mare to stretch long and low, without any force.