I often go through books about different horse breeds and I always read about breeds that seem really cool but that I have never had the opportunity to see in real life or to have much contact with. I thought I would share that short list with you guys.
1. The Fjord Horse:
I have always dreamt of owning one, but I would certainly settle for being able to see one in person!
2. The Bashkir Curly
I found a rider bucket list on Horse Channel and I thought it would be fun for me to check the ones that I have done. I encourage you all to do the same; I feel like it would be a great way to get to know my readers! Check out the article her: http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-community/riders-bucket-list.aspx
[] Gallop on the beach.
[X] Win a blue ribbon, even if it’s for the egg and spoon race!
[X] Enjoy an evening of equestrian theater, from major touring productions such as Cavalia to local performance troupes.
[] Try your hand at cattle work. Find out what it means when they say a horse is “cowy.”
[X] Jump! From crossrails to cross-country obstacles, experience the thrill of soaring over fences.
[X] Fall off and get right back on again.
[] See the majestic white Lipizzan stallions at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
[] Come to a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse.
[] Take a lesson with your equestrian idol, _________ (you fill in the blank.)
[] Nurse a horse through a crisis and back to full health.
[] Experience the smooth ride of a gaited horse.
[] Watch the horses come through the Head of the Lake on cross-country day at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.
[X] Have the courage to do the right thing for your horse, even when it’s not easy.
[] Attend the Kentucky Derby dressed to the nines—including hat!
[X] Tackle a trail accessible only by horseback and enjoy the view.
[] Take your dream vacation on horseback.
[working on it ;P] Master the sitting trot.
[X] Ride a fine-tuned horse in your discipline of choice, be it dressage schoolmaster or barrel champ.
[] Watch polo. Even better, try your hand at it!
[X] Feed, muck, groom, ride. Repeat daily.
[] Wake up to a whinny every morning.
[] Fly down the track on a Thoroughbred.
[] Meet one of your favorite famous horses in person.
[bareback] Ride bareback, bridleless … or both!
[]Share a bond with your horse that’s deeper than words.
Well, 9 out of 25… not bad considering that I’ve been riding for a short 3 years! It would be cool if you guys checked out the Horse Channel post too so that I can see what my readers are up to.
Today I had a lesson with, I guess you could call her, my coach’s coach. It was incredible! We worked on getting Coco to really reach under and cross- over herself at the leg-yield; boy did we get some nice steps! Within the first 15 minutes I felt as if I was riding a completely different horse! We then proceeded to work on shoulder-in, something we’ve been struggling with for probably a year now. We started doing it at just the walk and then at the trot and we actually got it! We’re hoping to book another lesson with her on Wednesday; I can’t wait!
I deeply apologize for my overload of poorly written and unedited posts, but I am down to crunch time in my writer’s craft class for school; I need to have 50 posts done by Friday and I am only at 45! In the next two weeks I plan on going back to edit and polish my posts, so hang in there my dear readers! Anyone else in high school being rushed to finish their projects for exams? I feel your pain, I also have 4 french projects to do, math to study for and an art project all to be handed in at the end of next week! To say that I am looking forward to summer is an understatement! Can’t wait to get more riding time in.
The headpiece used to control a horse, bridle can vary between disciplines but here are the basic skeletons of bridles.
English Bridles
The Snaffle
The snaffle is very simple as it consists one bit and one set of rains; the english snaffle is used in many english disciplines, most commonly the hunter ring. It can be used with many different types of bits such as the snaffle bit, kimberwicks, etc.
The Pelham
The pelham bridle is used in english disciplines, it has one bit and two sets of reins. The bit used is a cross between a curb bit and a snaffle bit and has double rings on each side to attach the two sets of reins. The pelham bit is popular for cross- country, eventing and polo riders.
The Weymouth
The weymouth bridle has two bits as well as two sets of reins, it is also reffered to as the double bridle or the full bridle. The first bit is called a bradoon (similar to the snaffle bit) and the second bit is a curb bit. This type of bridle is common in the upper levels of dressage and should only be used by truly experienced rider. In the right hands it enhances the training of the horse but in the wrong hands it can cause lots of damage.
