Why????

[lazylurchers]

Can anyone think of any good reason for having a young horse tacked up in his stable wearing tight side reins? :eek:

One owner at my yard has started doing this and tells me her horse is in training! Is it just me or is this bizarre? :o

[Big Ears]

sounds totally barbaric to me. what if he gets a side rein caught in the stable, panics, tears his mouth, falls over, gets caught.

I know it can be common to leave horses with mouthing bits in, but I would never leave a horse tacked up and with reins on - the least you can expect is a broken bridle.

[cvb]

I believe the theory is that this is "bitting" the horse and helps them learn to relax in the bit.

Not convinced personally. I mean - if you were tied up into one position for a period of time, wouldn't it make you sore and generally unhappy with life ?

[Jessey]

I understand this used to be a common practice to get horses 'used to giving to the bit' and to 'set the head' before they were broken, I guess some people still use it, I have also heard of horses being turned out like that :(

J

[aliw]

I've heard of people doing this because apparently it "trains the horse to get into an outline".

[dophi_arno]

In the stable? I thought a good outline came from engagement, amoung other things. How bizarre...

[cvb]

I guess if you "form" wood you steam/heat it and then clamp it in place - but I personally don't want a horse that is like a plank of wood :eek:

disnae make ANY sense to me.

[lazylurchers]

In the stable? I thought a good outline came from engagement, amoung other things. How bizarre...

Exactly my thoughts! The horse in question is five and had been ridden for at least a year if not more.

Some people! :mad:

[GoingStraight]

Is it a showing horse?? They do things like that there... :( In showing, it doesn't matter if they're like a plank of wood... or that they are obesely fat...

<ducks>

;)

[nakedescapee]

I saw a program on RFDTV with Monty Roberts, I think, and that is what he did to teach the horse to give to the bit. There are new techniques available but it is not unheard of.

[claude]

I've seen this done before, but only because the horse in question kept resiting any contact at all by throwing his head in the air, and rearing - it got quite dangerous and he smacked his rider in the face and broke her nose.

He was put in his stable with ride reins on for about 30 mins to fight it out, and never had a problem again.

not something I would like to do though - especially to train the horse into an outline - thats just doesn't make sense.