[QUOTE=rizzodm;9018393]
By the looks of that thing you could go down to your local hardware store and make yourself one for under twenty bucks.[/QUOTE]
Correct…a few pulleys, some nylon rope and some D-rings attached to a set of spare reins.
I actually had one of these as a teenager about 30 years ago. It has 3 settings - 1 for lunging where it attaches to the girth, and 1 for lunging where it attaches to the tail (I never tried this!). Last way to use it is when ridden where it attaches to the girth, and via the pulleys to D’ s on the reins.
It works a bit like draw reins except the rider only has 1 pair of reins to contend with. It is also safer to use when jumping, as it’s easier for legs to get tangled in draw reins. I think a lot of jumping people liked this balancing rein rather than dressage people who preferred draw reins.
I have never used it for jumping, only for flat work as a young teen with a new horse who evaded me by flinging her head up and tanking off & also by just not working as she disliked flat work (as did I). She knew she was wearing this (as she knew with draw reins) and just sighed & resigned herself to working rather than trying to get out of work. At the time yes it was a quick fix recommend by my instructor for a slightly overhorsed teenager to help me feel safe & in control when riding alone without supervision. My instructor thought this was preferable to using draw reins as I had only one set of reins - important when horse being naughty! Also they were set so they only applied pressure on her mouth when she raised her head significantly - they could not be used by me to force her head down as I could have with draw reins (well they could if I got off and tightened them) so I still had to learn to ride her ride forward & from behind. I only used it for a couple of weeks until I learnt to ride my new horse better and did not need them.
OP - I was not being sarcastic when I said that I hope you get the results you are looking for and wished you good luck. There are many roads to Rome. I just personally think that your horse would benefit more from other correct riding methods rather than this device you are looking for. YMMV. It’s your horse, do as you please. I really do wish you the best of luck in your training journey!
I cannot wrap my head around the picture of this thing attached to the bit from the tail… surely this must be a joke
I’ve never heard of a “german martingale” called as such. I always hear it called “Thiedemann reins” or “Levelling reins”. And I have used them but not to set the frame of the horse but for horses that throw their head up in the air (school horses and two children with broken teeth!!). As I set it, the horse has a normal head carriage, it only acts as the horse throws up the head. And you can teach the pupil to collect the horse, when this happens these reins come loose.
I may sound naïve but I never thought of them as being used as an alternative to draw reins, because used in this way they have no give!!
“We recommend that you seek expert advice before using any type of training aid. Ann Rees Equestrian is not liable for any events involving the use of The Balancer. Customers agree to use it entirely at their own risk.”
I’ve never seen a training aid with a liability disclaimer before. :eek:
OP, if you think you have seen horses go well in this horrific thing, then you have had very poor training.
You need to re-educate by watching reputable trainers who don’t force and abuse their horses.
If you look to the top of the sport today, you’ll find Carl Hester.
[QUOTE=Manahmanah;9021008]
I cannot wrap my head around the picture of this thing attached to the bit from the tail… surely this must be a joke[/QUOTE]
Sadly, this is no joke. I have seen it used. True, you’d only use it for a very short session-- I mean, what happens if the poor horse has to poo? His tail is tied to his face!
raisethebar, instead of spending money on gadgets, why not just spend some on hiring a really good dressage trainer to work with your horse? Do you want your horse to look a certain way and have the “appearance” of being a “dressage horse”? Or do you want a horse trained well in dressage?
Jesus Christ!!! I had not seen the Abbot-Davies thing as in the “sustainabledressage” web.
How could anyone think that this kind of “martingale” would “improve” the horse? One must be very ignorant of horse’s biodynamics to think this thing would achieve any other result than to make the horse very unconfortable for a while to say the least.
