*Sez*
21st Sep 2007, 10:07 AM
This is Salsa and I just over a year ago (July 2006).
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/Gothic_Sez/Kirkleatham%20Show%20July%2006/DSCF0012.jpg
His position was one that he adopted all the time when ridden without a harbridge and flash noseband. Actually, looking again, his nose is actually not level with his ears :rolleyes:, which was another favourite.
After he ran away with me in April 2006 and the subsequent advice that I should "have him shot" :mad:, my RI suggested that I swap his running martingale for the harbridge and pop a flash noseband on him. I'm not keen on gadgets, but for my own safety and confidence felt that it was probably for the best. At the time, he was also put on a calmer, as he developed a tendancy to get "over excited" when we trotted, set his jaw and try to run away, generally dumping me on the floor in the process.
After more than a year of sorting out his bad back, physiotherapy, saddle fittings, a new saddle, working on his topline and balance, finding new ways to get him to listen, working on my own confidence so that I didn't panic when we cantered, I lent the harbridge to a friend and put Salsa back in the running martingale and stopped his calmer.
Last night, I decided to take all his gadgets off and see how it went :eek:(am obviously a lot braver than I was twelve months ago!). It was dark, it was windy and drizzling, and Sal had been stabled 24/7 for several days waiting for the farrier to come and sort his foot out (lost shoe equals footsore horse!). All of that really does add up to certain death...
He was an angel! :D
Will have a go at getting some photos tonight (tried to get one on OH’s mobile, but all we have is a very blurry arty shot which may or may not be a horse!). He was relaxed and calm, we had a bit of walk and trot (took it easy due to most of a week off), and I was stunned to find that he was much more accepting of the bit, flexed at the poll (only a little, but enough for me to beam for the rest of the evening), and only poked his nose in the air to eyeball a tractor with flashing lights that trundled out of the darkness.
So it just goes to show - with a bit of time, even a horse labled "psychotic" :rolleyes: can turn into a gadget-free zone :D
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y228/Gothic_Sez/Kirkleatham%20Show%20July%2006/DSCF0012.jpg
His position was one that he adopted all the time when ridden without a harbridge and flash noseband. Actually, looking again, his nose is actually not level with his ears :rolleyes:, which was another favourite.
After he ran away with me in April 2006 and the subsequent advice that I should "have him shot" :mad:, my RI suggested that I swap his running martingale for the harbridge and pop a flash noseband on him. I'm not keen on gadgets, but for my own safety and confidence felt that it was probably for the best. At the time, he was also put on a calmer, as he developed a tendancy to get "over excited" when we trotted, set his jaw and try to run away, generally dumping me on the floor in the process.
After more than a year of sorting out his bad back, physiotherapy, saddle fittings, a new saddle, working on his topline and balance, finding new ways to get him to listen, working on my own confidence so that I didn't panic when we cantered, I lent the harbridge to a friend and put Salsa back in the running martingale and stopped his calmer.
Last night, I decided to take all his gadgets off and see how it went :eek:(am obviously a lot braver than I was twelve months ago!). It was dark, it was windy and drizzling, and Sal had been stabled 24/7 for several days waiting for the farrier to come and sort his foot out (lost shoe equals footsore horse!). All of that really does add up to certain death...
He was an angel! :D
Will have a go at getting some photos tonight (tried to get one on OH’s mobile, but all we have is a very blurry arty shot which may or may not be a horse!). He was relaxed and calm, we had a bit of walk and trot (took it easy due to most of a week off), and I was stunned to find that he was much more accepting of the bit, flexed at the poll (only a little, but enough for me to beam for the rest of the evening), and only poked his nose in the air to eyeball a tractor with flashing lights that trundled out of the darkness.
So it just goes to show - with a bit of time, even a horse labled "psychotic" :rolleyes: can turn into a gadget-free zone :D