If your horse is lacking top line and you’re hoping to use lunging aids to help them, then take a look below at our top suggestions.
Lunging aids are a great way to improve your horse’s performance and topline, the area from the horse’s wither, along it’s back to the croup. There are many benefits to lunging when done the correct way. It’s an excellent way to help build back muscles without the rider being on board, helps the rider assess the horse’s way of going, and improves rhythm in each pace.
Does lunging a horse help build muscle?
In short, yes. Certain muscles in the horse’s back can’t improve while carrying the rider’s weight. To help strengthen those muscles, the best exercise is lunging. You’ll see the muscles, situated along the back where the saddle would be, ripple as the horse moves between the paces. With a rider’s weight on, these muscles become almost stationary to carry the extra weight and can’t therefore tone or improve.
There are many benefits of lunging, and by using lunging aids, you can go one step further to help encourage the horse to stretch, bring their hind legs underneath them which therefore helps them lift through their shoulders and become less heavy in front (on the forehand). All of this goes towards working the correct muscle groups in the horse.
The Pessoa Lunging Aid
Originally developed by showjumper, Nelson Pessoa, the Pessoa lunging aid aims to help your horse to find his optimum balance and rhythm.
Perfect for horses who lack topline, the Pessoa helps create impulsion and moves the horse into a contact through a series of ropes and pulleys. Running behind the hindquarters and attaching to the bit, the design encourages horses to take the weight off of their forehand, work through their back and bring their hindquarters underneath.
The John Whitaker Training Aid is available to buy here on Amazon.
The Pessoa can be positioned to suit a range of horse abilities and can be adjusted to help a long and low frame or more of a working frame in the walk, trot and canter.
The John Whitaker Training System is a popular version of the pessoa, that comes with a roller with multiple rings for a variation of working for the horse.
The Lunging Aid
Quick and easy to fit, the innovative Lunge Aid is a staple in many equestrians’ groundwork tool kit. Perfect to stretch the all-important back muscles, the Lunge Aid works to encourage a long and low positioning of the head and neck.
To Mark Todd Lunging Aid is available to buy here, via GS Equestrian.
Consisting of a cotton rope, the Lunge Aid should lie over the horse’s back, just behind the withers, and pass through the front legs to attach to the bit rings. When your horse begins to stretch downwards, working over their back, pressure is released off of the bit and simultaneously rewards your horse.
Final words
While there are different types of lunging aids to help build your horse’s topline, it is recommended you ask a qualified instructor or coach when using one the first few times. By asking an instructor for advice you can be sure to receive the best information on how to fit and correctly use a training aid as poorly fitting equipment can hinder your horse, instead of help.
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Journalist and News Reporter, Everything Horse
Reporting on equestrian news stories, Abby also produces a variety of engaging content for the magazine.