I have nothing against them but I prefer a chambon.
I’ve used them occasionally for certain horses, but not for a while. I actually had one OTTB who it really helped. He was very very hot and the neck stretcher seemed to help him relax and take a deep breath. Even if I just lunged him in it for a few minutes it totally changed his outlook. And it wasn’t tight at all. I think maybe the poll pressure or just the act of lowering his head did it. It was interesting.
That said, I definitely don’t think it’s a good idea to jump in one! And like any gadget it should be used sparingly and in the right hands. I find draw reins are far more likely to be misused than a bungee though.
I am by far no expert but I personally think a neck stretcher can come in handy quite often at certain points in a individual horse’s training. Oddly enough from the racehorse/tb sales prep background, I know a LOT of farms that use these for prepping yearlings in. It really does help some individuals figure out their bodies quicker/better/more/etc.
Additionally, I have used them somewhat often in the number of horses I have had come though my barn. Maybe some people with these bad experiences just did not have it adjusted correctly? I never had any issues with it being dangerous or causing them to get behind the bit. I much prefer a stretcher to a tight martingale for a giraffe. I don’t consider them to be very constricting at all if set properly. Of course it wont work fr every horse. And absolutely proper riding and training time is always better. Of course I imagine some horses may hate it and thus create a problem, but it depends on the individual. I had a horse who would flip on you if a noseband was used at all in any way, but doesn’t mean all nosebands are bad.
And as for the purpose of this thread… As much as I appreciate the value of a stretcher, I would never advise jumping in one. Just doesn’t seem safe to me. But then again, I would say the same for draw reins, tight martingales, loose martingales, and really any front end gadget.
Truthfully, if a horse has issues jumping that need that sort of correction, I would be more inclined to take a hard look at their way of going on the flat/over poles before strapping its head down and jumping a fence.
What is the benefit of a neck stretcher over a chambon?
[QUOTE=GraceLikeRain;8486091]
What is the benefit of a neck stretcher over a chambon?[/QUOTE]
The chambon puts upward pressure on the bit (corners of mouth) with a decent pully at the the poll. The neck stretcher puts downward pressure on the poll with a small pulley at the bit (bars of mouth). Because of the elastic nature of a neck stretcher, there is give to it within a larger range than with the chambon. The horse that panics at being restricted may do better in a neck stretcher. The chambon may help translate to rein contact better.
The neck stretcher actually helped my horse a lot. He was a foxhunting horse for 10 years and previous riders never took the time to teach him self-carriage and just ran him around with a high head. It took lots of hands, legs, half-halt and he simply doesn’t quite get the concept of going around without tensing his back. Immediately after I put the neck stretcher on, even just loosely, he goes nice and relaxed with his back swinging. At the same time I don’t have to pest him every stride to put his head down and stretch down because no matter what I do, or all three of my trainers do, he does not stretch down at all.
Basically if you have a training issue that you cannot explain to the horse well, the neck stretcher can be beneficial. It is so elastic, and because you don’t have to mess with it at all while riding, it really teaches the horse to be responsible for themselves.
What ebott2015 said!
I have used them in the past one severe different horses and found them much more forgiving than a Chambon or draw reins. I have always used them loosely and found either horses get it or don’t. Some horses hate them, but the ones i have had success with relaxed and gave into the poll pressure and in turn relaxed thru their backs. I use to warm up my old jumper on the flat in one, and we joked it was his dumbo feather in the warm up ring… he didn’t really need it, but it helped him focus and relax at horse shows so that when it came time to jump he was focused, warmed up and using himself and ready to jump.
I’ve been using on on my 10 yr old OTTB, who raced oil he was 8. It has really helped him to relax and not fuss about the bit. and when he does throw a temper tantrum ( head tossing and giraffing) i like that i can just put my leg on, ask him to go forward and let him figure it out… he isn’t fighting the reins, he is pretty much fighting himself. Then when he is done i can take up contact and he is more accepting.
I like that it has more give than a chambon, i saw a horse cut the corners of his mouth when he got pissed and hit the end of the chambon, never seen that happen with a neck stretcher.
The only other “gadget” that I like as well is a german martingale. Sort of the benefits of the Chambon crossed with draw reins/side reins. But i like the ease and simplicity of the neck stretcher best.
It isn’t something to use all the time, but it is helpful and a nice tool to have.
I think they are more forgiving than draw reins or side reins but you need to use it with the mentality that the idea is not to make the horse go behind the vertical and the idea is not to crank it so tight it makes it a negative experience. start small
To me the stretcher seems to restrict the nose from moving out, so down and out isn’t really encouraged, just down. I’ve also had a few horses that it is just not long enough for. I prefer chambon or draw reins, used correctly of course.
And also not to mention that-lots of people said “ride the horse from back to front and add more impulsion”, but for some horses, like mine, if you keep adding more legs he just trots faster and faster and faster with his head up. With this kind of evasion of the bit, the neck stretcher can be helpful to explain to them, and then you can add more legs and drive them forward. It’s never supposed to be restricting, but instead should serve as a reminder to them.
