Training Aids - What are your views and experiences?

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rachier

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Im starting to lunge my horse (being the winter and all that!) to get and then keep him fit gradually. I was Just was wanting some advice on training aids. I obviously know to lunge with side reins (quite loose at mo).

What other types can people recommend - I dont want anything too strong, just something to help bring his head down and help him work correctly & that releases pressure when he does, without forcing him into it.

Does anyone have any comments on the Lungie Bungie by Clayton Fredericks??

Im not too keen on pessoas and the like as i dont think he would accept them very well.

Any comments appreciated!!
 
Not really a training aid, but lunging with two lines is really effective to get them working well once you have then hang of it. It has the benefit you can really feel what is going on.
 
sorry to hijack but i'd be interested in what people say on this post.

i need to get Frankie to transfer his weight onto his back end and he is very funny about things around his back end, so i would like to try a pessoa but i don't know if he would take to it very kindly
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think he might go a bit mental. might give it a go tho, he might get used to it
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lunging with two lines is a good idea, he might not feel so 'claustrophobic' if that makes sense
 
I lunge in a pessoa, but also try the Harbridge (you can get them on ebay), absolutly fantastic, it puts no force on the horse at all if you fit it correctly, and just encourages the horse to work long and low. It doesnt look like much but it does work.

You can ride in it aswell. My instructor was very impressed when I turned up with mine and said she was going purchase one for her Grand Prix horse.
 
I use lungeing draw-reins - because they glide throught the bit as the horse nods his head, they seem to simulate a pro rider's hands and were instrumental to teaching my TB to change his way of going. I also tie a tail-bandage round his back legs to the surcingle as it helps him work out what his legs are doing.

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It should be noted that he has advanced arthritis in his neck and would/does hold it very rigidly - the idea was to show him how to soften and eventually flex without hurting him. With a healthy horse you would shorted the reins further to encourage more of a contact. I do find though that a loose rein encourages the horse to reach down so you have to fiddle about to find the best tension for your horse.
 
I think you can do a lot of this stuff without gadgets too, firstly by doing lateral work on ground (can do most of it in a handful of short 15 mins sessions) and then light riding afte ryou've got lateral flexion & soft ribs, with your hands to ask using light contact for head to lower, then rewards *immediately* by loosening contact when horses does as you want.

A few consistent lessons and you're horse pick it up very quickly.

I like the lateral groundwork first. Without the horses body already being nice & soft & supple, and already to move weight easily from fore q to hindq with just a light cue (foreq, sidepass or backup), then you'll find it hard to do the 'out/on the bit' stuff, as your horses body is stiff & like a straight plabk of wood.

You've got to soften everying up first as preparation - like warmgin up before you hit the gym, maybe sure all the parts are moving & athletic individually before you make them all work together.

Not sure if I'm explaining this well,
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there's more info here:

http://irishnhsociety.proboards41.com/in...read=1189155540

I think though educated hands are the best training aids ever.

Also I like being able to do this stuff using light hands when I'm riding, not having to use heavy contact, just light cues and then releasing when horses uinderstands.

BTW - the simplest way I know to get horses weight off forelegs/forehand is to ask them to do a forequarter yield - hind legs dont move very much, but front legs do a circle around them. Really basic, takes about 5 mins to teach on ground, then replicate in saddle.

http://irishnhsociety.proboards41.com/in...read=1191916506
 
I lunge my horse in draw reins too, and often with 2 lines.

Today I lunged him in side reins and he worked really well, but I do loads of transitions and I vary the size of the circle, and move up and down the school.
 
I use side reins and sometimes I use two lunge lines as well. The vet nurse suggested I try using a chambon to encouage her to stretch but I haven't tried that yet as I need a lesson on how to use one first
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I use a pessoa with George, and slowly it is teaching him to use his backend more, and I've noticed that he balance has improved too. If I fancy a change I lunge with 2 lunge lines, with some long reining in between.
 
My sister used a pessoa on big gangly horse to help get everything together and it messed him up. He would always canter disunited (never had he done this before and since broken could do flying changes without a thought!) and got bad back so taken out of it and back sorted, but took time to re-establish everything.
Had worked great on anything else we tried it on though.
Will only used it now on older, lazy horses.
Breaking them in I use no gadgets.
 
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