[runwayz]

Saw these in Dover catalog, any experience with the difference between these 3?

[dressage90]

the vienna lunging reins are a great tool to help the horse stretch his back with out the "backward" tension of side reins. it works like a sliding rein for the forward downward stretching to engage the hind/back of the horse.

the de gogue and the chambon are awful apparatus IMHO.. I have only ever seen abusive riders use these two tools in an inappropriate compressing way.
steer clear ... as they encourage a tight throat latch/ jaw and a SUPER compressed neck. horrible to ride and even worse to look at- not to mention the pointlessness of "backwards" riding.~~~ again. only my opinion!!!

[SquirrellyBred]

I have used, and occasionally still use, a chambon while lunging my horse. My trainer and I tried it after seeing Greg Best use it on a horse in a clinic. It applies pressure at the poll and bit when the horse raises it's head very high and inverts. For my horse it works like a charm to encourage him to stretch down through his neck and back when working on the lunge line. Might not work for all horses, but it's great for my boy.

I would recommend using it first under a trainer's supervision to make sure you have it adjusted appropriately for your horse.

[Napoles]

I'm sorry but this is completely incorrect!!!
A chambon encourages a horse to stretch down and out - it does not in any way pull the nose in. The horse is allowed to stretch down as much as it wants and the only real pressure is on the poll when it raises its head - as soon as the head is lowered all pressure goes away. (The chambon is only designed for lunging - it should not be used ridden)

In fact the Vienna reins are the ones that are designed to pull the nose inwards as they work in a similar design to draw reins.

A De Gogue works in a similar way to a chambon, but yes, in the wrong hands it could compress a horse's outline in an undesirable way.

the vienna lunging reins are a great tool to help the horse stretch his back with out the "backward" tension of side reins. it works like a sliding rein for the forward downward stretching to engage the hind/back of the horse.

the de gogue and the chambon are awful apparatus IMHO.. I have only ever seen abusive riders use these two tools in an inappropriate compressing way.
steer clear ... as they encourage a tight throat latch/ jaw and a SUPER compressed neck. horrible to ride and even worse to look at- not to mention the pointlessness of "backwards" riding.~~~ again. only my opinion!!!

[copper1]

Any thing can be abusive in the wrong hands! IMO, lunging a horse without any kind of reins is a useless endevour other than getting some bucks out. The horse learns nothing. I have used the Cahmbon, deGouge, neck stretcher and the Pessoa system at different times for different horses and each thing helped a lot to acheive a goal. They are not intended to be a life time thing, just something to show the horse the correct way.

[cloudyandcallie]

You can also buy a combination chambon de gogue. My BO insisted I needed one 11 yrs ago, and got one at The Farm House tack shop for my horse. He didn't need it so it was a waste of my money. I agree that it is too much restraint. My horses did not hold their heads up, so didn't need the chambon de gogue or the martingales that my BO also insisted I buy.

My BO back then wanted to fix something that wasn't broken.

[BoyleHeightsKid]

Vienna reins/balancing reins are a great tool IMO... It only took lungeing Boy in them a couple of times to show him a better way of going. They allow the horse to stretch down and out and allow them to move their head from side to side. As with any training aid, using them correctly can help and using them incorrectly will do more harm than good. Please enlist the help of an experienced trainer to help you use them.

[JKennedy]

I recall reading in [a text] that the deGogue was only appropriate for longing trot work, the yoke keeps the head within a specific location.

The Chambon configuration could be used at walk and canter also, and while ridden, because it is less restrictive in head carriage therefore allowing the horse to bob its head, not hold steady as they do at the trot.

http://www.doversaddlery.com/chambon/p/X1-30058/

http://www.doversaddlery.com/de-gogue/p/X1-30059/

I have no experience with vienna reins.
I use donut side reins occasionally, and I will adjust them frequently throught my longing session to encourage a slow adjusment between stretch/collection/reach of stride as needed

The Chambon/DeGogue I have used sparingly, when your horse turns into a camel, which side reins don't help, it can
....
"show them the better way of going."

Its not a crutch to be used every day, and if we all rode like a pro we wouldn't need them, but correctly used it is a training aid, just like a spur or crop.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I bought a Chambon for a horse that I was retraining. He had a western background and was used to a tie-down. He had an ubber-massive underneck, inverted thing going on.

Honestly, it didn't really work for me and I got the best response from correct riding. He really needed time off and then hacking out on a loose rein just to get rid of some of that underneck before we could even start trying to get him to use his back correctly. A month off and then undersaddle riding worked wonders! I should try to find the old pictures..poor guy looked like he was put together by a committee. I heart him though.

I do see the usefulness of a chambon, however. I also have no problem with Vienna side reins, but would be careful that you dont' create a horse with a pretty neck that is on the forehand.

Not a big DeGogue fan.

Just my two cents.

[Triplicate]

If you have to ask you aren't ready to use any of these. Make sure you have a very knowledgeable horseman or friend to teach you how to use them. These aren't training aids that should be used by novices - any training aid can be a razor in a monkey's hand.