Side reins – Make sure they are long (often difficult to find them long enough) and adjustable, with evenly positioned holes on each rein. When using the side reins make sure that they are correctly adjusted; better a little too long than too short as you don’t want to block the horse with the rein. We want him to seek a contact acceptable to him.
I don’t agree with lunging from the bit in most circumstances. The horse’s mouth is very precious and I wouldn’t risk him losing confidence should an accident happen. However, I know of many others who do so successfully. For example, Ingrid and Reiner Klimke in their book “Basic Training of the Young Horse” (13) explain that they clip the lunge rein to the inside bit ring and the ring on either a drop or a cavesson noseband. This helps to prevent the bit being pulled through the horse’s mouth in the absence of side reins or a bit without cheek pieces.
A lot of the cheaper synthetic lunge cavessons are badly designed. I often just use a normal headcollar and attach the rein to the ring underneath the chin. The Micklem multibridle looks like a fantastic piece of training kit for the young horse, including a dropped cavesson with rings for lunging and a single head piece (see William Micklem’s book (5)).
Brushing boots all round are good practice, especially for a young or unknown horse or indeed any horse with shoes. I tend not to use brushing boots with my boys as they are not shod and so far I have not had any brushing injuries either when working or when turned out.
Gloves are absolutely essential for the trainer. A number of summers ago it was very hot and I was lunging without gloves when a neighbour put up a large parasol in their garden that had a border with my school. Shantie spooked and galloped off. The rope burns I got on my hands before I could drop the rein nearly made me faint! A very painful experience and needless to say I learnt my lesson the hard way. Always wear gloves, even when it’s hot, or don’t lunge.