Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Meet the (Strap Goods) Crew

I think it was Emma who said that every time I give y'all a tour of my tack room, the major players have changed. I would like to point out that is only partly true.

dramatic lighting for effect
 THE PRECIOUS IS STILL HERE
Ha! But actually, my saddle inventory is remarkably stable. It's the bridles that change up a lot. Right now, we have three main bridles in rotation.
 This is our work bridle. Courage loves his sprenger bit and I love looking at this bridle. And YES I KNOW the buckles aren't all the same color. Remember franken? That's why.


 You've read about dressage frankenbridle before. It's a really fantastic piece. You'll notice the (beautiful) cavesson is adjusted so loosely that it literally does nothing other than hold the standing martingale in place. This is for REASONS--specfically that Courage does not deal with sharp bits or tight nosebands and every trainer he's ever spent time with (even the ones who hated him or whom he hated) agreed that a loose cavesson was really where it's at for him.


 Next we have our hacking bridle. It also features the loose cavesson (and standing martingale woo woo). We have what I call the "magic contact bit" (GIANT single joint d) on it, which is a bit hilarious because I never pick up the reins in this bridle.

This bridle is fun to look at--it has my cool custom race noseband with blue padding and diamond shaped cutouts and my super cool blue and orange sparkle browband. The whole point of this set up is to let Courage know that when he wears it, all is well with the world. We toodle in it. That's all. He loves it. As soon as I put it on, he pricks up his ears and we go adventuring.

 What's this? Didn't I just go on and on about how Courage must have his loose cavesson?

Yes.

This is our lunging bridle. It's my gorgeous Red Barn Capriole bridle that I love very much with an identical sprenger to our work bridle. It has a crank and I usually pull the flash off, BUT. Always a but.

But Courage is stepping up his game and learning to accept contact in a much better way and from time to time, while lunging, I find it advantageous to ask him to actually close his mouth while he's working.
CHUCK TESTA
It's definitely not his favorite thing and I don't think it will be going away from home any time in the near future, but it's a tool in the tool box and we're giving it a whirl.

I guess at this point you're also noticing that Courage ALWAYS goes in a standing martingale at this point in his life. Here's why:
No for real.

Most of the time, the standing hangs uselessly. All y'all rules Nazis out there are like "ZOMG SB THATS NOT DRESSAGE LEGAL", which hellooooooo I am well aware. I'm also aware that every time Courage has a big giant flailing fit (which in fairness to him are usually caused by me), that response takes weeks to work through. Weeks.

Remember the last (/only) time I jumped him this year? Yeah broke my steering and my brakes in one fell swoop because I didn't put his martingale on.

But the standing causes nobody any problems until the penultimate moment and then it acts on his nose, he goes "oh shit right gotta stop this nonsense" and the world keeps on spinning. 

Magic, I tell you. Once we're thinking about showing again, I'll wean him off it. Til then, it stays.

21 comments:

  1. I'll be over here with my one bridle and one bit...
    I also think that it is ok to use non dressage legal tools as long as they are being used appropriately.

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  2. I use three different bridles. If my horse was less picky, I'd probably have more, LOL. He won't take bits. :( Le sigh.

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  3. You ever tried just bopping him on the top of the head with the butt end of your dressage whip when the failing happens? It's been known to work with Pig...

    (Disclaimer: Advice not intended to be given in lieu of common sense. Please use your own judgement. Advice dispenser not responsible for your own stupid injuries, only her own.)

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    1. I don't actually carry a whip. Things to ponder.

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  4. I'm just impressed you only have 3 bridles..... 😂

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    1. Technically, I didn't say I only have three. Those are just the three in current rotation.

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    2. Whew! Now I'm less worried about my own addiction!

      I really like the idea of having a dedicated "hacking" bridle. I used to have a "lunging" bridle (no reins) for the barn, but since tack space is at a premium where I board, I brought it home and just use the same bridle for everything.

      Luckily my tack shed at home lets me board bridles to my heart's content!

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    3. *hoard not board. Thanks autocorrect

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  5. I knot my reins like a pony kid when I'm nervous. And that's not particularly attractive (although I don't *think* it's illegal)... and I do it anyways. EFF THE HATERZ

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  6. Lol! I have 2 bridles per horse, plus a few spares that hang out in my trailer... just in case... an English bridle and a western bridle per horse... 😀 you know, my dressage bridle that I love, and I've never seen anywhere else, is a Star brand bridle. It's a European brand and I got it for a steal because the sizes that they listed were actually for the next size up, so the pony size was actually a cob size, etc...

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  7. I own four bridles now. I think you'd be proud.

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    1. I am.

      Though you also now own two horses so it's still only two per horse.

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  8. I currently only have one but I have two only wish list. Once I have those I think I'm going to convert my current Micklem to a bit less and use it for trail rides. Katai is really easy and only loves one bit currently so I'll likely just transfer that one back and forth.

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  9. O goes in a running martingale all the time. ALL the time. Except at shows. And at every show, she realizes it isn't on, and the head tossing begins. She's that horse who will stand around in her field and toss her head to just amuse herself, so I figure there isn't much I can do about it.
    Running martingales are also a big no-no in dressage and also in any driving except the weird breed show stuff (where they are required.... it's weird), so I just don't talk about it much.

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  10. I am all about standing and running martingales - especially in times of flail assistance!

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  11. I don't feel so bad. The current boarding facility has private tack rooms. Yay! for that. Comments I have heard are -It looks like a full blown tack store in here. If I need something, I'll come see you first. OMG is there anything you Don't have?

    Yeah.... I think there's something like 8 complete bridles in there and only my 1 horse to ride. The pony has his own assortment of bridles and harness and gear.... in his size. We won't go into all the other stuff. Its just amazing that it all fits in there and is so well organized. Ha!

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  12. Mare has two bridles in current rotation, and neither of them are dressage legal. Ha. Our "work" bridle is a mullen mouth happy mouth pelham which she LOVES and I am perpetually trying to find in a baucher version just in case, + running martingale because CANTERING IS SO EXCITING. Oh and it also has a figure eight noseband because I agree with you, keeping one's mouth closed is helpful, and I find them sexier than a flash because I not-so-secretly want to be a jumper. This combination has earned us some "wow, that's a lot of stuff on her face" comments from randos on the trails on their 30yo QHs but I like not dying, so whatever.

    We also have the trail bridle/snackamore, which... has been heavy on that snacking lately, so I've been trail riding her in her work bridle lately, and also because she needs to learn that walking on contact does not automatically equal omg we're gonna go fast soon.

    We also have our "show" bridle which currently has a knockoff myler baucher, but I don't have an arena, only open fields right now so... pelham it is.

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    Replies
    1. I applaud not dying. Highly underrated pastime imo.

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