Harbridge training aid - any thoughts good or bad please

A

anniedoherty

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I used a Harbridge on my youngster today for the first time. He throws his head up rather a lot due to lack of balance. I should add that he is a big warmblood and is actually rising 7 but still very young both physically and mentally - I am not advocating trying gadgets on a very young horse. Anyway, I kept the schooling session short and his way of going certainly seemed to improve so I am thinking of continuing to use the Harbridge but I wondered what opinions others had?
 
I have one; I used it a couple of times in the past. I'd never use it again. I personally dislike them I'm afraid.
 
Thanks Tia. Can you explain why you disliked it? I know that it doesn't suit all horses but it seemed to work well today and he didn't object to it. I am not usually a gadget person but I used it under supervision from my instructor and felt ok about it.
 
I use one regularly on my horses/ponies and find it works very well. Does not strap their heads to their chests like awful draw reins, has a bit of give in the elastic inserts (much like side reins) so the horse still has full movement if it's not happy, and it's not affected by the riders hands. Our BSJA coach recommended them for general schooling and fittening work years ago and we've used them ever since. Each to their own I suppose but it's the only 'gadget' we are happy and feel safe using and never had any problems with the horses muscles etc.
 
Depends on the horse really.

Found it better on ponies, perhaps needed to be bigger on a large horse. Wouldn't use on a horse with a back problem. Can be useful for discouraging rearers in the right hands. I found using side reins as if they were a harbridge just as effective and a lot cheaper!
 
Thanks catherineskinner and wonkey_donkey. As gadgets go I don't think that the Harbridge is too bad either because it only comes into play when the horse raises its head and it encourages it to work long and low. I refused to use draw reins, although my last instructor used to use them on all her home bred warmbloods and I noticed that a lot of her pupils used them too. I sometimes think that people can get over-reliant on one particular gadget and resort to the "one size fits all horses" mode of thinking.
 
Yes you're right about the not suiting all horses; it may well just have been my horse, but although I used it fairly loosely I found that he would overbend constantly with it. I've no idea why but he did and the Harbridge would be all loose and dangly and he would have his chin touching his chest....most peculiar as I am a very light handed rider and he never did this normally. I found he would work in a peculiar fashion too.....so you really could well be right and it just didn't suit him.
 
Tia perhaps as you are a light handed rider it was the weight of the harbridge on the bit alone causing him to lower his head so.

I think the harbridge is probably the only gadget i would actually be happy riding in as it is the only one imo that rewards the horse when it is going correctly and if the horse should suddenly spook and raise its head it is not jabbed strongly in the mouth as with draw reins.
I've used a harbridge from shetlands to TBs and although it can be a little tricky adjusting it correctly I really think its good.

Although in an ideal world nobody would need to use gadgets anyway!!
 
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Tia perhaps as you are a light handed rider it was the weight of the harbridge on the bit alone causing him to lower his head so.

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That thought had never occurred to me but you could very well be right - that makes perfect sense actually.
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