It’s been recommended to me that I lunge my horse in a chambon because he is very hollow and bracey. He is slowly improving with lots of free lunging and riding at the walk. He’s relaxing and starting to work from his hind end. He’s still a big mess at the trot. I’m more interested in developing him correctly over time than in getting quick results with a gadget. So… I’ve heard side reins can ruin a horse’s mouth. Why would a chambon be any better?
I consider side-reins to be the least likely to ruin a horse’s mouth, if used correctly. Draw-reins, on the other hand, can ruin many a mouth.
The good thing about side-reins is that it will help your horse understand contact. It plays a very important role in developing a green horse. It offers a very clear, unbiased structure - give, and the pressure is released – brace, and you brace against yourself.
The chambon is more of a pulley system - I personally don’t prefer it – though I would not use it unless the horse understood the concept of sidereins, as the chambon also puts pressure on their mouth (vs a neck stretcher, which is poll pressure mostly). I would only lunge in a chambon.
However, what is more important, I think, is stepping back from attempting to isolate a certain part of the body (re:headset). In order to get the horse relaxed I would first do lunge and walk sessions with pole-work, and use sidereins to encourage the horse to figure out how contact works. Putting your horse in a frame with a device isn’t going to fix your horse’s tenseness until he understands what is being asked of him.
I have no interest in his headset or putting him into a frame. I want to engage his back. That’s why I’m extremely reluctant to use any gadgets. I think I’m better off free lunging and walking so that he develops the muscle he needs to carry me correctly.
This is controversial so don’t listen to me!!! but this is my opinion as taught to me by different horses.
First of all it is not side reins that injure horses. It is trainers that injure horses by using side reins incorrectly. You need to be taught how to use side reins. Side reins should NEVER be used to pull a horse’s head in. They can be used to work a horse and 10 minutes is equal to an hour of riding or free lunging.
If you use elasticised side reins or side reins with rubber bands then it ‘in my opinion’ is teaching a horse to pull, which is probably what they are referring to.
Horses learn from release of pressure. So they pull, the band releases and they learn to pull.
I cut the rubber bands off the side reins and use solid side reins. This means if they pull they are blocked, exactly the same as you should never pull back with your hands when riding. They do not release unless the horses submits. The horse gives, the side reins release and the horse has been taught to give. This creates a horse with a soft mouth.
You can not force the horse to give to the side reins. The horse must choose to give. It is done with long side reins and this is why you need to be taught.
I had a warmblood and with a chambon she found it very very very easy to come down and go with her head on the ground, without using her hind quarters, and not having to work.
With the side reins I have taken a horse that was lunging parallel with the sky when we first started and she is now working with her head vertical, has gone from not tracking up at all to leaving a track where her hind foot is now meeting where her front hoof left and has a very soft mouth.
Any of the tools you mentioned, used properly, can help you with your horse, and none of the tools, used properly, will ruin your horse’s mouth. I’ve used side reins, a chambon, a neck stretcher, and many other tools over the years to help my horses understand the idea of carrying themselves properly without a rider having to be in the stirrups every day. I would far prefer to get the horse building muscles by carrying themselves well by virtue of a “gadget” than waste months (or more) trying to get them to understand something a gadget could help with.
These days I’m too busy to do lunge work frequently, and mostly prefer doing the work that I used to do from the lunge line from the saddle. But one of the tools I started using about a year ago that I really like is the Equiband system (http://equicoreconcepts.com/system.html). I used it on one of my young horses after she finished the show season to help her understand the idea of engaging her core and lifting her back while stretching across her topline…I began in the Equiband system with a pair of side reins and eventually moved to a neck stretcher since I found with that horse that she understood the idea of stretching forward and down better in that. I’ve also used it while riding several of my other horses and like the effect quite a bit.
But like SQN said, I’m no expert on lunge line apparatus, so I kind of stumble around with each of my horses with different gear to see what works well for each particular horse and then stick with that for the [generally] short period in their lives that they still get lunged.
