Sorry horse people--'nother question

[Ugly Cowboy]

I like to start all my colts with a D ring, and the one and only time I didnt was when I was breakin my first colt (I was just 10 at the time) and the colt shook his head hard and the bit pulled through and cut his mouth real nice, so I've used D ring ever since.

 

[Silkie Sue]

Hey Carolin,
Just to let you know I made it home.
By the way I know the pic looks like the tie down might be attached to the curb... but I assure you it is clipped to the halter.

 

[seminolewind]

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I couldn't find grazing shanks on a pelham bit. But I'm sure there could be alot of people out there that may refer to the first bit as a pelham. Maybe it's just a figure of speech. Who knows.

 

[patandchickens]

Shank style is basically independant of what KIND of bit it is. You can have swept-back shanks on a curb (which is what would most usually/traditionally be termed a 'grazing bit') but you can also have them on a pelham.

If it has ONLY leverage position for the rein (at the end of the shanks), with NO snaffle position for a second set of reins (or for ninnies to use as the only rein position), then it is a curb.

If it has TWO (or more) rein attachment points on each side, one being at the end of the shanks and one being a snaffle attachment, it is a pelham. The pictures Miss_theNorth and Seminolewind posted are both *pelhams*.

(And, for completeness, if it has only a snaffle attachment point, it is a snaffle. Mind, this classification leaves out things like gags and hackamores and suchlike)

(edited to add: and whether it is a snaffle or not-a-snaffle has nothing whatsoever to do with whether the mouthpiece is jointed, which is another misconception that floats around).

I don't care what some catalog says. People who write catalogs, including online store descriptions, do not necessarily know what they're talking about - like if you ask chicken advice from your average feedstore

Pat

 

[seminolewind]

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I really like your plan of training here. It shows that you really want things done the correct way. It's good to know people like you, cause you never know when you need some advice or feedback on a training problem. BTW, your little girl in your pics on the website is soooo precious!

 

[ninjapoodles]

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Awww, thanks. I wish I had a few more just like her, you know?

I'm no pro horse trainer, but I've worked for some big show barns, and I've seen all the "tricks" and gimmicks that are used to get young horses into the ring quickly, and then I got involved in dressage, and saw what real training could do, and the latter just seemed so much better to me. It takes longer, sure, but you wind up with a really neat horse underneath you. So many people want to skip the essential building blocks and go straight to "forcing" the finished frame. And people do it because it can be done--for a while. But, you know, when you START OUT with harsh bits, tie-downs, martingales, draw-reins, etc...that doesn't really leave you much wiggle-room when you have a problem, does it?

I'm not against training tools (though I really dislike draw-reins, because they keep the horse from developing good natural flexion at the poll and instead cause him to break over around the 4th vertebrae and carry himself behind the bit), but use them on a short-term basis, to work on a specific problem, then get back to basics.

A trainer I really respected once told me, "Belinda, training horses right isn't difficult. It's just monotonous."

 

[KierBri]

it's a tom thumb snaffle with a roller, not a pelham. it's a western bit meant to be used with one rein, a pelham is an english bit meant to be used with two reins. it's a curb, unlike its name suggests. the roller softens the bite of the broken mouth just a tad and discourages a young horse from putting their tongue over the bit, the grazing shanks are a tad less severe then straight ones. most western people think a tom thumb is milder than a ported bit, but actualy it's a double action bit that can put a viselike grip on the mouth. i personaly never would have started a baby in one. that said, if he likes it, leave it, i'm a huge believer in the ain't broke/don't fix it theory on bits. i have tons of bits, my favorite is whatever works on horse i'm sitting on. make sure it fits, width and thickness, and use what they like.

as far as riding goes, three hours is a very long time for a two year old. i would keep it 10-20 min, certainly under a half. there's a reason everyone is saying "baby". he's still growing, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and brain. he dosen't have the mental capacity to focus that long, he dosen't have the physical developement to carry you that long. he might be very well mannered about it, yet in a few months you're going to be wondering why he's slightly off one day, you might notice he's not so good natured anymore, or you might notice something sooner, bucked shins, hot knees....he'll get a sore back, and rightly associate that with riding, there goes the attitude. you wouldn't jump off a couch and run a marathon, don't expect him to. even just sitting on his back that long, he needs to slowly build those back muscles. baby's don't just need training, they need conditioning, slowly and continualy, and he'll still be going strong at 10 and 15.


edited to add: you should be NECK-REINING in this bit not direct reining, no pulling left and right, it's not designed for that. play with it out of his mouth to see what's going on in his mouth when you pull this way and that.

 

[seminolewind]

Belinda, I had alot of the same experiences. I fell in love with dressage, and worked with it for 15 years. Before that is was western, then hunters. Now days, I am kicking back and relaxing on my Tennessee Walker. She's sweet and responds immediately to everything. Just my type of horse, LOL. With gaited horses, the riding is a little different, but the basics and principles are still there, and still work!!!
You are absolutely right about seeing alot of people take shortcuts and ending up with shortchanged horses. It's a shame.

 

[seminolewind]

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KierBri, I totally agree that a broken mouth snaffle is a pretty harsh bit. I tried a bunch of bits with my current horse, and ended up with a bit she was comfortable with, and I could remain very soft handed with. I didn't care what it was, just that it worked for the both of us.

 

[ninjapoodles]

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I know SO MANY people who progress through riding styles to wind up on gaited horses. I haven't gotten there yet, but never say never!