Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Julie wrote,

 

"I can, in the ring, ride Alpine in a plain snaffle.  He bends, collects, does lateral work, etc.  My dressage instructer loved him because he's push button in the ring.  On the trail by himself or in a small group, I have the same amount of control.  However, if he spooks or if he's in a big group, or if anyone is going faster than him, he is a handful, and will run right through that snaffle, taking me for quite a ride.  For that matter, he's run through a med port curb, a paso bit, a kimberwicke, and a mechanical hack. He does seem to respect a pelham if I use the bottom rein.  We have done the leap frogging thing.  Anything I ask in a small group he does. Gets left, leaves, walks while the others trot and canter.  Once you hit over about 7 horses, watch out, the engine goes into overdrive"

 

Julie, Orion is very much the same.  He won't take off or spin.  He's never bolted or runaway with me, but in a group, as you describe, with a snaffle my arms are worn out from holding him back.  He learned to run through a snaffle before I owned him. I rode him with a draw rein and snaffle combination (double reins) the first year in competition.  Even with that setup, I walked many circles, on the bit, to get control in competition.  I tried a little S hack and put a scar on his nose after only 2 rides even with the nose piece covered with sheepskin. 

 

Horses that are in pain or are "afraid of their mouths", indeed, do need to go back to less bit not more.  A horse's natural reaction to pain and fear is flight. A frightened horse in pain will run no matter what you have in their mouth. I've re-trained horses that were runaways by taking everything out of their mouth usually going back to basics using a halter and progressing to whatever level bit they worked comfortably in. 

 

However, there are those individuals, I call them hard headed, nicer, might be strong willed, that are not in pain or fear, just very determined.  They KNOW better.  It isn't that they haven't been trained and often trained very well, it's just a very strong DESIRE factor.  In my experience, these horses are often the best in competition. Not ALL horses work WELL in snaffles in ALL circumstances!  Do any of you remember Becky riding Rio with double reins? 

 

All horses are not the same.  They can't all be trained exactly the same and the same things do not work for every horse.  There are many factors involved with each particular set of circumstances.  I try to use what works, not necessarily what a particular school of thought or discipline dictates, but what causes the least amount of grief for ME and my HORSE in practice. 

 

Linda Courts

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