# Haven't been on in a while



## BannerBrat (Jun 30, 2011)

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I'd share some pictures of my boy, he's out of shape and been out of work since winter. Been getting back to just having fun with some new found free time after getting my hours cut at work.






If you click this you should be able to see them,

Pictures

Any critism is welcome, messing around with bits/curb/collection and the such lately.


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 1, 2011)

Banner's so cute- he's always been one of my favorites! What inspired the roached mane?

Looks like right now you're going to need to spend quite a bit of time doing transitions and getting him back in shape so he can get his hind end under him again. Don't worry about his head for now, ride the hindquarters and the head will come.

I'd also consider lowering your shafts just a notch. Maybe it's the green (have I seen that cart before?) but they appear a bit too high.

Thanks for posting, Ashley! We've missed you.

Leia


----------



## ThreeCFarm (Jul 1, 2011)

There he is! I haven't seen him in a long time. I've always been a Banner fan!


----------



## rabbitsfizz (Jul 2, 2011)

He really loves it, doesn't he?

Yay for the open bridle, btw...

Is the breeching just a tiny wee bit too high?

What bit have you on him, is there a reason for not using a noseband (I just think it "finishes" the look of the head, it does nothing, of course, just looks pretty!)


----------



## shorthorsemom (Jul 2, 2011)

I like his looks. Is he white or cream.

My boy goes in an open bridle.


----------



## BannerBrat (Jul 2, 2011)

hobbyhorse23 said:


> Banner's so cute- he's always been one of my favorites! What inspired the roached mane?
> 
> Looks like right now you're going to need to spend quite a bit of time doing transitions and getting him back in shape so he can get his hind end under him again. Don't worry about his head for now, ride the hindquarters and the head will come.
> 
> ...


Hi Leia, I roached his mane because he has such a thick one. The only thing he doesn't like is when it's freshly done the bugs bite him there. I like the roached look. 

I probably should lower the shafts, but the cart is balanced at that height. I gotta adjust the seat and haven't gotten that far yet.

I'm not worried about his head as much as i'm using the curb to encourage him to flex at the poll. He has a tendency to brace an i'm finding the curb is helping him learn not to brace. Considering he literally done nothing all winter and spring he keeps himself in good conition, LOL. Thanks for your comments Leia!



ThreeCFarm said:


> There he is! I haven't seen him in a long time. I've always been a Banner fan!


Thanks Stephanie! 



rabbitsfizz said:


> He really loves it, doesn't he?
> 
> Yay for the open bridle, btw...
> 
> ...


Hi Jane,

Yes he sure does love to work!

Lol, he and I prefers an open bridle and since I doubt we'll be leaving home this year he's more than happy to stay in it.

Hmm, I'm not sure on the britching? (Leia?) I raised it before I drove. He seemed more comfortable in it.

He's in a straight bar liverpool right now on the first slot, not exactly what I want but he's trying and I'm trying so we'll leave it for now. And I usually don't drive with a noseband unless i have blinders on just because it's one more strap to do up, LOL. and also I wanted to leave him free to do whatever with his mouth so I could see how the bit was working.


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 2, 2011)

BannerBrat said:


> I'm not worried about his head as much as i'm using the curb to encourage him to flex at the poll. He has a tendency to brace an i'm finding the curb is helping him learn not to brace. Considering he literally done nothing all winter and spring he keeps himself in good conition, LOL.


Yes, he's kept himself quite nice!



I know it takes them some time to remember how to get their quarters under them when they return to work so I didn't mean to sound picky but that's going to be his biggest thing. Go ahead and do lots of suppling and bending exercises for the front end, especially in-hand, but get that butt under him again or all you're going to get is a horse with a nice headset and a trailing rear...which is what you have now.



I wrote and deleted something about getting his energy up first and then channeling it into roundness through that curb bit but the more I think about it, the more I think you're doing the right thing for Banner. This will give you the opportunity to work him long-and-low which will really help him learn to stretch into his topline and connect his hindquarters. He's never really wanted to do that because he was always bracing on your hands. Encourage him to stretch down at every opportunity even if it means reaching for grass (just push him on so he can't actually get any!



) and do a lot of shortenings and lengthenings.

Banner is such a gorgeous, well-built horse. He could be AMAZING if he ever learns how to use himself!







BannerBrat said:


> Hmm, I'm not sure on the britching? (Leia?) I raised it before I drove. He seemed more comfortable in it.


I'll have to look this evening, I can't see the pictures at work.



BannerBrat said:


> He's in a straight bar liverpool right now on the first slot, not exactly what I want but he's trying and I'm trying so we'll leave it for now.


This actually sounds like a very good bit choice for him. As you said, he has a tendency to brace and he's always been reluctant to bend at the poll and that's exactly the kind of horse I'd use that sort of bit for. It gives him steady support but the curb and poll pressure remind him to yield and follow the bit down as he should.



BannerBrat said:


> And I usually don't drive with a noseband unless i have blinders on just because it's one more strap to do up, LOL. and also I wanted to leave him free to do whatever with his mouth so I could see how the bit was working.












I ditto the "one less strap" thing, btw.



