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[RC] re: bits... - Lysane CreeI found this out the hard way that a bit does not give you brakes, training does.
I took on a horse a couple of years ago to work with since my friend had too many horses to work with and I loved this mare. The mare was a great trail horse (not spooky and would go through anything) but was very pushy, would walk all over people and was hard to slow down on the trail. She would not bolt or runaway, but she wanted to barrel down the trail, gaiting as fast as she could. She was being ridden in a long shanked bit, not sure what kind. I began working with her and soon had her standing still to mount and responding to the bit, but I still had to be constantly at attention as she would still be very fast on the trail. One day I stupidly went along with the owner's suggestion to put her in a gag bit (against my better judgment). The bit didn't give me more brakes, that mare went ballistic, running blindly in the woods heading straight for a tree. I think the poll pressure freaked her out, as she had never runaway before. We ended up parting
ways and I had to walk back to the barn. I put her in the bit I used with my horse (a Tom Thumb, short shanks) and forgot about the trail. I worked with her on circles and giving to the bit. This improved her 10 times more than anything else. Then when I went back on the trail, she was alot more controllable in terms of speed. Also, long hours on the trail also helped to calm her butt down. :) But the training was the key.
Lysane
\From: Opal Perry <luvmyarabian2000@xxxxxxxxx> \Subject: [RC] bits.. \ \I have to throw this out there... MOST of the time when you are having \a horse run through a bit, not having brakes etc. then you need to \examine the TRAINING not the equipment. Going to a bigger bit, or a hack, \or whatever is only a Band-aid.. \ \My horse is a powerhouse.. he can be quite the trouble maker when he \wants to. But I can still ride him in just a smooth snaffle, or his \fleece lined hackamore, or a bitless bridle (was done 2 years ago in PA by \a friend). The reason? Because I work with him all the time in a \surcingle and side reins, plus we do enough ring work to have some \collection and he knows his boundaries! That's not to say he still hasn't \scared me from time to time, but if you guys are consistently having \trouble with a horse spinning and bolting for home, or one not having any \"whoa", then perhaps you need to address basic training again. JMO.. Opal \Perry Post your free ad now! Yahoo! Canada Personals
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