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Post by vikki85 on Oct 19, 2012 7:14:52 GMT
Can totally see why they'd be recommended for Xc and hunting etc or for a child as handy neck strap. Sarahp, your story made me chuckle!
Going back to Waterford mouthpieces - aren't these completely pointless on bits such as Pelhams as they negate the action of the bit?
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Post by watchbank on Oct 19, 2012 9:17:59 GMT
A lady who kept her horse at my farm had bought a waterford for her horse that had previously been ridden in a plain sweet iron snaffle and because he was a bit a strong she was told to try these, and i said it would be a good idea but she did it anyway and horse went fine for all of 5 minutes as soon as she pulled up he ran backwards and went straight up in the air.. so to all those who say its quite mild, obviously that horse thinks not and neither does the 4 year old i saw.. how does a person whos never had it in their mouths know how it feels.. they dont
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Post by watchbank on Oct 19, 2012 9:20:01 GMT
Can totally see why they'd be recommended for Xc and hunting etc or for a child as handy neck strap. Sarahp, your story made me chuckle! Going back to Waterford mouthpieces - aren't these completely pointless on bits such as Pelhams as they negate the action of the bit? Vikki i have used a martingale on Ria but dont bother so much now, and i have a fresian x and she has a very high head carriage, sometimes i cant see over her head lol so i use a martingale on her and it just encourages her not to be so pokey x
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Post by vikki85 on Oct 19, 2012 9:52:17 GMT
Can totally see why they'd be recommended for Xc and hunting etc or for a child as handy neck strap. Sarahp, your story made me chuckle! Going back to Waterford mouthpieces - aren't these completely pointless on bits such as Pelhams as they negate the action of the bit? Vikki i have used a martingale on Ria but dont bother so much now, and i have a fresian x and she has a very high head carriage, sometimes i cant see over her head lol so i use a martingale on her and it just encourages her not to be so pokey x I can comletely see why you'd use a martingale in that situation. Just like to clarify that it's not that I disagree with martingales, they've obviously got their uses and everyone that's posted on here obviously uses them for a good, valid reason - it just seems to me that they seem to be a standard piece of equipment on most jumping horses/ponies these days whether they are required or not.
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Post by nici on Oct 19, 2012 10:11:39 GMT
I'm sure the obsession with a "pretty outline" in showing is to blame for the current profusion of harsh and / or complicated bits in widespread use. Never mind that so many ponies are backing off their bridles, some of them very overbent, and very few working with the poll as the highest point of their neck. As long as you can "get their head in" that seems to be all that matters.
I'm very old fashioned, and I'm not really involved in showing to any extent above local fun shows, but I prefer to see ponies, especially kids' ponies, ridden happily and safely in nice simple snaffles. I know our ponies don't go in a pretty outline most of the time with my little jockeys. Cerys is starting to get the hang of riding with a consistent contact, and the ponies are starting to respond, however my second jockey always rides with washing lines, and the ponies poke their noses accordingly. But you know what - the kids can take the ponies safely anywhere and everywhere in their little snaffle bridles with no gadgets. They can take them to the beach or a big stubble field for a gallop, they can take them over jumps, they can ride them under washing lines or over tarpaulines on a handy pony course. And that is worth a million pretty outlines to me.
We are working on the pretty outline - but with no short cuts, just by improving the kids' riding and the ponies' way of going, with the help of our instructor. Through this winter I'm hoping to take them out to some dressage, where they will be able to measure their progress, and set some goals. I'm hoping that will give the girls some real impetus, and may hopefully pay off if we make it to any shows next season. Our ponies won't be the ones you see with their heads fixed on or slightly behind the vertical, but will hopefully be the ones working sweetly and safely for their little jockeys in a soft outline, at least in walk and trot.
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Post by emma3870 on Oct 19, 2012 10:20:05 GMT
Pleased to say that my 12 year olds pony is ridden in a loose ring snaffle with a plain noseband, no martingale or anything. Pony is 6 and came to us well schooled by her owners. She goes to pc, hunter trials and hunting like this as well. She can be strong at times but she will stop and Soph knows that. Soph is tall for her age but not that strong
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Post by jessandoscar on Oct 19, 2012 11:04:47 GMT
I use a martingale on my welsh cob, hes only recently been gelded and still thinks hes a stallion so tends to throw a tantrum when he doesn't get his own way.. this usually consists of pinning his nose to his chest, shaking his crest then going up and launching and landing on his back legs before galloping off or spinning 360 (in true Lipizzaner stallion style haha) so i use a martingale so i can hook a finger under it when he does this as he has a very sensitive mouth so i cannot catch him in it..
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Post by watchbank on Oct 19, 2012 11:41:10 GMT
When i was kid, my section a and riding pony carried both there heads in the correct position due to correct schooling and both had a plain snaffle in and nothing else!
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dazycutter
Happy to help
The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his Tongue.
Posts: 7,933
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Post by dazycutter on Oct 19, 2012 17:48:09 GMT
I have said it before and will again.. no such thing as a bad bit, just bad hands...
Much better for the horse to have a sharper bit in and gentle hands than some numpty yanking on them in a soft bit
over the years I have put all sorts of contraptions in my ex race horse's mouth to find one that suits him. Different bits have different actions and the lack of experience comes from not knowing how they work.
I have used gags to stop getting totally peeed off with out hunting, myler combination bits to go X country and he can still work beuatifuly in a snaffle.
The issue is not the bit, its the idiots who use them
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Post by lilliella1 on Oct 19, 2012 21:06:00 GMT
Well said Dazycutter any bit in the wrong hands is a bad bit. I detest seeing children hauling ponies in the mouth as they are a "snaffle mouth" when clearly they are too strong for the bit in their mouth or have not been schooled in the correct way.
Good schooling, a good instructor, soft hands and an understanding of your horse/pony gets the best results.
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