Re: one more lesson learned....comments.....

[Cyberpony@aol.com]

> > for some reason, I am
>  > reluctant to put on a bit without the mechanical advantage of being able 
> to
>  > put my right hand over the top of the poll, holding the top of the bridle
> and
>  > gently easing the bit into the mouth with the left.  I've watched people
>  > trying to put the bit into the mouth without using the "hand on the poll"
>  > technique, and so often the bit ends up jamming the horse in the teeth 
> because
>  > you are pushing upwards rather than lifting from the top while guiding
the 
> bit
>  > in.  Am I missing some simple trick that enables me to slip the bit in 
> from
>  > below without hurting the horse?  I'm willing to learn.
~~~~~~~~
I have one horse that uses a halter bridle.  To avoid the  awkwardness of
trying to put the bit in the mouth one side at a time I tied a piece of
rawhide to the check piece snaps (making a crown piece that can be grasped
with the right hand while the left hand guides the bit into the mouth).  The
rawhide is just a little bit longer than the "real" crown piece.  Once the
rawhide crown piece is over the ears I snap the check pieces to the halter
bridle.  The rawhide stays with the arrangement at all times.  

My other horse wears a different setup.  He wears a black halter.  To that I
add a black biothane arrangement that consists of only one strap of biothane
that goes from one side of the bit (over the ears) to the other side of the
bit and a browband.  I connect them together with a piece of black Velcro
(attached to the halter) at the top of my horse's head.  By connecting the
halter part to the bridle part it keeps the halter from sliding back on the
horse's neck.  I like this arrangement best because it is the simplest and I
have a stout halter on my horse at all times.

Hope this helps.

~Nora, Tucker & McKay
  Ocoee, FL