Monthly Archives: March 2012

I continue to be astonished at the differences between Mocha in the snaffle using the English strap goods/saddle and the Western strap goods/saddle.  Once again today, I had a really good session that was nothing at all like the sessions we’ve had in the Collegiate, and I don’t think it’s all the saddle.

To wit: while today she was stiff (in heat, not wanting to bend well on the right rein), all the same she was soft, maintaining a steady contact that is nothing at all like the contact we had in English, and elevated. Now some of the time I thought she was trying to emulate those Saddlebreds again, but really….

But I don’t think it’s all the saddle.  To some extent, I think it’s the lack of the second noseband (the one on the English headstall never fit her that well).  The Western dropped noseband is lower, goes over the bit and headstall, and allows her to move her jaw a little bit better.  I also think it is those 1″ seven foot latigo leather reins.  There’s a little bit more weight to them, because of the way they connect to the bit they hang more like her romal rein on the curb, and I find that it’s actually a much more secure grip than the web reins.

Whatever it is, so far she takes up the contact differently from the English strap goods.  There’s more relaxation–and, as a result, better movement.

Today, G coached us while giving a lesson.  He commented several times on how nice her lope was (well, it was…much better than her trot today).  It is more relaxed, more elevated, and I’m able to bend her and flex her better.  I’m also finding my best position ever, and half halts?  Oh baby, let me tell you about half halts, I can still feel them in my abs.

I also feel bad because it’s clear the curb has been pinching her for a few weeks.  Not long–I’d like to think I’d have noticed that wiggling in the port–but long enough.  It’s going to take a little while to get a replacement, and I may talk to G about borrowing his mullen mouth curb to see how she goes in it.  We shall see.

All in all, a nice riding day.  Probably the best part of my spring break.

Sigh.  Enough horse post, must get back to household chores and education article.  Sigh.

I really, really like using the KK Ultra with the Western headstall, dropped noseband and latigo reins.  The headstall is sturdier leather (also latigo leather) and of a better quality than the English headstall, and the latigo leather splits make me keep my hands upright rather than sneak into puppy dog paws or twist them around or whatever the heck else I keep wanting to do instead of keeping them in a correct snaffle rein position.  Interestingly, too, I feel like I was getting a better quality of schooling today in the Western saddle than I have in snaffle work of late in the English saddle.  Just easier to sit more upright and sink my heels down hard.

I suppose that means if I ever get another English saddle I should be looking at dressage saddles instead, or a medium tree rather than a wide tree.  As it were, I found myself using my core more effectively and doing more without that bracing feeling we had the last time I did snaffle, in English.  Lots more half-halts.  Lots more support from the saddle itself.  The Crates does have that little sweet spot that you can lock into which is similar but not quite the same as a dressage saddle thigh block.

And we won’t talk about how much more effective it is to go two-handed in a snaffle rather than a curb.  Oh hey, I guess we are.  Even with a correction curb, it’s not the same, and I’m always backing off because, well, hey, it’s a curb.  But there’s not that same feel that I had in the single-jointed snaffle, either.  With the KK I can pick her up a little bit more effectively and she’s not getting pissy about the joint bumping her in the mouth, either.

I have this sneaking hunch that the Collegiate was grabbing her in the shoulders whenever I started half-halting/working from my core/lower back, especially at the trot and canter, because now her reaction is totally different from when I was doing this in the Collegiate and the KK.  Instead of getting pissy or backing off, she’s rounding up, taking herself forward–and the withers are coming up.  I’m getting a stronger, more elevated trot and a rounder collected canter without the fits and starts and stalling out.

Plus much more effective two-track work at the trot.

So interesting work.  We’ll see where it goes from here.

Mocha loves to be groomed.  It’s part of her whole Princess Pony persona.  After a good hard workout, her clear idea of a perfect post-ride primping is a good, solid roll in the arena followed by a thorough brushing.

She’s one of those horses who makes a science out of rolling.  Never rolls all the way over but once, but that’s after she’s thoroughly scratched and itched everything on that one side, which means several half-rolls.  If she can do it in soft arena dirt then she’ll work her face over and over until she’s satisfied.  Footing is a big deal.  She won’t roll if the ground is frozen and hard, and she’s a lot less enthusiastic about rolling on a firm surface.  After the roll, she stands by the gate with a relaxed, blissful expression on her face; eyes, ears and lips relaxed.  But that’s just the beginning of the post-ride groom.

On hot days, she gets less grooming and a solid rinse instead.  She clearly likes doing that and at liberty will turn right into the wash stall without being prompted.  On cold days, as I progress through the ritual of soft curry, stiff brush, soft brush, she’ll relax and drop her head, leaning into the brush a little bit when I hit an itchy spot.  During shedding season, like right now, I’ll lead out with the shedding blade and that gets the blissed-out, relaxed mare right away.

Last night she was funny about it.  We’d had a good work, including a long session with a very nice working trot.  Not at all Western, think of it as a good seated trot in dressage, only with Western curb and saddle.  No jog about it at all, but she was round, elevated, and soft.  Just…faster than will get you pinned in any Western rail class. I had to sit up, breathe deep, tighten my abs and soften my back to follow and sustain this big, energetic trot as a sitting trot.  But it was definitely different from posting trot as well as Western jog.  The more I softened my back and sat up and back, the bigger and more elevated she got.

(I am thinking about selling my English saddle because I am now consistently getting good elevation in the Western saddle.  But that’s another post)

Anyway, it was a long, conditioning work rather than any pattern work.  She came out cool with only the slightest bit of wetness after.  So she had a good roll, and then I got to work on the winter coat with the shedding blade.  I got the equivalent of a Standard Rex in hair off of her, and she was relaxed and drowsy before I was even done with the shedding blade.  A bit of precise scritching with the stiff brush under her mane earned an appreciative lean into the brush with happy horse nose wiggles while I addressed the itch.

A good night, both under saddle and grooming.  More food for thought about where I’m going with tack and riding.  Simplifying sounds pretty good.