I have been thinking a lot about bits recently. I have always been inclined to ride a horse in a loose ring french link is possible. Then I took Clover down to Bluehorse in Cornwall for schooling in December and they tried him in a double and he went from chucking his head around in his horribly expensive KK to completely still and apparently much happier. This was interesting. Since then I have played about alternating between the two and I am totally convinced that he actually really doesn't like the snaffle at all.
Then Xaile arrived. He had been being schooled in a double. The weymouth was iron and the bridoon was steel. The weymouth (again seriously scarily expensive) was actually a bit long for him and both bits were quite thick. I wouldn't have said that he was obviously uncomfortable, but I find it hard to believe that it was comfy for him. He also came with a Portuguese pelham. So I tried him in that and he was instantly more comfortable and stiller in his head. So we've been schooling in that for the past month. Anyway with last Monday's show coming up I realised that I had to have an English bridle that he was happy in so I bought him a double bridle and a finer pair of bits. Life some how got really busy and I didn't get round to putting the bridle together till Friday. I was in the tack room putting the bridle together and making a total mess of it when the dressage trainer (trained in Germany) at our yard came in and said that in his opinion Xaile was too young to be ridden in a double and suggested that I try him in a snaffle first. Well I thought about it and thought that for the class we were planning to do (Novice Rider) a snaffle would probably be a bit better anyway. So I put a NS french link on instead. He started off a bit giraffe like but settled to it really nicely- in fact I think he was softer and less tucked back in it. However he was a bit spooky which isn't like him at all. I put that down to there being a JCB a couple of fields away but still in retrospect that wouldn't normally have bothered him. The next day we went for a lesson with Freddie (see Sunday's entry). He was horrified to see I'd put Xaile in a snaffle. Xaile behaved awfully- incredibly spooky and quite wild, which is not like him at all. Freddie let me carry on trying with the snaffle for about 1/2 hour before insisting we tried him in a double. I was convinced that it wouldn't make a difference. However the change couldn't have been quicker or more amazing. My normal Xaile returned. Immediately. It was really strange. I think the snaffle had been making him feel really insecure for some reason. So obviously on Monday we went in the double for the English tack class and he went quite nicely! Now this leads to my questions. I've been wondering if there is any point in taking the time to get him used to the snaffle and feeling secure in it. Or whether we should just start our dressage at Elementary. Also what are the advantages and disadvantages of snaffles/ pelhams/and doubles. I feel there is a lot I need to learn about this.
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well, i've nothing more to add. but thinking about it, I might be inclined to start again with a snaffle....and some flexions (go read Di's blog, and trudi's, and some Racinet...)
ReplyDeletei had a lovely time getting a bit molly would go in, it is a bit of a nightmare (pun intended, of course, albeit accidentally, LOL)
actually, thinking about what i said about online video, it might be worth looking again at the video yourself whilst not online, thus avoiding the propensity for online stuff to speed things up..