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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gait Discussions > Stop the Soring! > Rubber Bands? |
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Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gait Discussions > Stop the Soring! > Rubber Bands? |
| Moderated by: Brenda Im | Page: 1 2 3   |
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| Rubber Bands? | Rate Topic |
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 07:07 pm |
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1st Post |
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Aethelthryth G.O.G Community Member 
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A riding buddy of mine, who I've always known to be kind of "old school" when it comes to horse training methods, has a beautiful tri-colored gaited filly. She was a gift to him from one of the boarders, who bought the filly's mom before she was weaned and didn't want to pay another stall fee. And honestly, she is beautiful in every way you'd want to ask for; color, temperament, movement, etc. But last night I heard him talking about using the "rubber band" to encourage her to high-step. He says he doesn't believe in things like soring, chains, or heavy pads but he sees nothing wrong with using a surgical rubber band to "encourage" the horse to step higher. I kind of "went off" on him, which is not characteristic of me at all. Okay, so I'm long-winded in my posts (  ), but in person I'm on the quiet side. But I was just so disappointed to hear his plans for that little filly, I had to speak up. Watching that filly move is like watching water flow. . .I even told him that things are stirring in the gaited horse world, and there is no "shame" in having a horse with a natural gait. He probably will go on and do whatever he wants because that's how his dad did it. . .but I just needed to vent.hb1 hb1 hb1 hb1
____________________ Audrey "Parelli horsemanship is just like painting by the numbers. You need absolutely no skill. You just put this color here and this color there, and when you're done, you have ... a mess no one wants." mp |
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 07:17 pm |
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2nd Post |
imlizonya
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hb1hb1hb1hb1 Dangit! Never heard of that, but it doesn't sound good at all. Once they are off, the gait will return to its natural state...dumb dumb dumb. I'm glad you stood up for her...I'd have your back if I were there!!! Let's bang our heads some more! hb1hb1hb1hb1
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 09:44 pm |
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3rd Post |
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winddanceragain G.O.G Community Member 
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hb1I'll do some banging toohb1 I have never heard of rubber bands. What would someone do with a rubber band on a horse????? I'm old school and use training technics that are proven sound and work's weather of old school or new school. I'm of the Idea if it work's and does not hurt,harm,break spirit or injure in any form use the skill. I'm one of the old dog's you can teach new trick's to. Weather from the old school or young school, crule is crule hurting is hurting inhumane is inhumane, weather 2,000 years ago or today. BTW Audrey, I love long-winded post, so just post awaytu1 Last edited on Tue Sep 18th, 2007 09:46 pm by winddanceragain ____________________ "Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself." Hopi |
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 10:30 pm |
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4th Post |
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McKTX G.O.G Community Member 
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As I understand it, they are used in American Saddlebred Barns and with Road horses, hackney ponies etc. A stretchy surgical tubing is attached to a couple of dog collars and this is placed on the fetlocks of both front feet. I can't recall if they are attached anywhere else to hold the "rubber band" up or if it is just there between the front feet. As they move their foot, they have to put the extra effort and lift their feet much higher. Kinda like watching the folks with the scuba fins at the PB's clinics. They step very high. Seems like the trainers would tell me that build the muscle and they get used to the tension, so in the show when it is not there they are really high steppers. It was YEARS ago when I boarded at a barn that did show Morgans that I first saw them used and then later when I was boarding at a Saddlebred training barn. That is all I know about them. Carol
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:17 pm |
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5th Post |
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winddanceragain G.O.G Community Member
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Carol are they harmful to the horse? Do they leave them on at all time's even at rest unless showing or working them?? Is this a once learned/ don't need to train again technic? I've never heard of this "practice". Last edited on Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:18 pm by winddanceragain ____________________ "Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself." Hopi |
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:34 pm |
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6th Post |
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McKTX G.O.G Community Member
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Oh no they were only used for very short periods of time as the horses are working VERY HARD when they are on. I'll bet no longer than ten minutes if that long. Somehow they figure the resistance builds muscle and flexibility to take higher strides due to the effort it takes to move with any speed. Don't really know. As I try and recall, most of them were kinda long, if they were to short the horses would snap them in two. But there was a good bit of tension when the horse was moving out. I hate to think how long it has been since I last saw somthing like that. THose barns seem a lifetime ago! I was able to take my horse to college and those were the types of show barns that I could board at. Carol
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:48 pm |
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7th Post |
Hurleycane
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Stretchies.. that is what we used to call them. It is surgical tubing - usually 2 or 2.5 feet (as I recall) attached to leather hobbles. The hobbles are placed around the pasterns. As PB explained with other devices, the horse will feel the pull on the legs and pull harder against the stretchy and end up with a bigger stride. There was a video of a horse using one and I could not find it to put here. It does not sore the horse per sey - it does have all the inherent risks that PB mentioned of a possible misstep and injury to tendon. In my limited experience with these, all horses seemed to step higher when they used them - but only those with a natural high step actually benefitted from them. Yes, on a low stepping horse - they would step low once off. And, if the horse was not 'collected' with head up and in, well there was no high step at all. I had never seen a saddlebred injured with these devices. But, I mentioned once before you can usually spot an old show saddlebred by the way they are muscled differently from the many years of exagerating their gait. Kinda like the Jai ali players who have one arm bigger than the other form the excess use of that arm. Last edited on Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:59 pm by |
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| Posted: Tue Sep 18th, 2007 11:57 pm |
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8th Post |
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winddanceragain G.O.G Community Member
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Well now...... teaching this old dog new tricksl1l1 Thanks for the info sister's.
