And then I remembered the post that Karen at Not-So-Speedy Dressage had posted earlier that week about bitless bridles, which inspired me to ride him in the barn's hackamore. So, Karen, this is one part an answer to your post, and one part "Well, shit, my bridle is 38 miles away!"
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| Had to borrow someone's horse-sized reins, haha. |
I'll start by agreeing with the scientific folk out there that this is a poorly constructed experiment, because I changed two variables: bridle -> hackamore and teeth unfloated -> teeth floated.
That said, it was the best flat ride I've had in about a month, and the most he's worked over his back and sought the "bit"? in probably two months. I know it could well be that his teeth can now slide past each other properly, but the feeling of him pushing into the hackamore and really truly being between my inside leg/outside rein was mind boggling! He was light in the bridle and obedient to the slightest of half-halts, and his lateral work was bangin'. It was better "real Dressage" than I've gotten in a very long time.
The coolest moment came when I realized I had too much inside rein on a 20m left circle. I thought about my trainer's command to "pet his neck" with my inside hand. The second I gave with the inside hand, he started licking and chewing the not-bit, and I felt him come more into the outside rein. I am in no way a hackamore convert, there are things I need to convey with a bit that I can't in a hackamore, but it was a neat experiment and a great reminder that the bit does NOT create connection/being on the bit by itself.
I'm dying with curiosity about tonight's lesson, with a bit. I imagine the teeth will continue to make a difference, but the question is, how much?
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| SPRING! |
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| MORE SPRING! |
