Monday 9 March 2015

RIP cheek piece

For the first time in what seems like forever i managed to ride a horse on a weeknight. Man how I've missed this! Kika got to spin on the walker while i had a longer spin on Nancy then yesterday.

"I'm an angel and would never break anything"
Nancy

We worked in the largest arena so i could use the back wall of mirrors to see if i could see her fishtailing on the longside when we were going left handed. I don't know if riding in my tall boots for only the third time helped my leg position; or if being in the larger arena helped us get our shiz together; or perhaps yesterday's work stood to us - whatever the reasoning ... there was considerably less fishtailing today. Yay!

Last night's sunset

Nay - was our major struggle bus to sort our bend on the that rein to get a good upwards transition into canter. We got there, but the first one was a long time in coming and far from pretty when we got there. Probably 100% my fault as I was prob all kinds of crooked, but once we got the first one I must have sorted myself out and we fared better after that with some truly gorgeous canter work when we changed rein.
I changed back for one more canter on our new bad side and it was much improved. It's hard to know whether to start with the bad side or good side....i guess alternating is the best option to hope to balance things out, but really consistency is key. So i do just need to spend more time in the saddle.

Bye bye cheek piece
We finished off with some rather nice, balanced 4 loop serpentines and a stretchy trot to release any tension she may have been carrying in her neck after our initial left rein struggle bus canters.
Nancy's bridle got a bit of a bashing this evening. After almost every spin she insists on scratching her face off a front leg, every time I reprimand her yet it was obviously to no avail. She finally managed to stand on the reins this evening and thankfully didn't snap them as they aren't easy to find (thin with rubber weaved in and stops), the left cheek piece caved and the leather snapped off the buckle. Thankfully I don't think she hurt herself and in true Nancy style didn't even seem phased by what she'd done!
 I'll see if i can get it repaired but i have a brown bridle for her at the yard and two other old bridles of Kika's in my parents basement so I'm sure I can coble something together *blush* #hoarder

14 comments:

  1. aww boo to the broken bridle! hopefully it's either an easy fix or easy replacement!! re: deciding which side to start with, good or bad - i used to always start with the good so that we'd maybe find the right gear, then switch to the bad side. then someone said they always started with the bad side so that there was almost always an opportunity to end on a good note with the good side.... still don't know if one is better than the other tho haha

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    1. I don't think there is a right or wrong side to start with - well that is what i tell myself anyway ;-)

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  2. RIP cheekpiece! Sometimes it's good to be a tack hoarder ;)

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  3. It's always a hard decision to start on the bad or good side... I swap back and forth too. Sometimes I start on the bad side so that while the horse has energy, they can work on the hard stuff and then when they get tired, they can work on easier stuff. Other times it's nice as the rider to feel the good side and then go to the bad side and work on making that side feel like the good side.

    Ohhh Nancy! I've never heard of a cheek piece snapping but it's definitely better than the reins or the pony!

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one who alternates - Admittedly your saddle work is a lot more progressive than mine!

      Cheek pieces are easier to replace than these reins i like especially as the bridle is black so hopefully nabbing another set will be easy enough. Of all the things that could snap on a bridle i think these are possibly the easiest to replace as they don't have to "match" anything else unlike the noseband or browband which in this case have the same pattern/plaiting

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  4. Yay weekday rides!!!!! Easy to break a bridle there, such thin tiny bits of leather over the buckles, woohoo for tack hoarding!

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    1. It was awesome - i admire those like your good self who ride multiple horses a day and make linear progression with them

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  5. Riding after work is my favorite!

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    1. Spending all day Saturday or Sunday fawning over them is my fav, but quiet evenings also rate up there in the fun times as the arenas do tend to be quieter ☺

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  6. Its only a good excuse to buy a new bridle ;)

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    1. Hahaha, I would if they didn't each have two already and I have another 2 spare ones *whistles*

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  7. Oh Nancy!!! I'm glad you have other bridles to get you by. Nothing wrong with hoarding tack hehe.

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    1. Yep yep a good motto favoured by hoarders ;-)

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