I've had my EquiAmi for 2 years now, and I don't think I'd ever go back to another training aid. As a bit of history, I rarely use riding aids but I do like a lunging aid that encourages correct work. Previously I'd used side reins, a de gogue and a pessoa-type system. Of those three, I liked that the pessoa did have the back end bit, but didn't like that it jabbed the horse in the mouth with every hind leg movement, and I also found that Emmie went very crooked in it - because it's built on one big loop, it allowed her to get away with being crooked as the ropes just moved to how she wanted to be. Side reins and a de gogue are great, but too easy to misuse - seen way too many front end only training aids used tight to force position. The whole point of a lunging aid is to encourage, not force.
My immediate thought of the EquiAmi was that it fixed the issue of horses jabbing themselves in the mouth because it has a loop around the D ring of the surcingle that acts as a stopper. I also find she doesn't go crooked, it really encourages the horse to be even and straight, but when they work correctly there is no tightness in the lunging aid - it goes loose as a reward, helping to build self carriage.
Emmie has a long, weak back, overriding vertebrae in her spine and arthritis in both hocks - a recipe for a horse that doesn't build topline well! But since using the EquiAmi i've seen a noticeable difference in her topline. She is also so much stronger in her whole body. I see a lot more lift in her shoulder than in any other lunging aid I have ever used - and this is on a horse that is built in a way that encourages her to dive on her nose!
If you don't have any lunging aids and are trying to decide which to buy - get the EquiAmi! If you already have a lunging aid and are thinking of switching, I'd say just go for it - that's what I did and I think it was a brilliant decision.
I'm not in any way endorsed by or affiliated with EquiAmi - that's just how much I love the product. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment