market harborough views please

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Tufty

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My friend on the yard wants to try one on her 5 year old. she is a novice rider and has been told that it will give her the experience of geting her horses head down and a contact. I have never used one as I have always had it in the back of my mind that they are very harsh, but all you experienced people will be able to enlighten me Im sure as to the pros and cons of this.
 
Fitted correctly, market harboroughs are one of my favourite gadgets.....actually they are the only gadgets I use from time to time. They are pretty safe even in the hands of a relatively inexperienced person (so long as they are fitted by someone experienced).

I rate them highly as they are a gadget that is very difficult to use as abuse on a horse.
 
Agree with Tia - I am normally pretty anti-gadget (except in the hands of professionals) but the market harbrough is pretty difficult to get wrong as long as it is fitted properly.
 
I use one on my boy for hacking, as peace of mind if he get's a bit on his toes and starts chucking his head up in the air. Mine (and I think most others too) has 3 clips so that you can adjust the tightness of it. It only comes into play when the horse raises his head above a certain point - that point depending on how you've fitted it. On it's tightest hole, mine prevents him coming much above the contact, so I personally wouldn't deem it to be harsh.
I'm afraid it wouldn't give your friend an understanding of obtaining contact. Really this needs to come from good instruction and perhaps riding some schoolmasters so that she can feel how it should be.
 
Agree if fitted correctly are difficult to get wrong but will not really teach your friend how to ride from her legs to create a true outline, unfortunately there are no gadgets for that, just hours in the saddle and experience with the help of a good trainer. Perhaps some lessons on a schoolmaster may be helpful to give her the feel of what is required.
 
I'm not sure it will give her the feel of a horse being ridden correctly in a contact / outline - I certainly feel the difference between a horse working on their own, and a horse working in a gadget. I guess I'd rather they use a market harborough that some of the other gadgets, but it's not the route I would take with a novice horse/rider combination. I would have her on something that works well in an outline to get a feel (riding school or friend's horse) so she can see how what she does can affect the horse. For the horse, once the rider has the feel from another horse, it should be easier for her to ask a bit more from her horse, ideally I would also pop a more experienced rider on him from time to time to reinforce the training
 
Unfortunately no one else will let her ride their horses (schoolmasters) because of her riding ability. She is having lessons regularly and has put an awful lot of hours in but is getting very frustrated (bless her). Her legs and seat are not fully established but she is trying very hard. I was more concerned that it may do some damage. She asked me about draw reins and I said definitely no way, so this was her next ploy. It is very difficult because these girls want to run before they walk and get very frustrated by everyone saying the same thing, sometimes I think you have to let them have a little play with things for 5 minutes before they go back to basics.
 
Draw reins for dummies might be a good analogy of the Market Harborugh
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I use one on Trike most of the time as he tends to try and evade upwards and backwards...the MH prevents that, and once he realises he can't he relaxes and the MH reins just sit there doing nothing, allowing me to concentrate on getting the motor running behind me
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I guess for the novice rider, it could be considered as one less thing to think about for them
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I agree they are pretty difficult to abuse though once fitted correctly....
 
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I think you have to let them have a little play with things for 5 minutes before they go back to basics.


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Excellent philosphy in my opinion. A (correctly fitted) Market Harborough can do no damage and who knows, she may indeed gain something from using it short term.
 
Sorry to jump in on your thread - but I am quite interested to read that none of you really see a problem with this gadget. would you recommend it for my youngster - very, very green outside the school!!!! He is fine and works well in the arena, but the big wide world is far too frightening for him at the moment. He sucks his neck up and in and walks like a chicken, his tendancy is to rear when things get too much for him to cope with. Do you think this would help me keep his head in a lower, more comfortable position?? Would it be safe on something that possibly may rear?? He resents any restraint and is normally better with less pressure.
 
That's exactly the reason I use it for my youngster - for when we come across all the horse eating monsters that are lurking out on a hack. It's not really doing anything until we meet a monster. Whilst it doesn't prevent him rearing, it will discourage one, as it kicks in when the head starts going up. I've found it to be a god send and a bit of a confidence giver to me when hacking out.
 
Yes I've used one with great successe. Although rather ride without. Doesnt stop rearing. Try a standing martingale.
You can set it so it only comes into play if the horse lifts its head high so is a good training aid.
 
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