Talk to Me of Bits

Thanks for the welcome back and the good wishes!

I've made you a thank you gift. Free word vomit for everyone!!! (You're welcome, aren't I the best?)

For the tl;dr crowd (or anyone halfway sane): 

I want to try a new bit on my pony. It needs to be dressage legal. The problem is an aversion to/hiding behind the contact. Not stopping power, we have tons of that. We can nix plain eggbutt snaffles and loose ring french links. Anything else is fair game. I'd love to hear suggestions or comments on what is working for you.

bonus gift of pony mare side eye

 For the more...detail oriented...:


Regarding the riding recap, a  few of you mentioned trying out a new bit might not be such a bad idea. Honestly, I sort of put that thought on hold a while ago because I tried a new bit and my coach (who rides B now and then) immediately commented she really liked her in it. It's a loose ring french link I put on her dressage bridle (and meant to remove, lol). Obviously, that wasn't the feedback I was expecting, because I actually didn't find her better at all in it. I actually still find her slightly easier in the eggbutt snaffle I have on my jump bridle.

II'm trying to turn over a new leaf and have more media for this blog. This is what happens when you expect barn cats to pose for last minute cute pics. More practice is required  - my iPhone is for photos, not a target for attack.

Better. Good kitty.

I thought on that and chalked it up to me needing to ride better...my suspicion being my hands are not as steady as my coach's and with the loose ring that translated to being noisier than B would prefer. I do have a solid position and seat, so my hands are independent and actually fairly good, but I do not have the finesse EC has. I feel like this new added focus on keeping my hands very still is having the undesired side effect of making me a bit tight in my shoulders. Not good, either, because we've gone from maybe being slightly 'noisy' to not giving enough. We're talking really minor changes here, but it's B. Despite her laziness, she's very sensitive and fussy. I'm sure partly that's just how she is, but partly it's probably I am her main rider so we've had plenty of time to annoy each other. Like in any long term relationship, seemingly minor issues in communication can have quite dramatic results if given enough time to fester :)

A quiet forest scene to make up for the communication breakdown drama. breathe in....breathe out.
Actually, I was out walking last weekend and a bear ran across my path in this very spot.  I took this pic as kind of a CSI hint should they find my phone and not my body. But don't let that bother you. And, relaaaaxxx....

Long story slightly shorter, my coach is away for a month, so my schedule is temporarily more flexible and I have time to try out some new bits without worrying about paying for a non productive lesson due to bit change shenanigans. It's all well and fine for me to learn to ride better, (and spending time and focus on that is never something I'll regret doing) but maybe I am looking at this wrong and there is a bit that works for both of us, as we are now. Maybe it is simply an issue we need to work through and it's not about the bit so much as the riding and training. This evading contact thing has been an ongoing since I bought her (Seriously, when I bought her they told me she didn't go in a bridle...and yet, she had driving experience. Also, zero issues with the actual bridling and wearing of, tons of issues with any rein contact. I suspect there's a story there) So, although the improvement in general has been  huge, we've hit a wall the past few months and it can't hurt to try new things.

Wheww, hopefully I didn't scare you all away. Overthink it much? LOL

This barn kitty is actually young and friendly, but his grumpy old man face is on point, and seems an appropriate reaction to my epic wordiness on bits.

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