Horse Gym / Training Balls

Hullabaloo

Hullabaloo

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I've been having a bit of a nosey on new rider today (less distracting than here when I'm at work) and there are a couple of posts about what you can do with horse gym balls. Apparently you can get your horse to nuzzle it, kick it around and do a figure of 8 around them (but you need 2 for that).
All very clever I'm sure, but can anyone explain to me what the hell the point of it is?
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My horse seems to have done ok without one so far, but am I seriously depriving him of a must have horsey experience? Or maybe its just a load of balls
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Can anyone enlighten me please?
 
sounds like a load of balls, surely once you got him used to it the fun would disappear, and the youtube videos of horses playing with them look dangerous espacially when the horse climbs on top of it it looks like its going to break his legs
 
Climbs on top of it
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How big are these things? I was thinking of something the size of a beachball. Think I'd better have a look on youtube when I get home.

I must've led a sheltered life!
 
Apart from the different dangers aspect of things I'd guess it is just like any other kind of training - can build trust & respect, keep you both fit & healthy, desensitise horsey and add variety to boring old schooling for both of you.

Share horsey & I have been trying some anti-spook training whilst we've not been doing much under saddle (re-flocking now complete - hurrah!) and it has been fun for both of us.

I've ridden some very happy circus/vaulting trained horses who also do driving, English, Western, polocrosse you name it and whilst they might not be world-beaters at any one discipline they are some of the most chilled and versatile animals I've ever met :-)
 
The shetlands are really cute but I really don't get the horse pushing the ball around the school.
Maybe no more likely to cause damage than SJ or XC, but doesn't look nearly as much fun to me
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Still, each to their own.
 
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