____________________ "Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself." Hopi |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 04:06 am |
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9th Post |
Hurleycane
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Ya know, now that I am thinking about it - they only used the stretchies when they were trotting the horses - they were removed for the gait as they woud mess up the gait. So I don't think I would try them on a gaiter - which makes me wonder about the people Athellkdthrickletickledede is referring to... Is this a saddlebred or trotting horse?? Speaking of gaits - did I tell you what a nice gaiting fool my Holiday is all barefoot and such??? I had a girl at the barn get on so I could watch him - he was so nice and really in a good 4beat run walk with his head a noddin... Now he is no big show horse - but my my my it is so fun to ride my little low steppin Holiday!
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 04:46 am |
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10th Post |
kawayomaana
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I will tell you all that this is a very common practice among the miniature horse world as well. When you are watching the horses go around the ring in the cart, they look like little hitlers in their movements. The other thing that they do is to bring the tubing up over their backs to further increase that mechanical movement. The problem that I have seen, is that the JUDGES are awarding these horses championship status!!! So, because of that, the average Joe goes home from Nationals and begins training/retraining their horses with this style.If my horses can't compete in their natural movements, then they just wont compete. I used to show because it was fun. But with all of the unnatural movements that are being placed and politics, I no longer show. I am as upset about this as the rest of you. One day maybe we will realize that horses are beautiful and graceful in just being and that we don't need to do anything to "improve"! Thanks, Aethelthryth, for speaking up for that little filly. Debbie
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 03:30 pm |
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11th Post |
imlizonya
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Hurleycane wrote: Ya know, now that I am thinking about it - they only used the stretchies when they were trotting the horses - they were removed for the gait as they woud mess up the gait. So I don't think I would try them on a gaiter - which makes me wonder about the people Athellkdthrickletickledede is referring to... Is this a saddlebred or trotting horse?? l1l1l1
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 04:01 pm |
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12th Post |
Hurleycane
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I'm with you on that - Love the low steppers too! Don't know how it will ever become popular at a show. I have not been involved in shows in over 15 yrs. But from what I can see all gaited classes are geared to tie the high steppin showy horse. Even the classes that seem geared otherwise (Pleasure, Country Pleasure, Natural Mane and Tail, Owner Owned and Shown, Plantation you name it). I knew a man who was spanish school trained who lamented this evolution in his beloved Arabian horse. He loathed the 'saddle seat' style which put the saddle where it did not belong and forced the Arabian horse into a very cramped mechanical position. In his opinion, if they wanted a saddlebred, they should have purchased a saddlebred. Which now that you mentioned the Morgans, they used to have rules that would throw you out of the ring if there was evidence that you artificially trained for a high steppin gait. Yet, they all used bustles (similar to a tail set) house slippers, stretchies and chains to get that look. Shows are all about the big bold-moving stepping-out horse. In order for the horse to do that naturally, he has to be built bone by bone, muscle by mucscle and nerve by nerve for it. And we all know there just are not that many of them out there. Most are just going for the "look" of it. That is what I think we see in he overly padded, chained and cranked gang. Funny thing to me is you can really spot a 'mechanical' manufactured high step. It really looks awful and trappy, yet it gets tied. OOoooo look how high he stepped!! A lot of the trainers on GOG MB have often used the term 'natural collection' and such when comenting on video's that I would post. I would try to comprehend it but really had difficulty. Especially coming from my saddlebred past. I was at a loss as to what they were referring to. Now, thanks to the path I have taken with my trainer Deb and Holiday, I am beginning to see and better appreciate the "true mechanics" of the balance and movement of the horse and how that shows up in the muscling, and eventual cariage of the horse. It has been a real eye-opener for me to learn and see this stuff with the eyes of my trainer. And now that I have worked with Holiday and Deb, I have come to somewhat appreciate what the GOG trainers and and Ranch Hands were saying all along about true collection. I am no expert - but I love what I have learned. Me?... Well I'm loving my Low Rider! Now how am I gonna get that judge o appreciate what he is doing??? I just dunno, but I think I feel an upswell about to rush in - don't you?? I hope it continues to gain momentum!  Go sound horse!
