Using A Chambon

[tonitot]

I have recently bought a chambon to use on Ethel (3yo TB) to help her build up a topline after the advise of a few people on here. I have never used nor seen a chambon being used before and was wondering if anyone can help me out here. I am planning to lunge her in it 2/3 times a week for a short while. What length should it be at? I did have a few question lined up, but they seem to have left my mind So any general advice would be much appreciated

Mince pies to all with advice

 

[siennamum]

I am suprised you are planning on lunging a 3 year old in anything really tbh. I usually leave them to find their balance naturally, I also only lunge with a specific purpose in mind, such as teaching voice commands prior to be backed.
Is there a specific reason you need to build up her topline? You may have been through all this in a previous thread which I have missed.....

 

[Happy Hunter]

I personally wouldnt!!

However - Start Long, as long as it will get without being a leg tangeling washing line!
3 mins on both reins - MAX to begin, building up to about maybe 7mins both reins - a 3 yr old doesnt need much more! imho

obviously you respect some advice telling you to go with it in the first place.

So this is the best advice i can give you to stop the 3 yr old being bent over double, leaning on the forehand and dead in the mouth. (possible side effects, im not saying its deffinatley that way all the time!)

 

[tonitot]

Hi siennamum, some people recommended using a chambon on her just to get her to bring her head down a bit and build up a bit of a topline. When I lunge her she has her head stuck right up in the air and wont lower it at all (as far as I know there are no problems re back etc) Being honest, there's no particular reason why she NEEDS a topline, but everytime I've posted pics of her comments have been made on her lack of a topline and it's made me think she could do with getting a bit of one.

Do you think I'm trying to do too much too soon with her? Should I wait until she is in full work before considering using it, or shouldn't I use it at all? I don't know why I didn't ask all this before I bought the chambon, just rushed into it I think

 

[tonitot]

I personally wouldnt!!

However - Start Long, as long as it will get without being a leg tangeling washing line!
3 mins on both reins - MAX to begin, building up to about maybe 7mins both reins - a 3 yr old doesnt need much more! imho

obviously you respect some advice telling you to go with it in the first place.

So this is the best advice i can give you to stop the 3 yr old being bent over double, leaning on the forehand and dead in the mouth. (possible side effects, im not saying its deffinatley that way all the time!)

Thank you for your advice For the first few times I was planning to warm her up without it, put it on as long as it can go until she has started to get the idea of how it works and then leave it there until she can cope with a bit more. I was planning to do this over a few months and see how she gets on, making it shorter when she looks like she can do it and for no more than 10 mins ever. Now I'm unsure whether or not to use one

 

[jumpthemoon]

Just looked back at your previous pics and she does need to build up some topline, doesn't she?! Personally I probably would have a go with a chambon to try and see if she'll get the idea of stretching down and working over her back. If you can get her to trot round really slowly with her nose on the floor then great. I would also be giving her ALL of her hay and feed on the floor as haynets etc can build up muscle on the underside of the neck.

If you do use a chambon, don't overdo it. She's not used to using those muscles so just a very short session would be enough - 3-4 mins each way - you should find she will get the idea pretty quickly. Good luck

 

[ForeverBroke_]

FWIW I'd stretch leaving using it for as long as I could if she was mine, but, having said that the odd quick lunge with it on loose can't hurt.

 

[jumpthemoon]

Just a thought - have you had her teeth checked? She does look like she could do with a bit of weight on and if her teeth aren't 100% it will make it difficult.

 

[tonitot]

jumpthemoon - Thanks She is being fed hay and feed off the floor and has adlib hay. I'll see what other advice I get on here and try to decide what I'm going to do with it Just thought about her teeth, she hasn't had them done since I got her (9 months ago) so is probably due a visit, I'll sort that out ASAP.

frostbite - Thank you for your advice

 

[Happy Hunter]

That sounds sensible - Your not planning to wack it on the tightest setting and canter around for 30mins each rein!

at 3, most of mine look like weeds still!!! (Cleveland Bays!)
Its hard - everyone has a different opinion!!!

Try and focus on what you want from a horse, Sensible balanced listening work, or a totillas necked piaffing goon. in the nicest possible way!

You will have trial and error always - im sure once its on, the horse will tell you if its a good idea or not!
Do keep us informed

 

[neweventer]

I've never used a chambon so can't comment on it's use, however my mare has a very high head carriage also and i've just started lunging (last week) with long side reins and coating the bit with honey. it's made her really mouth and reach for a contact even in ridden work.

 

[tonitot]

That sounds sensible - Your not planning to wack it on the tightest setting and canter around for 30mins each rein!

at 3, most of mine look like weeds still!!! (Cleveland Bays!)
Its hard - everyone has a different opinion!!!

Try and focus on what you want from a horse, Sensible balanced listening work, or a totillas necked piaffing goon. in the nicest possible way!

You will have trial and error always - im sure once its on, the horse will tell you if its a good idea or not!
Do keep us informed

Haha no I certainly wouldn't do that to her
She is still weedy, but being a 3yo TB filly (or would she be classed as a mare now? I forget as used to calling them all fillies now ) I guess that's to be expected and I know her two half sisters (2 and 1 yr olds) are both scrawny too.
Lol! just want her to bring her head down and try and learn that she CAN bring her head down and keep it there, not necessarily (sp?) prance around in dressage form
Thank you Once I'm back in action I think I'll have a go and see how we get on

 

[Angelbones]

Personally I'd stick to just lungeing for a while as she's young. We chambon ours a lot (and have had good results) and there is an art to getting it right - any horse can go round slowly with their nose on the ground in one, but they still have to be moving correctly behind and that's where you should be looking, at their rear not their front. You don't say how good your horse is to lunge - I wouldn't start with the chambon until the horse is very controlled, balanced, good with voice commands etc and very unlikely to spook.

There is a book you could get which is brilliant - it shows you how the muscles work, correct outlines etc. Here's one on Amazon, cheap as chips, and worth having in your library:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understandi...=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292193134&sr=1-3

 

[ClobellsandBaubles]

Personally I'd stick to just lungeing for a while as she's young. We chambon ours a lot (and have had good results) and there is an art to getting it right - any horse can go round slowly with their nose on the ground in one, but they still have to be moving correctly behind and that's where you should be looking, at their rear not their front. You don't say how good your horse is to lunge - I wouldn't start with the chambon until the horse is very controlled, balanced, good with voice commands etc and very unlikely to spook.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understandi...=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292193134&sr=1-3

definitely agree with this i was taught to use a chambon recently but we only used it on older more balanced horses it is important that before you use it that your mare knows that she has to yeild to poll pressure so fight against it otherwise it could make her panic, maybe just start with a few minutes of walk making sure that she is tracking up properly or instead of using a chambon try long rein at walk up some hills although i don't know how much you have done with her etc.

 

[2Conker]

Good advice Angelbones: think it's time this book was re-issued. Am looking into it!!

 

[LansdownK310]

A good exercise on the lunge would be to work over a trotting pole. Just the one at first, it gets younger horses to stretch down and over their back to have a look.

I've been doing this and lunging my rising 5 yr old in a chambon as he goes round on the lunge like a giraffe. I only have it on the very very loosest hole and only use it after warm up and then take it off to cool down.

He now has a much better idea of stretching, coupled with eating his hay off the floor he is building up his topline and getting his muscle built in the right places!