The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

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[Beaker]

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.

[HairOfTheDog]

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.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

No. I like Tom Thumbs even less then I like the bit I'm using. This is what I'm using. I used it with Belle, and really like it.

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

[Beaker]

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) :-)

[CindyDawg]

What do you mean without contact?

[Beaker]

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.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I've wanted to try kimberwicks, one like this:

Becky

[CindyDawg]

Ok, then when I bring my arm forward and give her, her head then that's without contact?

[HairOfTheDog]

I ride him on a loose rein when he's relaxed but I never drop him completely.

[HairOfTheDog]

Only difference between that and the tom thumb you've got is the straight mouthpiece. It's roughly the same amount of leverage.

[CindyDawg]

How do you drop completely?

[HairOfTheDog]

Do you think that he'll take advantage of you on a lose rein or perhaps learn right quick not to? :-)

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.

[HairOfTheDog]

What I mean was I don't ride on trail with so loose a rein I can't quickly ~make~ contact.

[Beaker]

Do you ride with one hand or two? If you're riding with one hand, then sure you take the contact off the bit.

[Beaker]

I use a tom thumb kimberwicke on the horse that I'm riding now. I used a jointed Kimberwicke on my old horse. It worked wonders on him.

[CindyDawg]

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.

[HairOfTheDog]

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.

[CindyDawg]

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.

[Beaker]

The kimberwicke isn't enough bit on the trail or the eggbutt isn't? The jointed kimberwicke worked fine for me on trail, but every horse is different of course :-) My horse wasn't strong so much as he was squirrelly and quick.

[HairOfTheDog]

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.