Re: training for endurance

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

I ride Star with an eggbutt snaffle because that is mild adn seems to work
well for him, but my Morgan has never had a bit in his mouth. He is 19
years old adn has always been ridden with a hackamore. My ex-husband, who
used to train horses, always started them in hackamores and then switched
to bits. Cisco worked so well with the hackamore, we figured, why bother
with the bit. We had lots of whoa and easy control and he is a pleasure to
ride. My 9 year old neighbor girl rides him with ease.

I just would add to watch the mechanical action and make sure you get a
hackamore that doesn't pinch. 

At 08:15 PM 1/16/98 -0800, Pat Fredrickson wrote:
>Lucy,
>
>Glad you responded & set my mind at ease.  I was visualizing an accident
>waiting to happen.
>
>Have you ever tried riding in a vosal.  I don't like putting a bit in my
>horses mouth if I can get away from it.  With a Vosal, you have more control
>than with the Ride Halter or Sidepull, but there is still no bit in the
>horses mouth.  Some of the Endurance Tack Vendors carry them.  I think they
>are great.  It works under the horses chin and over their nose.  Most times
>I start a ride with my vosal attached to a headstall & have the Ride Halter
>beneath.  Usually I remove the vosal & headstall by the noon stop.
>
>Pat Fredrickson
>Natural Horse Handling Rope Halters
>http://www.catechnologies.com/patfred
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Lucy Chaplin Trumbull <elsie@calweb.com>
>To: Pat Fredrickson <patfred@snowcrest.net>
>Cc: Endurance list <ridecamp@endurance.net>
>Date: Friday, January 16, 1998 4:56 PM
>Subject: training for endurance
>
>
>>Pat Fredrickson wrote:
>>> PLEASE DO NOT use my rope halter by itself on the first endurance ride
>your
>>> horse does.  You should try it along with your usual gear so you can be
>sure
>>> that you can control your horse.  I always advise using two sets of reins
>>> until you know for sure that your horse will respond to the rope ride
>>> halter.
>>
>>No Pat! Don't worry - I wouldn't even *consider* the idea of just
>>hopping onto the horse in a rope halter and expecting her to
>>behave herself.
>>
>>I'm mostly curious about different training methods. At the moment,
>>we don't have "usual gear" to fall back to. Her "usual gear" *is*
>>a rope halter.
>>
>>But I have a clean slate with this horse, and don't want to
>>automatically just follow standard practises because "that's
>>just the way it's done".
>>
>>(like something I heard recently on TV: "we start our horses in
>>bosals, by the time they're four we're riding them in a snaffle,
>>and then they graduate to a curb..."   ...Why??)
>>
>>If I was thinking about dressage, then that would be a different
>>thing. I don't necessarily need to teach her some of the subtleties
>>that would necessitate using a bit (although maybe one day... ,g>).
>>In this case, I want to train my mare to have good manners,
>>but also be a good endurance horse.
>>
>>I suspect that sometimes there is a tendency for people just to
>>let their horses go down the trail at an "active pace" - afterall,
>>you want the horse to "move out" down the trail with little fuss.
>>But I wonder how many of them are doing this because they don't
>>have much choice in the matter? Because it's easier to "let them
>>go" than be in charge of what speed the horse travels at.
>>
>>> A lot of riders, including me, love riding in them, but please use
>>> caution.
>>
>>Always. I'm the wimpiest person alive when it comes to caution.
>>
>>That's why I've had this horse since April, but only just started
>>riding her, and haven't ever ridden her outside the confines of an
>>arena. She's not ready and I'm not ready.
>>
>>When we *are* ready, we'll be out there on the trails, hand-walking
>>in full tack, to gauge how she's going to react. Then, once we can
>>doing some trail riding, we'll be at rides as observers. I don't
>>believe in stuffing her into something without her being mentally
>>prepared for it (of course, all this would help if I actually
>>had a trailer to take her out for "jaunts" in... <grin>)
>>
>>And always keeping in mind, as Linda writes:
>>> "Unasked for speed is unacceptable" gets lost in "But the herd went
>>> thata way!"--
>>**************************************************************
>>Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
>>Displaced English person in Sacramento, CA
>>
>>http://www.calweb.com/~elsie
>>http://www.calweb.com/~trouble
>>**************************************************************
>>
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