Harbridge Help!

[katyptaty]

Can anyone help with an explanation as to how the Harbridge works... where it fits, where the action would be etc. as much as possible basically! Also, all those who do not believe in training aids, do you have any other advice for getting him rounded and balanced?

my horse is going better in a Myler bit but needs to be more balanced - especially in trot when he rushes and sticks his head up when on a circle. It always takes about 30 mins to get him to relax on a good contact.

His back muscles have always been very poor and side reins never actually help as they don't encourage him to seek down. I am starting to long rein with him to encourage him to round down without anything on his back to impede his movement....

can anyone help?

 

[Showjumper]

I hate harbridges.

Harbridges attach from the girth to the bit rings and their goal is to pull the horse's head down. They don't encourage the horse to go into a nice outline, as that would be with the hindquarters coming nicely underneath and the back rounded. If the horse is pulled into the desired shape, he will respond by stiffening through the back, and so losing his back end.

If you want your horse to go in a nice rounded position, work at it. Don't try and cut corners. Ride him positively and encourage him to seek the bit by riding with slightly longer reins than usual.

Far rather have the horse enjoying himself being ridden, than to pull the poor creature into a shape he's not ready for. Horses cannot comfortably go onto the bit if theie muscles aren't developed enough for this. If you use a harbridge, you will do more harm than good.

Try this: stick your arm out in front of you, perfectly straight. Push down hard on it (this would be the effect of a harbridge), then let go. The arm immediately shoots up higher than it was before, correct? Now try it again, but this time push up. When you let go the arm will drop lower. Basically this is showing the way a horse's neck works when pressure is applied to it. If you pull the horse's head down using the harbridge, when it's removed, the horse will be carrying his head higher, as well as being tense and stiff. If you encourage him to seek the contact, he'll soften and lower.

I guess basically what I'm saying is, please don't take shortcuts in training your horse - they won't pay off. Take your time, don't rush it and make sure the horse is happy with his training.

Good Luck and Happy Landings

 

[lamprellsarah]

i hate them.
i have only ever ridden one horse in one and i found it harder work i found that he didn't like the feel and so carried his head very low and stuck out, and so was pulling me down as well, and the stride felt arkward and unreal, as if he was straining himself to walk. i can't see how they help the horse to be balanced!!!

 

[katyptaty]

Hi

thanks for the replies. I didn't realise what the Harbridge consisted of. Now i do, it looks like a no no.

I also only thought that it was a lunging tool. I would certainly never want to ride in something like that. I don't even like using martingales as i think it is an artificial means of 'controlling' a horse and interferes with the contact on the mouth when the head is up.

I used to work in a stables in spain and the battle axe of an owner used to put 'elastics' on the horses when ridden (over the poll, through the bit and attached between the legs at the girth). these sound very much like the harbridge. I found that the horses fought this too, with their heads far too low (we used to exercise the horses without them when she wasn't around as we all hated them)

I just want something that will help him achieve natural balance and shape on the lunge as side reins are just not the thing for him. Maybe I shall stick to training him to seek the bit from the long rein.

thanks again for the advice.

 

[Showjumper]

No problem, I'm just glad you're not going to use a harbridge. Trust me, proper training on a long rein encouraging the horse to seek the bit will take longer, but will be much more worthwhile.

Good Luck and Happy Landings!

 

[Dizzy]

Have you tried longline lunging, I have been doing this with my youngster, and what a difference its made to her. I haven't yet longline lunged off the bit, but attach it to the head collar side rings, I use a roller and have added a loop of baler twine to the side rings, so the reins aren't quite so fixed, I found that the outside rein has made such a difference to her, and especially with it coming round behind her bum, makes her carry her self as one instead of front legs and back legs.