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 05:33 pm |
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13th Post |
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winddanceragain G.O.G Community Member
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l1l1l1"Athellkdthrickletickledede is referring to..." Hurley ya spellin like me now? Yes I too, see light at the end of the tunnel for the greater horse, Hurley. For me and I feel sure for most on this MB, it's more then just Judge's seeing our sound horses as winner's. It's all about freeing the sored padded chained and as Debbie's words so insightfully put it " mechanical movement". This is what I long for, to see the day when horse's are freed from inhumane hand's.
____________________ "Lose your temper and you lose a friend; lie and you lose yourself." Hopi |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 07:15 pm |
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14th Post |
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Aethelthryth G.O.G Community Member
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Hurleycane wrote: So I don't think I would try them on a gaiter - which makes me wonder about the people Athellkdthrickletickledede is referring to... Is this a saddlebred or trotting horse?? LOL!!l1 about my name. . . To answer the question, the filly is neither saddlebred nor trotting horse. She's not registered that I know of, and I don't know if her dam is either, but they both have a very natural running walk. I think the mom is mostly Walker/SSH. The filly was only weaned in the last month or so; just a youngster. I was a little afraid to ask just how soon this guy plans on starting with the "rubber bands," since I know he likes to start his horses young. Not that there is any problem with teaching a horse basic ground manners at such a young age, but he (IMO) tries to do too much too soon. I might have had to stop banging my own head against a wall, and start banging HIS head instead. . .hb1 And then hobble his legs with rubber bands and chase him down the street in my car, yelling "c'mon, step higher! step higher!" (BTW, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so I'm experiencing a bit of Pirattitude. Arrrrrrrrrrrr!!!)
____________________ Audrey "Parelli horsemanship is just like painting by the numbers. You need absolutely no skill. You just put this color here and this color there, and when you're done, you have ... a mess no one wants." mp |
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 07:28 pm |
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15th Post |
imlizonya
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Shiver me timbers! Sounds like a right fine idea Athellkdthrickletickledede! Ahoy! bang thy scoundrels head matey! Then have 'em walk the plank! Arrrrrrrgh!!!! hb1hb1hb1
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| Posted: Wed Sep 19th, 2007 09:14 pm |
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16th Post |
Hurleycane
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I have always "got" your name and enjoyed it! Hey! What do you think about my idea of banning bands??? Think I wrote about it on another thread - that will stop some of the excess shoeing and such for that action. Speaking of action, only you would know it was National Talk like a Pirate Day! A Hoy Matie, Man them Scabbords and Shiver me timbers you Blow Hards Hit The Sailes a stern a stern ya crawdaddy!! Buck an Ear!!!
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| Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 04:56 am |
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17th Post |
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rackn G.O.G Community Member 
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Here is a pic of my gelding's leg. This came from a metal band that severed his tendon as a two year old! He's sound now, but it was a long recovery for him. I didn't own him when his injury happened. I'm taking dressage lessons on him now and he's remained sound for me. Attachment: dudeleg2.jpg (Downloaded 363 times)
____________________ "this may seem ominous, as ominous as climbing Everest but once you're over the top and down the other side resting at the bottom, your mountain seems as if it were nothing more than a grain of sand" ... how true that's been in other situations |
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| Posted: Fri Oct 5th, 2007 11:38 pm |
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18th Post |
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theoldbear G.O.G Community Member
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More than twenty years ago, when we boarded in West Virginia, I saw those rubber bands used on Saddlebreds, Morgans, Arabians, Hackney ponies, and even Shetland ponies that were being shown as "roadsters." They were mainly used at a trot. But I do remember one fellow who was training a five-gaited horse who hooked them up from front foot to hind foot. I can't remember whether they crossed or not, but the purpose was to "teach the horse to rack." Standardbred pacers use hobbles on the same side to keep them in gait, and I'v eseen stretchies used for that, too. In WVa they used to show pacers under saddle, and come to think of it that may be the trainer who used rubber bands from front to back. Mama bear just called me to supper!
____________________ The Old Bear Arcadia, Florida |
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17th, 2008 09:06 pm |
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19th Post |
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kristin0809 G.O.G Community Member
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I think what the guy was referring to using "rubber bands" aren't really rubber bands at all. My take on it is this guy was referring to using the surgical rubber tubing and developers that people sometimes use in the training of Saddlebreds. Its not all that inhumane actually. National Bridle Shop sells them.
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18th, 2008 12:19 pm |
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20th Post |
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kismetnany G.O.G Community Member 
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I have used surgical tubing to help saddlebred horses develope the muscles that are needed for their high step. If any of you have been in physical therapy you have probably used tubing to recondition muscles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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