I like the Pessoa Longerings system and feel it’s worth the investment or borrow one. I don’t use it much but think they are the best.
I did learn to use it with Dressage trainers years ago and feel systems like this really should be used properly and taught by some one that knows how to use them.
Just like training a horse etc. in the right hands is the best.
I thought I would add that sidereins are used at the SRS.
Side reins, over here anyway, are the only thing allowed if you are lunging before riding at a Dressage Competition.
The chambon, used correctly, is a personal favourite of mine. I like that it allows a full stretch forward, down and out (none of this nose to chest business!!) and comes into play only when the head is raised. The rest is up to the lunger.
I hate Pessoas and am not a fan of side reins under most circumstances. Side reins (in my opinion) block the movement of the head and neck and if used, should be used in trot only. They’re non-yielding, so the horse learns to stiffen against them and resist. They can be jerky so the horse may learn to lean into the reins to stop this movement. I don’t like using them to teach contact as some do, I prefer to do that myself in ridden situations, as you can’t release or shorten side reins momentarily from the end of the lunge line.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for your horse :yes:
How old is the horse? How is he built-uphill, downhill, any conformation issues like a structural ewe neck or camped out behind? How long under saddle? Can he get both leads and have the basics of a change?
Different people with different horses at different stages of training are going to make different choices. It all comes down to the old " it depends".
Without knowing anything about the horse here except OP says he is “hollow and bracey”? Hard to give meaningful advice. I do think, if it’s broke, work at the trot and canter with correct transitions and halts will get more done then walking. Walk is important, of course, but pushing into trot and canter off the back end will develop balance. Trotting thru grids and cavaletti exercises have always been favorites of mine for building the hind end up and teaching self carriage.
You want to teach self carriage, not force it or the horse just learns to evade the gimmick by sucking back, pulling, laying on the pressure or getting crooked to avoid pressure are the side effects of overusing gimmicks instead of developing self carriage.
Unfortunately, many times gimmicks are used to substitute for poor riding skills and that means they will never learn to go off the gadgets.
So, assuming you will use them sparingly…lunging in side reins can help the horse learn to accept contact properly IF accompanied by proper, consistent use of the aids under saddle. Horse HAS to accept the aids like leg and contact or it won’t retain the lesson taught by the side reins. Hope that makes sense. And you don’t use these every day or for long- maybe once a week, 10 minutes each way with equal time at trot and canter (wear a watch) followed by under saddle work, possibly a shorter session the next day, no more.
IMO the chambon or bungee centers more on poll pressure as a different pressure point helping the horse keep its head in a position for the bit to properly function. Doesn’t really help them learn to accept contact or balance off their rear. Seems more useful for those that go up to evade as it restricts that particular evasion. But overuse puts them in their noses using the thing to hold up their front ends, take it Iff and they lay on your hands…or go right back up with the head.
If you understand exactly what these things do and specifically what they can help the horse to master or review? They can be useful. As a daily substitute for proper riding, cause ten times more problems then they ever help to fix and that’s exactly how most people use them and why they can be a poor choice.
A lot of people use chambons to strengthen their horses backs. It’s a great tool in the right hands, but have someone who knows how to use it show you the first couple of times.
I’ve used side reins, chambons, and neck stretchers, and all have their place when used properly. Whatever you choose, make sure it is adjusted correctly (not too tight!) and when your horse is lunging he should keep coming from behind. I don’t like much walking when using these tools, I prefer the horse to trot or canter on the lunge line when the tool is hooked up. Of these three, I like the neck stretcher the least, but that is just based on my own experience on a limited number of horses.
More recently I’ve seen someone using the pessoa lunging system at a vet’s recommendation. I think it looks interesting, it is similar to vienna reins in front with a loop that goes around the hind end to encourage stepping under. The vet said it is good for lazy horses that will otherwise trail their hind end on the lunge line.
As mentioned by others, whatever tool you use don’t lunge them as long as you’d do a normal ride, it is a lot of work for the horses.