Kody HATES the blinker bridle with a passion not because of the blinders themselves but because of the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped within such a stiff framework. We use a simple headstall over a halter most times now, just a crownpiece, tight throatlatch and the bit. On the one hand it could certainly be pulled over his ears easily, but on the other he doesn't TRY to rub that off like he does the blinker bridle!



I put a browband and caveson back on it for a competition this spring and he made his annoyance plain.





Leia

Edited to add: BTW, I love your signature line about patience! Too funny.


----------



## BannerBrat (Jul 2, 2011)

shorthorsemom said:


> I like his looks. Is he white or cream.
> 
> My boy goes in an open bridle.


Hi Shorthorsemom,

I believe he's cremello. Though I suppose he could be smokey cream or perlino. Never had him tested, never a need to. And thank you. 



hobbyhorse23 said:


> Yes, he's kept himself quite nice!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I find now that he's not bracing as much he's working through his body better. We do a ton of transitions, otherwise both he and i get bored. LOL! And he's been doing a lot of work with his head on the ground but he knows no grass (good boy). We're working on forward, which is his very forward but he's also very light on the bit and that makes it tricky. I think he could do really well if I can get him connected in harness, when I lunge him or long line him he doesn't brace nearly as much.

I do find that the straight mouth piece is a lot for him, like i said i'm not using the curb for control just asking him to flex which is challenging with him in a snaffle. and he's so darn light! I actually think a low port would make him back off more though. We'll see we're both trying with this bit.

Haha, I hear you on Kody's opinion. Banner doesn't really care, but he seems to like to be able to see everything, and it helps me because if I can see his eye(s) i can judge what he's thinking. I do like the look of him better in a blindered bridle, an most likely if we go back out to show i'll blinder him, just to look more like the 'big guys'.

And thank you, i thought of it one day when I was working a... um, slow horse.



LOL!


----------



## shorthorsemom (Jul 3, 2011)

On his color... I have a breeder friend that had a photo of one of her foals from the past of that same color on her web and I have oogled that color ever since. I really like his face and the look in his eye.





On the blinkers... same here. I can read my boy better with him not blinkered and I can see his eye and he prefers to be able to see all around too. He gets claustrophobic in the blinkers and much more spooky, his former owner took off the blinkers after some jack russell terriers went after him and caused a runaway situation.

I see him look back at me when we are driving for reassurance and direction and he recovers very quickly from something startling in this open bridle. A deer popped up one day right near us and he only flinched. I almost jumped out of the cart. LOL.

It is nice to see someone else driving their horse that way. I just ordered a set of side cheeks without blinkers for my new harness bridle that I haven't used yet because my instructor likes my new harness and wants me to start using it instead of watching it sit here in a tote looking pretty. I bought it for another mini that I was breaking, but ended up getting a mini broke to drive to learn on instead. I am lucky to live fairly near Centersquare harness shop and Mr. Esh says he will fix me up soon.

My boy is very light on the bit too and I am interested in what you discover on bit choices my instructor and I have bounced around the idea that my boy might need a different bit, his teeth have been checked and were floated but he still mouths the bit a bit. Could also be my uneducated hands too but my instructor says I tend not to have enough contact rather than too much... I have a straight driving bit right now.


----------



## rabbitsfizz (Jul 5, 2011)

So, those of you who drive, for whatever amount of time, in an open bridle, might want to look at an English "in hand" bridle. If you want to have a go I am pretty sure I can get them reasonably and post them over as "gifts" (thus no import duty)

They look like a driving bridle with the blinkers taken off, have the English integral noseband and are much lighter (riding bridle weight) than a driving bridle.

They also look really good in harness and are _safe_(Bad Leia!!)If you will excuse the scruffy, wheelbarrow hitched animal, here is a picture.....






Ugh I had forgotten I had a halter on underneath it.....still you get the idea?

He is in a butterfly pelham- straight bar, obviously (otherwise it is not a pelham...) because not only did Bertie have flexing problems he also had delusions of being a Derby contender, which I am too old to cope with.


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 5, 2011)

rabbitsfizz said:


> So, those of you who drive, for whatever amount of time, in an open bridle, might want to look at an English "in hand" bridle. ... They look like a driving bridle with the blinkers taken off, have the English integral noseband and are much lighter (riding bridle weight) than a driving bridle.They also look really good in harness and are _safe_(Bad Leia!!)


You're amusing me, Fizz. What do you think we ARE driving in?



Take the browband off the bridle in your picture and it's exactly what I'm using. I'd leave the browband on except the one that came with my open English bridle is too short and pinches Kody's ears, which he understandably hates. I plan to buy a nice driving-style browband in the correct length and substitute it in along with a raised leather cavesson for competition use.

I'm seriously appreciative however of the offer to ship us stuff. I may have to take you up on that sometime!

Leia


----------



## rabbitsfizz (Jul 10, 2011)

No, Leia, I don't think it is. An English riding bridle is nothing like and English in hand bridle.






It looks like a driving bridle without the blinkers, but, of course, we always have an integral noseband, too, so there is that one less strap to worry about.....

Any time you or anyone want anything I would be only too happy, btw.


----------



## hobbyhorse23 (Jul 10, 2011)

The in-hand bridles are beautiful and of course the styling is different, but how are they any safer? Honest confusion, here.


----------

