I just got an amazing surcingle off ebay, can’t wait to give it a try on my guy. Years ago I trained a few horses to harness, which kind was like using a surcingle, not quite-Anyone have any helpful tips? It doesn’t seem like rocket science, but thought I’d ask…
Make sure that you have a good pad under it, and ideally a crupper attached. (Standing rings or just D’s???)
It has two big chunks of padding at the top, with big D’s and little d’s at all the right places-ideayoga, what is the dif between standing D’s or reg D’s?
That few rings don’t allow many choices, and the ‘big chunks’ of padding are not enough, put more under it. ie: http://www.123tack.com/winning/product.asp?dept_id=3067&pf_id=PAAAIADAIDPBDHAN&ad_id=feedperfect&key_id=PAAAIADAIDPBDHAN&productid=PAAAIADAIDPBDHAN&channelid=FROOG Depending if you are driving, it’s nicer to have standing O rings (aka terrets) http://www.huntseathorses.com/articles.php?article=4 (about 1/4 of the way down) and top of http://www.drivingessentials.com/harness_main.htm
If the horse has never had a crupper on before, make sure you are in a roundpen and don’t attach the outside siderein right away. Things can be really exciting until the horse gets used to the feel of the crupper under its tail!:yes:
We have a surcingle - well padded, and I don’t use anything under it, nor do I use a crupper. I use it for free lunging or long reining.
Are you using it when you free lunge or lunge the horse or to ground drive or long line? These then have different applications.
If you are GD, make sure any driving lines are 1. long enough but not too long 2. they fit through the d-rings and 3. you know what you are doing. I GD all of the youngters before they are under saddle and if the older horses have had the winter off I GD them before I use any side reins on lunging.
Just a thought.
As far as me - I have a trainer who has been teaching me this stuff, so I use her long reins.
I’m looking for a new lungeing surcingle. Dublin’s a bit, ahem, larger than my old mare. Saw a really nice leather one on ebay, starting at $50 I believe. Not in my range since I’m between jobs, even though this is probably an over $100 item. Would like to do some longlining at some point - with someone teaching, but basically would just like to use with sidereins for walking, lungeing. Went to some of these websites, but looked like mostly driving stuff?
I think I got that one!
Hey Marquis, was the one on ebay about a month ago? If so, lucky me was the winning bidder! The weather is JUST NOW starting to dry up here in N. Cal, so I haven’t even used it yet. Did clean it, fawn and ogle it, read up about surcingle use, etc. I wanted one for longeing too, with possible long reining just for fun. I like having non-riding exercises to do with my horse. Searched for a surcingle again the day of a painful fall 3 weeks ago-BTW, it went for cheaper than $100, again, lucky me! I will give a report after my trial, hopefully tomorrow!.
Ideally one does NOT walk (except for brief respite periods) with the side reins attached (long reins, yes, the horse can stretch).
I’m just talking about the initial getting used to - not for a long-term walking plan! I knew I should’ve just deleted that!
i am writing a book on the subject of surcingles and using all the trainng equipment out there on the market, to use the surcingle one puts a small pad under it usually a white baby pad as the surcingle is pre-stuffed and padded for the horse, you are just keeping it clean and comfortable.
you attach the side reins to the rings on the side parallel to the ground first. not the lowest and not the highest. side reins being attached so the horse’s nose is just in front of the vertical and release is there when the horse goes on the vertical or as we would say on the bit.
you can also use the chambon with the surcingle which really develops the back and hindquarters and low and long movement.
p.m me for longer detailed article of usage
The beginning ring to which you attach the sidereins to the surcingle is found by drawing an imaginary line from the horse’s shoulder point to his buttock point. The ring closest to that line is where you need to begin. The reins should be as long as 2/3rds the length measured from the surcingle ring to the point of the buttock. As the horse begins to work in higher elevation later in the training, you will raise the reins up one surcingle ring, and shorten them no more than 2/3rds the distance between the two rings…so if the surcingle rings are three inches apart, you should shorten the sidereins no more than two inches when you eventually raise them. The sidereins should not be raised until the horse actively steps under and rounds to the contact on the lower ring. This is not a one day sort of thing, but developed over a period of some weeks…or longer sometimes.
What side reins are recommended? Ingrid Klimke says in her book that the donut is not necessary.
My stretchy side reins do NOT stretch whatsoever. I’d like to use them.
Any strong feelings about this?
We use the ones with the donut. I’m lucky, Ted is not very long, so we can use the cheaper ones from Dover. The longer ones cost twice as much.
I would love to see a book that gives some depth to training equipment you use on the ground.
Any book that starts out by suggesting the use of a chambon is a book I am not going to buy–unless the pros and cons of a chambon, the need for someone experienced, etc., are all pointed out very clearly.
If I were introducing a surcingle to a horse, I would not start out with a crupper. In fact, I have never had a horse that required a crupper to hold the surcingle in place/keep it from sliding forward over the withers.
Instead, I check periodically, to make sure the surcingle is still snug around the barrel and does/not need to be tightened a hole.
I have no ideological dislike of cruppers–it is just another piece of equipment to clean–and these in particular have to be maintained,as the skin under the tail can be sensitive.
I’m not coming at this from a dressage angle, but I am someone who uses surcingles alot - lunging, long lining, and starting to harness train horses. I don’t use a crupper until I am at the point of putting the real harness on the horse, but for other activities, I don’t see the point. The only suggestion I have for someone shopping for a surcingle - make sure all the rings are big enough to fit any snaps through that you might want to. I bought a cheaper one on ebay to use and the upper side rings are too small a diameter to slide the end snaps of one of my sets of long lines. My favorite set of side reins have surgical tubing half the length instead of elastic. I agree, the elastic isn’t stretchy at all.
this is all good info
I finally went into my OLD horsemanship books and found much of the same info, minus the crupper. Though I first bought the surcingle thinking I’d be off the horse for awhile after a fall (healed quickly knock on wood) I am more and more relying on groundwork to warm up my horse and keep him used to a nice, rounded self-carriage. He is 17-I feel like what begins a horses training is also helpful to the older horse-Anyway, loving the surcingle, loving the tips on this thread. I’d post a photo if I could!
