Panda Bitless
Marty acquired a Dr. Cook's bitless bridle a couple years ago to use on Cinnamon and to try on Sunny. I am not sure if Sunny likes it, but Cinnamon seems to go well enough. My biggest complaint about the Dr. Cook's Bitless is the big rings at the end of the straps you connect the reins to. They have always felt clunky and unrefined. They put a weird weight in the middle of the rein, especially for Sunny and Cinnamon who have long, narrow heads. I have another cross-under bridle I am considering getting as well as a sidepull I would like to try . What is appealing about the linked design is the fact that there are no rings. They made one long continuous rein that just snaps in (my true preference would be a buckle attachment, but that could be remedied). This makes so much more sense to me as I imagine if the weird weight of the ring bothers me the horse has to feel it too. I think this might be part of Sunny's not-too-sure-ness about it.
The reason I am considering it is to help save my horse's mouths from beginner hands. They all use mild bits (I think all of them are in double-jointed snaffles actually), but I have a couple of students who tend to be a little snatchy and rough and I want to save them from that plus I am also curious how they might go in it.
Anyway! I borrowed Marty's bitless today to try on Panda. Since getting back she has been a little "eh" in the face. Chatham said she should be good on teeth until the Spring so I wonder if it is a combination of the time off and lack of consistency. I just know she's gone better and since Marty has the bridle I figured why not give it a shot
I bent her around a couple times on the ground to show her how the pressure works before getting on. She was a little weirded out to start, especially going right, but she figured it out pretty quick. I had a working student around so I asked her to shoot some video.
Olivia stood on the mounting block to take it, which explains the little bobble when she wasn't paying so much attention to where her feet were. Panda wasn't sure about the wild person on the mounting block, which is kindof obvious in the video, but she also got over herself fairly quickly.
Note: Panda is cone proof. Something I established when she was younger and freaked out about my picking up cones. The lesson stuck quite well apparently! I haven't done that to her in years (which explains the initial hand on the rein).
I am going to try Marty's bridle on the rest of the herd this week and then maybe stash a little away to pick up a bitless bridle. They seem to have a lot of adjustability and without a bit you don't have to worry so much about spit germs or bit sizes. I didn't have to adjust it at all going from Cinnamon to Panda. The reins felt a little better with Panda as her face took up more of the straps. Maybe I need to adjust them shorter for Cinnamon and Sunny.
So curiosity satisfied: Panda can be ridden bitless and well. She's a bit stiffer right than left, but that's her stiff side anyway. I might just play with her more in it and see what happens.
In addition: the new post and rail on the East side is DONE and they are working on chopping down and tearing out the old fence (which was as crooked as all get out).
The reason I am considering it is to help save my horse's mouths from beginner hands. They all use mild bits (I think all of them are in double-jointed snaffles actually), but I have a couple of students who tend to be a little snatchy and rough and I want to save them from that plus I am also curious how they might go in it.
Anyway! I borrowed Marty's bitless today to try on Panda. Since getting back she has been a little "eh" in the face. Chatham said she should be good on teeth until the Spring so I wonder if it is a combination of the time off and lack of consistency. I just know she's gone better and since Marty has the bridle I figured why not give it a shot
I bent her around a couple times on the ground to show her how the pressure works before getting on. She was a little weirded out to start, especially going right, but she figured it out pretty quick. I had a working student around so I asked her to shoot some video.
Click to viewOlivia stood on the mounting block to take it, which explains the little bobble when she wasn't paying so much attention to where her feet were. Panda wasn't sure about the wild person on the mounting block, which is kindof obvious in the video, but she also got over herself fairly quickly.
Note: Panda is cone proof. Something I established when she was younger and freaked out about my picking up cones. The lesson stuck quite well apparently! I haven't done that to her in years (which explains the initial hand on the rein).
I am going to try Marty's bridle on the rest of the herd this week and then maybe stash a little away to pick up a bitless bridle. They seem to have a lot of adjustability and without a bit you don't have to worry so much about spit germs or bit sizes. I didn't have to adjust it at all going from Cinnamon to Panda. The reins felt a little better with Panda as her face took up more of the straps. Maybe I need to adjust them shorter for Cinnamon and Sunny.
So curiosity satisfied: Panda can be ridden bitless and well. She's a bit stiffer right than left, but that's her stiff side anyway. I might just play with her more in it and see what happens.
In addition: the new post and rail on the East side is DONE and they are working on chopping down and tearing out the old fence (which was as crooked as all get out).