Cob Jockey

George Morris did a clinic in Aiken yesterday with some upper level eventers, and this gem of a quote came out of it.  I laughed so hard:

"Will [Coleman] is a master at the subtle use of a stick behind the leg, and when George encouraged it to an extent, Will used it a few times too many on one course. George said, “There’s nothing better than the stick to get them in front of the leg, but you don’t want to get stick happy! Just like women, only use it for one or two on the course, not everyone at the party”. 

We had a happy, quiet ride yesterday night.  I am so blessed to have this stick-hating guy in my life.

Due to having an unemployed husband, I have dutifully avoided even taking a peek at Smartpak and Dover all summer long.  I've even deleted their "Sale!" emails without opening them.  But this "Favorite Things Under $50" contest of Nicku's saw me clicking those buried bookmarks in order to find photos of my favorite things.  Must...exhibit...self-control...

(Go enter Nicku's contest yourself here!)


#5: Toklat Pony Bareback Pad

It's "just" a bareback pad, but I love the 1970's-style plaid that looks like it belongs on a couch in a room with dark wood paneling.

#4: Winner's Circle Stiff Brush
I got this brush probably a decade ago, when my mom's childhood friend took us to Saddler's Row in Palatine, IL (my first and only trip there!).  I used it daily on Venice for a year, and now have used it daily on Connor for two years, but I wouldn't use this on your thin-skinned Thoroughbred!  It's a super-stiff mud-busting machine that still looks brand new, despite often being used in place of a curry comb.  My mom's friend swore by it and bought one for each of us, telling us it was almost the only thing we'd ever need.

#3: SSG 10 Belows

These gloves are the only reason my Reynauds-afflicted self can make it through 8 hours of stalls per week during an Indiana winter.  I think that says everything.

#2: Tailored Sportsman lambskin-palm crochet-back gloves (actual model name is "Ladies A Rated Hunter")


Can you tell I like gloves?  I've written about these before.  I love them, and have schooled in nothing else for years.  But now they're really and truly discontinued, so I'm going to have to move on when this pair bites it, probably to something synthetic.

#1: Fleck Superflex Dressage Whip


I have actually bought two of these, because I left the first one at the Hoosier Horse Fair and felt
lost without it.  It's wonderful.  It's light and balanced, super whippy so that I barely need to flick it to get a response from Connor, and the golf-grip handle is easy to hold, even in my small hands.  Bonus, it comes in my preferred laughably short 100cm length (including lash), which means it will never grow legs and walk away, since nobody else in my barn likes them that short.

What product can you not live without?

I've now been riding with a whip every ride for two or three weeks now.  The "too long; didn't read" version is that I'm happy with the way he goes with it, but still adjusting to carrying one.  Opinions about your favorite Dressage whips are welcome!

He's still extremely sensitive to it, and while my trainer has told me to use it as I need to and ignore his outbursts over it, I have to be judicious about applying it.  In the first few rides, when he got behind my leg even a bit, I'd give him a "tap tap" behind my leg with it.  Now, I'm finding that if I ride with a whippy whip, I can just tap it against my leg so it whistles a bit and that's enough to elicit the proper response without him shooting forward or getting tense/hard.  With either application, I only need it maybe once a ride, and now that I've used it a few times, simply carrying it is enough to keep him sharp.

For me, it's still a learning curve with it.  I have a hard time keeping my hand from going flat while holding it, and I occasionally tap him with it accidentally - something I try very hard not to do given his reactions to it.  I think we'd end up in the next county over if I ever actually hit him with anything.

While borrowing from the barn is perfectly fine for now, I'll be looking to buy one later this fall as I narrow down what I like and don't like, and try to find an appropriately sized one for both of us; some of the ones at the barn are completely ineffective on him and difficult to manage for me due to length. I need a flexible whip that easily whooshes against my leg, and I like ones with a raised line between the grip and the shaft since that's where I hold it.  Like most of my stuff, owning a show version and a schooling version is not financially worth it at this time, so I'd like to be able to use it for both (i.e. can't be pink and sparkly and needs to be legal.)

Calling all Dressage whip connoisseurs, tack lovers and enablers!  Any favorites?