|
|
Post by Smay on Feb 12, 2003 11:04:22 GMT -5
Ooo! I think I'm going to LOVE this bitless bridle! I have SUCH cabin fever and the weather has gone from bad to worse, but I gave up and put Lynne's bitless bridle on Teddy last night, under the guise or just adjusting it to fit him, and boy did he look cute. ( Lynne's bridle is white - Teddy is black - he looked like a trick horse) Anyhow, he put his head down and let me put it on and fool with it for a while and thought he was wearing a halter. He looked so happy with anticipation that he was going to "do something" that I just got on him bareback and rode him around the barnyard a little. He seemed SOOOOO happy! He didn't toss his head, he didn't pull, he didn't do anything although we just walked, halted a bunch, backed up. Awwgeez that horse is SOOOO responsive and the bitless bridle seems to give him just enough information to respond, without that annoying piece of cold metal in his mouth! I THINK I'm gonna like it! See I knew that a bitless was a good thing for TBs, cause they are wicked sensitive in the nose and poll. Teddy is not a bolter or a runaway, so that whole worry is not there....he just does other strange stuff that I put in the category of "showing off" The squeal-hop-spook thing, and the lunge upward-sqeal-shake head deal...those things. Plus the jiggy jig. I hate that jiggy jig. Of course yesterday, on frozen moonscape barnyard, he'd be stupid to jig. So he didn't. That horse is NOT stupid! hahahaha Oh and I also got my "jumping hackamore" in the mail yesterday and attached that to a headstall to see what gives with that... Now that is a different thing people. it offers very little control other than direct rein pressure on the nose. The rings attach to the side of the round, leather noseband ( mine came nice and soft and flexible Vida) and you just PULL on the rein I guess to turn or whatever. I still wonder why it's called a jumping hackamore. There's NO hackamore action to it. It's just a fat noseband with reins. I kind of like it though.
|
|
|
|
Post by Linda on Feb 12, 2003 13:11:53 GMT -5
SMay, You are absolutely right. Extremely sensitive horses go best with a minimum of equipment. I just use a rope halter on my mare for a bridle and there is never a question about whether or not that is "enough". I think she would be extremely unhappy if I used more traditional headgear. Use what Teddy is most happy with--after all, who should know better than Teddy?
PS, he can't jig if you turn his head/neck to the side--learned this watching Parelli tapes the other day. This, of course means "cue" him to turn his head/neck around to his shoulder, not "PULL" his head/neck around. If you pull, then he can maintain enough tension in his body to jig. If he has to relax and turn that head and neck, his whole body has to relax and he can't jig. You would turn his head one way, reward, then turn the other way, reward, etc. When he starts walking like a good horse, then he can keep his head straight ahead. When he jigs, he has to start flexing exercises again. It should work. I don't have a jiggy horse, so I can't try it. You will have to experiment for me. Linda
|
|
|
|
Post by Smay on Feb 12, 2003 13:51:34 GMT -5
I actually think I have discovered this by accident a few times, but it never really sank it to why it worked! Whenever he starts his jigging "lets go" routine, I have noticed that if we "do something" anything....he will obviously quit cause he has something better to do! small circles, ride over ground poles, back up, leg yield..any of the above temporarily stops the jigging. So "turn and touch your shoulder jigster" also ought to work. Just have to remember to ask for something whenever he starts the jig. Just ask for something else. Saying "walk, walk" doesn't get it!
|
|
|
|
Post by niaru on Feb 12, 2003 14:05:55 GMT -5
I can just picture him in white ;D. I like the IDEA of bitless bridles. But riding in the hackamore yesterday felt very strange, like I could only pull on it to do anything, which I didn't dare doing too much! Hmmm too bad they don't let you show in those... I need to see a parelli demo to be convinced that you can have "connection" without "contact"  Aah the jigging! I once got off and WALKED about 5 miles next to Niaru because she was driving me crazy with her jig (and shoulder-ins and stuff did NOT help). Darn mare. Then of course, if I hadn't lever let her gallop at full speed in that same field she'd probably been much better about it...I just talked to my sister this morning, all her critters are doing fine, but Niaru (who is 24 now) is in a big stall with her icelandic horse, who terrorizes the poor mare and she's losing weight. Sis is gonna have to find a better solution!! |
|
|
|
Post by ks on Feb 12, 2003 19:41:03 GMT -5
Sounds great! Glad Teddy liked it so much. I saw a post the other day about somebody on the board getting Teddy. Now you know if anybody but ME got him, I would be mad at you forever!
I ride Stormy in a rope halter with lead (tied to make reins - but they both attach under the jaw, not on the sides). She goes great in it! I took her to my friend's place and everybody was freaking out that I could ride her in a halter! AND .. this was the first time she had ever been ANYWHERE and she showed off (prancing/dancing) quite a bit at first so they saw she wasn't some dead-head. hehehe gotta love it! (we're doing the Parelli thing).
|
|
|
|
Post by Lynne on Feb 12, 2003 20:00:39 GMT -5
Hopefully it will go as well when spring hits  Cobie was really good in it too and now he'll do the normal bridle too but we have "other" issues...like rear/stomp/kickandfart.... So gald it went well. I'd of felt really bad if you got squished with it  |
|
|
|
Post by Smay on Feb 13, 2003 8:43:17 GMT -5
I'm not giving anyone on the board TEddy! WHAT? There isn't enough insurance coverage in the world to do that! hahahaha I'd be in liability court for the next five years! It's bad enough that my daughter's long-term plan for Pony CLub is to move up to a 14.2 pony in two years, then move up to TEDDY in 5 or 6 years. Only good thing is that Ted will be about 15 by then and MAYBE a little more relaxed! hahaha (Actually, I have this vision that my daughter will maybe be ABLE to ride Teddy in 6 years...she is very bold and not afraid of horses at all...might be the exact person to just ride that horse and not think twice... You know how teenagers are! Kind of like YOU are NOW...hee hee)
HOW IS YOUR MARE WITH THE THREESIAN BABY DOING???
|
|
Cobie was really good in it too and now he'll do the normal bridle too but we have "other" issues...like rear/stomp/kickandfart....
