does distaster await tomorrow? i sincerly hope not!!

[Santa_Claus]

Got text from YO today asking if I have a bitless bridle for someone at yard to borrow. I do have a German hackamore and said so as I respect her opinion and judgement. Now found out who for and I am a slight bit concerned. Its for someone who is a reasonably good rider but is seriously lacking in confidence jumping/xc which often results in them getting left behind over a fence and hanging onto the contact.

One of their good friends is a good friend with me and she is grabbing it for her friend tomorrow morning as she knows where I keep my bit 'collection'. I have made it very very clear that it MUST be used with two reins and to emphasise the possible harshness of it in comparison to even an english hackamore especially as it should be used in conjunction with a snaffle.

And now I have found out what it is for, I had hoped it was for riding in for a few days on the presumption the horse may have injured its mouth, but no turns out i believe horse may well have cut mouth but its so they can go XCing tomorrow

I can just see disaster happening I can see person getting left behind and yanking the rein and seriously bruising the horse's nose if not worse. I'm not sure whether they have ever even ridden in a bitless bridle before and I know for certain that the horse hasn't been ridden in one and its first experience is going to be XC, plesae take note this horse is normally in a plain eggbutt snaffle.

I know if they weren't using mine they would have got one elsewhere but it just concerns me that my very good YO has recommended they use one XC when never having ridden in one before!!

Oh well hopefully it will be incident free and I'm worrying over nothing, well find out tomorrow no doubt.

Katie

 

[PapaFrita]

I would never, EVER change a bit the day before an event, and without trying it out. You can never tell how a horse will respond! I think you're right to be worried. Do you think they might be persuaded to use a neck strap??

 

[GTs]

Bitless bridles that are fitted properly actually sit on a nerve.........

 

[Santa_Claus]

Sadly in a word no.

This person thinks very highly of themselves and no where near as highly about others hence I don't really like them although other than being a tad too pompus have never done anything particulary wrong so I just act in a generally civil manner towards them. (takes a lot to seriously make me p***ed off with someone!)

I'm not sure if its XC schooling or a HT (feeling it is a HT) but either way I would never ever ever ever ever try a new bit away from home unless in a very controlled environment (eg lesson with instructor) and most certainly not in the current circumstances.

I hate to say they need to be brought down to earth in terms of their attitude some what but I would hate this to be the how or why for the horse's sake more than anything else!

 

[Santa_Claus]

thankfully everything ended up okish. they had the sense to ride in the school this morning in it before going out and they swapped from going to a hunter trial to a fun ride. I saw them come back and they were like he was amazing in it which didn't ovely surprise me when they said they only used one rein!!!!! Made point of how you attach the second as they want to borrow it again.