🎗️ Required Material:
A band with a width of 8 or 10 cm.
✨ Effect & Benefits:
The basic body band is a good way to introduce horses to body bands.
It supports a more relaxed posture, helps horses with tension in the neck or shoulder area, and can encourage them to lower the head and move with less weight on the forehand.
📝 Application:
- Stand on the left side of your horse.
- Hold the band rolled up to about two-thirds. Pass the free end under the neck with your left hand and take it with your right hand on the other side.
- Guide the band over the withers so that the end lies at the level of the left shoulder joint.
- Continue unrolling the band and tie the ends loosely together so that the knot can be easily released.
- Make sure the band lies straight above the shoulder joint and behind the withers.
👀 Observations:
Many horses respond immediately to the gentle pressure by lowering the head.
The light pressure at the base of the neck can activate the horse’s natural seeking reflex and contribute to a more relaxed posture.
📌 Important Notes:
- The band must not cut in, but it should also not hang down.
- It should lie loosely and evenly.
🔀 Variations & Further Use:
The basic body band is the starting point for various other band techniques, such as the combination of neck and trunk band or the double-loop body band.
If the horse’s posture does not change with the band, additional groundwork exercises may help to promote balance and relaxation.
This body band can also be used in combination with a saddle – simply attach the ends to the front rings of the saddle.
