Opinions please - best lunging training aid?

[kezz86]

Hi all,

I'm looking at getting a lunging aid for my girl (and potential new horse).

I'm hoping it will help them use their backs and encourage a more "correct and natural" outline.

Potential new horse is an ex chaser who since racing has been re-schooled, hunted and recently worked in a "false outline" head kind of forced in.

My current girl is a golden oldie so I'm hoping she'll just benefit from being able to use her back without a rider.

Question is what would be best for us?

Pessoa? Equiami? Kincade? Zilco? John Whitaker? Other?

I don't know where to start so any advice/ recommendations appreciated please.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sol]

Personally, I've found that my boys have improved more, and quicker, lunging in just a headcollar. Dan gets lunged with a single line, my Sec A, Dimples, lunged with two lines as he's a cheeky little sod who will lunge one way & refuse to go the other way unless you have an outside line! Dimples is 19 though, I only started working him again a few months ago, he's never been asked to work in an outline previously (unhappy hacker!), and it's not taken him long to get the gist of stretching forwards & out, even with my boyfriend who is a novice doing most of the work.
I did find when Dan was very excitable though that a pair of draw reins (over the back, between the front legs & to the headcollar side rings, loose enough that he could take his nose forwards but not too loose) made him think twice about bouncing about like a loon. He did manage to tip himself over once though - but that was mainly as he ran off, turning so he was parallel to the lunge line and then reached the end of the slack more suddenly than I think either of us expected... No harm done.

The major downside to me with lunging aids is the fact that if you use them on a young/unbalanced/weak sort of horse, realistically to be fair to the horse, you would either have to use it at a length that it has little effect, or you would have to stop every few minutes & slacken it/take it off so that the horse can rest. Effectively giving the horse a long rein. I do still have a pessoa somewhere but I can't remember the last time I used it

 

[starryeyed]

If you're going to use a lunging aid then I would highly recommend the EquiAmi. It works on a loop system so the horse isn't "forced" into an outline, and can't get jabbed in the mouth in the same way that it can in a pessoa/similar design. The horse also can't lean on anything which helps them to carry themselves properly. I was initially concerned that my horse wouldn't react well to it (she's a bit of a sensitive one!), but she "got it" straight away and has never been stressed or unsettled by the bits of rope or the feel of it. It's helped her to move correctly (before she was very much a giraffe) and has helped to build up a lot of muscle along her back and neck, which has made her ridden work come on in leaps and bounds - I only use it about twice a week now but she's noticeably more balanced and really carries herself very nicely, and i'm sure the equiami is partly to thank for this! Really really recommend them - they have brilliant customer service too x

 

[kezz86]

Thanks Starryeyed and Sol.

It's really great to get differing opinions.

My girl is currently lunged in just a head collar but I would like something the will encourage her to use her butt and back a bit more she just kind of plods around on the end of the rope and if you chase her forward she'll just stick her head in the air and prance! Which is pretty but not helping her strengthen her back.

The potential new horse is an ex-chaser who will just hoon around with his head in the air at full speed if you ask him to go forward. He is good to lunge and is fine to walk and trot but canter is too fun tail and head both shoot into the air lol.

I'm swaying toward the Equiami at the moment, particularly if they have good customer service. I feel it sounds more likely to encourage and gently ask a horse to do what you want rather then forcing and telling them...

Hmm..

 

[Sol]

Dan & Dimp both did this for a while Dimples's go to reaction to most things is run fast or bronc! After a few days of walk, trot, walk, trot, walk, trot & lots of 'GOOD BOY!!! YAAAY! YOU GOT IT!' (to the point that you sound like a demented idiot to any non-horsey person going by!), he got the gist. Some times it means pushing them on or slowing them with your voice until they drop into the right rhythm that it comes together, and then it can still be a matter of moments of 'good' that you have to reward immediately.
With Dan, he likes to ignore me sometimes & that can involve either running around like a headless chicken, or just refusing to walk - we get jog... and jog... and he is very good at staying at jog! Best solution to either of those I found was to go 'you want to keep going? go for it. But go a bit *more*' - they get a bit sick of that eventually (although their idea of eventually can be quite interesting!)
I guess it does take a lot more perseverance & probably a bit more timing though, and in some ways probably just isn't for everyone. For a start, the results wont be 100% consistent because the horse has a lot more options!

 

[moodiemare]

similar request really, looking for an aid to help develop my 4yr olds hind quarters particularly but also his back muscles. He is just backed/broken and in light work. Has upward fixation of patella so hind quarter development is a priority. He is well built and strong and balanced for his age and does carry himself well but need to build up strength and muscle behind. So many aids to choose from but write up for equiami seems to work particularly on hind quarters.

He is schooled at walk and trot with lots of transitions and rein changes on big circles twice a week, long reined and lunged (big circles), unfortunately we have no hills here (Cambridgeshire), does work over poles and im going to get some pole pods which apparently work like going up a hill??!!
Any thoughts/experience anyone. Thanks

 

[Goldenstar]

It totally depends on the horse but if could only have one I would choose the lunging rope that you use over the top of the back between the forelegs and too the bit.
It has no poll pressure ( which I hate ) does not overbend the horses is very 'open ' so they don't feel fixed and it's very difficult for them to block or lean on it in fact think its almost impossible.

 

[Allover]

As with any gadget it is down to who is on the end of the line.
I prefer to lunge horses in just headcollars. I find the pessoas/equiamis etc all cause the horse to break in the neck/poll due to the action of them. I used the draw rein method on a lot of horses until I had one that reacted in a fairly negative fashion. It was enough to put me off using it again on anything else. I like the bungee best, I prefer to use elasticated "gadgets" as if/when the horse reacts with unwanted behaviour they are far more forgiving. I also find that because it is elastic and light the horses are far happier to work in them.