I do use side riens, which I attach to the bit, but I have also added a loop of twine to them as I found even though they are full size they were too short even on the largest size. I know people will say that when they are so loose they may as well not be used, but I have tried her with and without them and find that that little bit of weight on the bit just encourages her to seek the bit, whereas without she just points her nose out front and she seems to suck the bit back over in her mouth, making it hang off the bridle at a strange angle, yet loose side riens stop this as I've said just by the light weight of the side rein.

I also hate anything which forces a horse into a contact or outline. I have found that concentrating on the walk is always best when riding, if they tend to hollow, getting them to accept your legs and hands, without evading, and building up topline muscle slowly, lengthen/shorten stride, good halts - where they halt underneath you with just a squeeze/release of the rien and tighten your seat muscles. Lots of changes of rein, leg yield, turn on the forehand, lots of exercises that involve leg to hand riding. But mainly looking for a nice relaxed horse that accepts your aids and stretches down seeking the bit.

Once the walk is good and relaxed, then I'd start to introduce trot, but depending on the reaction, I'd only look for a few strides at a time, then back into walk.

Please don't take offence, but 30 minutes of trotting round with his head in the air is allowing the muscles that you don't want, to get stronger, slowing down, and asking him to carry himself, will encourage him to build the muscles he needs to carry himself and you.

One other thing I do is carrot exercises, stand at his shoulder, and offer him a carrot, so he really has to stretch round to you to get it, also offer him a carrot from inbetween his front legs, so he has to stretch down and under to get it. Start so that it is quite easy, but if you do every day, you can make him stretch just a little further each time, you'll be surprized at the stretch and balance that can be built up, over quite a short space of time, and this is one he does all the work!!

Hope this helps

Lesley

 

[katyptaty]

HI Dizzy

thanks for your reply. i was speaking to my instructor last night and we decided that longrein lunging was the best way forward. she also said i should have side reins on - these will also be loose as otherwise he can jar his mouth and make him evade.

we have been schooling in walk for the past year with lots of lateral movements to get him balanced. his walk is now lovely... his head just goes to mush once it gets to trot... which is only 1/10 of the session as it is just not comfortable for both of us. this is why i would like to strengthen his back from the ground to help the process.

carrot stretches and normal stretching are also done regularly because he had a back problem (which is now sorted) last christmas. this is why everything has been done so slowly and as we shall have a lifetime together i am in no rush. i think i have just about investigated all methods of stretching and relaxing from the ground and in walk... it's just the trot in the school that is evading me! he is fine on a hack strangely enough.

i am not looking for quick fixes as this could be detrimental to him but i had read in another forum that the harbridge promoted a strong back and i knew nothing about it so wanted to know what it was and what people thought.

i have been getting him used to the long reins round his hocks and shall be moving onto lunging with them at the weekend hopefully. i shall let you know how it goes. it's good to hear that your youngster has taken to it so much and is going well.

many thanks for encouraging words re lunging. it's good to hear when things go nicely!

kate

 

[fionahogg]

I'm not a fan of artificial aids. But the harbridge can, in some cases, be useful. It is by no means a substitute for correct training. No way. But sometimes (and only sometimes) it can help. If you're improving top line muscle tone, and are trying to encourage the horse to stretch down into the bit, then when lunging, the harbridge can be useful to encourage the horse to stretch downwards. It does not pull the head downwards. I wouldn't use one when riding, but when lunging, it can help the horse to stretch and build up muscle. Of course the horse has to be lunging properly, and the person lunging has to watch that the horse is going forwards correctly and tracking up. But if the horse lunges in a stiff and hollow way, then this is not benefitting the horse at all and will be building up further muscle where it is not needed thus making it even harder for him to carry the rider and work correctly. If a harbridge encourages the horse to stretch downwards on the lunge and thus improve muscle tone across the top line then when the rider replaces the harbridge, with correct training it will no longer be needed.
I do not see the harbridge as a device to force the horse into an outline, more as an aid to encourage downwards and outwards stretching, which in turn leads to muscle development.
If your horse works OK after 30 mins then do not use it. Persevere with what your doing now.

Fiona.