Western Bridles
Common Western Bridle
This bridle is pretty straight-forward with a basic headstall, throatlatch and one bit. Snaffle and curb bits are both acceptable but the curb bit is more common. It can also be used with closed or split reins. Can be used for pleasure or showing.
The One Ear/Split Ear Bridle
Similar to the common bridle with the same use, the one eared bridle has a split leather strap that sits around the ear instead of one that goes around the back of the ears. They can be made for simple pleasure and trail riding but can be quite spiffy with elaborate leather detailing and silver.
Hackamore
The hackamore is a bridle with no bit that controls the horse by the nose (also used in the english discipline). The most common hackamore has a bosal that wraps around the horses nose with reins tied under it.
Braiding a horses’ mane for competition can be confusing when you don’t know what braids are acceptable, here’s a list of some common braids used for certain disciplines:
The Hunter Braid
The most commonly braid seen in the hunter ring.
Used to accentuate the hunter’s hindquarters. It creates a sense of elegance and makes the horse seem more put together.
Show Jumping
Braiding for the show jumping ring is completely optional, when braided, the horse and rider have a much more polished look.
when the show jumper is braided you will typically see button braids like these:
Dressage Braids
Button braids are also very common in dressage as are braids with white tape.
1. Jointed Mouthpiece The jointed mouth pieces have a nutcracker effect and lay over the horses’ mouth. Examples of jointed mouthpieces are the egg butt snaffle, full cheek snaffle and the d ring snaffle.
2. French Link Mouthpiece The french link mouthpieces have a little oval shaped link in the middle that joins another two links. The french link is thought to be milder and easier for the horse to carry than a regular jointed mouthpiece.
3. Rollers Rollers can be made from sopper or stianless steel. The function of the roller is to encourage salivation and to prevent the horse from leaning on the bit; rollers increase slightly increase the severity of the bit.
4. Doc Bristol The doc bristol looks similar to a french link but the egg shape in the middle is bigger and has a slight angle to it. This adds more pressure when the reins are pulled, making it more severe than the french link.
5. Ball Link Mouthpieces The ball link mouthpiece is similar to both the french link and the doc bristol, it is more severe than the french link because of the added pressure but is less severe than the doc bristol because of its lessened nutcracker effect.
6. Wire Bit Mouthpieces Wire bit mouthpieces are very thin causing it to concentrate on a small part of the tongue , mouth and lips. Wire bit mouthpieces are very severe and some believe them to be cruel.
These are just some the bits that exist, I would consult your coach or trainer before making the decision to use a different type of bit.
I have only been riding for three short years but there are many horses that have left an impact on me and who have taught me alot. First, there is Gator, a canadian sport horse cross, I learnt many things on Gator. He was the first horse I had lessons on; I mastered learning my diagonals on him, I learnt to canter for the first time on him and I learnt how to get a horse on the bit. Gator was a very patient teacher, he put up with a lot and always kept his cool; he reminded me of a giant puppy dog. Then there was Zoey, a skinny, little grey quarter horse, who looked more like a thouroughbred. Zoey was an extremely forward mare and it took lots of time and energy to get used to this and to slow her down. This mare had the biggest heart and I wish that I had, had more time with her but everything happens for a reason I guess. I taught her how to jump and we were doing great but unfortunately her owner made the decision to sell her. Shortly after Zoey was sold I began riding Coco, and let me tell you we did not have a good start. She’s quite the spitfire and for the first little while that I rode her she would take off every single time I went to pick up the canter; it was terrifying. With lots of groundwork and trust building, we have gotten to the point where she freaks out a lot less and we have learnt tons from each other. She certainly frustrates me a loot but I wouldn’t be half the rider I was today if she hadn’t of made an appearance in my life.
Glued to the window on road trips just hoping to see horses,
We beg for lessons every day.
One day we meet our first pony,
a Welsh pony named Sporty or Jelly Bean.
From that moment on, we’re hooked.
Sparkly and neon tack, is amazing. (until we turn ten and it becomes tacky)
Learning to ride and making lots of little friends.
Our first fun show is a blast,
to our parents dismay we want to show.
Early morning road trips,
Red and blue ribbons become an addiction.
We’re given our first pony,
who we treat like royalty.
In our teenage years, horses become our escape,
There’s nothing better than an equine friend.
Forever we will be ”horse crazy”.
ridingisflying 