 |
| i looked away so he got the rein over his nose |
It's my blog so I'll go first!
Years ago, I was given a cob size standing martingale. I threw it in the bridle bag and thought I'd never use it. Then I got a little bay thoroughbred horse who occasionally turns himself inside out and realized that martingales are magical.
Running martingales are certainly amazing tools in the right circumstances, but I love my little standing martingale for every day flat work and hacking. It has no action whatsoever until that critical moment and then it immediately goes back to neutral.
What piece of tack or equipment is a difference maker for you?
My saddle for sure. I kept trying wool flocked after wool flocked saddles and he did not like any of them. Finally tried a saddle with air panels and he started walking under saddle. Tried to switch to wool he said hell no. Basically all of our progress has been due to the new saddle.
ReplyDeleteNeck strap... for basically every ride. Such a great tool in those "oh shit moments", nervousness over fences (so you can stay soft and release without worry), for steadying yourself whilst practicing sitting trot, for hacking and working on your two-point.
ReplyDeleteAssuming they stay dressage legal, I might be throwing mine back on for shows. :-) It's a handy tool.
DeleteFor the horse it is my side pull with bit hangers. I can ride with a bit in when she is amped up and then drop the bit and continue on our way in just the side pull without having to change her entire headstall and risk her running off in the middle of nowhere on an endurance ride.
ReplyDeleteFor me it is my Camelbak. I can ride for 2 hours without water, but beyond that and I will get dehydrated. Having the Camebak on lets me drink hands free, not have to worry about water bottles being dropped and it has a 2L bladder, so it lasts even on the long 20+ mile loops of a race.
For me, I would say a running martingale. My horse learned to just lean on the end of the standing and was super upside down, and often pulled rails at shows because of it. Though we get a slightly more reactive moment from the running when he hits it, it's more elastic and he goes back to normal quickly after hitting it. But really, we haven't had any magical tools so far with this horse.
ReplyDeleteMy high school jumper however, was another story. He used to run away with me on the backside of a fence and sort of tear around a course. We finally put him in this crazy custom contraption my trainer had hanging around that was super strong (single twisted wire, with the sliding metal piece that serves as leverage on his nose and a gag type of action, and suddenly he was light as a feather. After practicing good habits in that for a while, I was able to switch to a ported pelham and still have a fun horse.
For Bailey, it's a running martingale. I've never had a standing, but I think it would make her rear because she generally has to push through and break things under pressure.
ReplyDeleteFor both of my mares, the magic weighted snaffle seems to make them both happy and soft and quiet in the bridle and I have no idea why. But I still pat myself on the back for having a 14$ whim that has worked well for two very different horses.
Ha! I have a magic contact bit that cost $5, weighs like 3 pounds, looks old and gross, and actually makes my finicky, light as a feather OTTB take a solid contact.
DeleteThis is such a great question I pondered for ages over it. I would like to say "everything" but I think my answer would have to be my BOT pads, fenwick bonnet and my saddle. I can't narrow it down more. The BOT pads are literal magic. I can't even dignify it with a post because it would not do it justice. The Fenwick bonnet has quieted B down so much that he's actually rideable. No amount of supplements, lunging or training make him as level headed as that bonnet. Magic. Then my saddle. I rode in a size 16 saddle from age 11 to 25. I made do with what I had, but truly the 18inch has made a massive difference in regards to my position.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's been my "big kid" spurs. I used to ride in these little nubby 1/4" spurs because I didn't trust myself to use anything bigger, and after getting reprimanded by a clinician for my useless spurs causing me to nag my pony, I bought proper grown-up knob end spurs. Pony feels them now. I never looked back!
ReplyDeleteSaddle! And also changing bits. I'm glad I rode with a happy mouth when I did because it taught Miles to give and go on the bit... but I'm really glad we switched to the Waterford when we did too.
ReplyDeleteWow this is a tough question. I don't have anything that has been a riding changer for me. Each of my horses are different and as their training progresses their tack changes. I guess because my saddle doesn't fit poppy great it would be hard to live without the blue rubber slip pad I use under the saddle pad.
ReplyDeleteI think a pair of large pony sized reins would make me very happy. Current horse sized pairs are too long but not quite long enough to knot the ends...and forever getting caught in my saddle, under my leg, etc. Other than that, I rode in a $$$$ sadddle the other day that would definitely be a game changer...but cannot justify, so I'm not thinking about it...nope, not at all....
ReplyDeleteI had my reins shortened by a local tack repair shop - worked great! :)
DeleteBaby diaper rash cream. It gets humid here, and liberal application of of diaper rash cream makes sitting the trot in full seat breeches bearable.
ReplyDeleteFor horse equipment: the Mullen mouth snaffle. Both my TBs love it, it keeps them quiet and encourages them to take the contact.
Running martingale. Hands down. Because.... Reasons.
ReplyDeleteA western style side pull for the nutty hunter mare I rode. She wouldn't settle with any bit I tried so I rode in the sidepull for awhile. Eventually she settled, we tried the bit again and it was fine. Mostly. That's when I added a running martingale for awhile.
ReplyDeleteHackamore, without a doubt. Pearl has had Bit Issues for as long as I've known her... and when I first started riding her she was in a non-preferred-mouthpiece bit an inch too small. Taking a year or two to ride her in the hack and let her realize I'm not going to mess with her mouth meant that I could work on her other body parts, because she wasn't so busy constantly fighting the bit. It helped us hit the "reset" button, and then I was able to experiment, take her preferences into account, and find a bit she WILL happily go in (which ofc is not dressage legal, but we'll cross that bridge)
ReplyDeleteDrop noseband. We never would have worked through Pig's contact PTSD or my uneducated hands without the thing. I am SO glad I tried it!
ReplyDelete