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Posted on 02/24/2006 9:12:25 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
This is a horse chat thread where we share ideas, ask for input from other horsemen, and talk about our riding and horse-keeping. We have a lot of different kinds of riders and horses, and a lot to share. In the previous threads we have had a great time talking through lessons, training, horse lamenesses, illnesses and pregnancies... and always sharing pictures and stories.
I always have a link to this thread on my profile page, so if you have something to say and can't find the thread in latest posts… look for it there and wake the thread up!
I also have a ping list for horse threads that are of interest, and MissTargets will now be pinging everyone most mornings. Let MissTargets and/or me know if you would like to be on the ping list. As FreeRepublic is a political site, our politics and other issues will probably blend in…. There are many issues for horsemen that touch politics… land use, animal rights/abuse cases that make the news…. Legislation that might affect horse owners.
So... like the previous threads, this is intended as fun place to come and share stories, pictures, questions and chit-chat, unguided and unmoderated and that we come together here as friends. There are lots of ways of doing things and we all have our quirks, tricks and specialties that are neat to learn about.
Previous threads:
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - thread ONE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread TWO!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FOUR
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread FIVE
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SIX
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread SEVEN
The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread EIGHT
New folk and occasional posters, jump right in and introduce yourselves, tell us about your horses, and post pictures if you've got them!
Those are nice hackamores. How do you think Bay will take to it? I've never been on a trail ride that was long enough to require taking saddle bags along. But I will someday! Now I usually only go out for an hour or so. Sometimes I worry that I've gotten rusty with horse care, but I've found that it's like riding a bike... I won't forget. I might just take you up on your offer! :-) It's strange for me being only a student now, instead of a working student or a horse owner. I get treated with more respect as a regular student vs. a working student, that's for sure, but I've missed some of the horse experience. My trainer always gives me wierd looks when I offer to grab a pitchfork and help with stalls or fill water buckets.
I think he's been ridden in a Hackamore lots before... I think we had him in one back when Bob had him.
I'm looking forward to having a lot more 'whoa' with it. He could get strong on me with the Kimberwick. And I'm gonna have to learn to stay out of his face. It's not a contact bit, it's a loose rein bit, and I'm pretty used to riding him on contact.
I think it's just too much bit for Harley tho. I think it's the reason his head gets up in the air sometimes. I been paying attention to see if I've just been pulling too much, and I don't think I have. I've tried an Argentine Snaffle:
He worked well in it, (its' alot like the tom thumb, but not as stiff, IMO.) but "I" worry that it's not enough in case of emergency.
In the arena I used just O ring snaffles, and full cheek. I just like knowing I have extra control if I need it when I'm out on trail.
Becky
Do you think that he'll take advantage of you on a lose rein or perhaps learn right quick not to? :-)I'm always hesitant to ride without contact on trail, because you have more of a chance to go from 0-60 in 0.1 seconds if something scary should come out at you. (At least that's my experience) :-)
What do you mean without contact?
Without contact means without some sort of light tension on the bit. When you have contact on the reins, it means that you should feel resistance from the bit or the presence of the bit.
Becky
Ok, then when I bring my arm forward and give her, her head then that's without contact?
I ride him on a loose rein when he's relaxed but I never drop him completely.
Only difference between that and the tom thumb you've got is the straight mouthpiece. It's roughly the same amount of leverage.
How do you drop completely?
What I wonder about is when he's jittery if I'll be able to ride him without a lot of head tossing and tension building. It kinda feeds on itself if you ride too tight in a bit like that.
What I mean was I don't ride on trail with so loose a rein I can't quickly ~make~ contact.
Do you ride with one hand or two? If you're riding with one hand, then sure you take the contact off the bit.
Ok. I understand now. This is something I have really had to work on these last couple of years. It was hard for me to loosen up.
That's about what I rode Bay in last year, I bumped up from the eggbutt snaffle I'd always ridden him in... It's not enough bit on trail. I don't like having to be strong with him, and he can be strong with that one.
It's fine in an arena to ~school~ on being soft in... it won't outmuscle him if he doesn't want to give.
I ride with one hand. I used to do two but when something would happen I automatically dropped the right one and then would have trouble with my balance trying to get it back and pull the horses head left. Now I keep my right free and if I need two hands on the rein I bring it up. Doesn't make sense to me but I'm more comfortable and in control. I finding though that I don't even need it as much now and do well with just my left which frees me to hold the back of my saddle or the horn if I need it.
The eggbutt wasn't enough, and the Kimberwick didn't turn out to be either.
I'd rather use a strong bit softly than a soft bit strongly.
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