Does it annoy you?

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Doesn't bother me at all unless incorrectly fitted.
Actually, people who've bought a specific item of tack because it's fashionable irritate me a bit... not because of the tack itself, but the 'flock' mentality.

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Yep that what bugs me most.....cos' they think the horse looks good in it.....and if not fitted correct,could end up with more problems!
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I would guess the memory foam does a similar job except for the fact that presumably the saddle has been used on different horses and therefore has moulded to at least one, and thus will have pressure points where the flocking has settled? I suspect it does much the same thing though.

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Well, I started using the pad from new (saddle new; pad was second hand) as, despite being the same make and model I bought originally for PF (and which fits!) it was actually rather different. The pad does a really good job of 'filling in' the parts where the saddle placed previously placed pressure points. It's still no good for PF, but suits Antifaz.
 
You can buy slit-ears with a throatlash, but I don't. My personal bridles all have just the head/cheekpiece. Some of the bridles I have for the trail horses have throatlashes.

For me I don't want to have to be bothered with doing buckles etc. because when I ride, I tend to ride 3 or 4 horses one after the other so I just want to slip the bridle on and off again.

Here's a photo of one of my bridles (and yes slit ears without a throatlash will fit absolutely ANY horse):

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If its correctly fitted I don't care. I don't like over bitting but also underbitting is just as bad, but it all comes down to the hands at the end of the reins anyway!

What does annoy the hell out of me is a horse I schooled a couple of summers ago I worked tirelessly to get him working correctly without the market harborough he had been wearing at all times. And by the end of the summer he was going rather darn well for the hunter he was. BUT within a week he had the market harborough back on even though it was needless and in my opinion a needless martingale is one thing but a needless market harborough is another.
 
oh,thats really nice and workman like.
do you swap ears sometimes?
how much do they cost and have you any links please?
i cannot afford a western saddle at the moment
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but perhaps a bridle would be a nice treat for us.
 
There's a new 'bridle' just come on sale here, which is basically a rope which both ends attatch to the bit. You can adjust it to fit a shetland to a shire. Quite a simple concept, and an old one at that.


All great, but at 30 quid, I could make one for a fiver! just goes to show the 'old' ideas are coming back in, and half the time, simple is best.
 
That bridle is a sliding ear one so yes you can change the ear it is over - some sliding ears have two sliders, one for each ear. I have a few with fixed slit-ear bridles and these are nice but they have to be fitted to your horse really.

That bridle shown is quite expensive, although quite a bit cheaper than my other sliding ear one, which is LOVELY! Actually if I showed you a photo you probably wouldn't see any difference LOL!! The one shown cost me about $60 without the reins and my other sliding ear one cost me $70 without the reins. The reins are about $30 or $40.

You can buy much cheaper ones which have the reins included but I prefer my long 10ft reins. Generally with the all in one packages your reins would just be short 4 or 5 ft ones.

This is my other sliding ear; you can see the length of the reins even if you can't see the bridle itself. Oh and for the poster who wanted to see a western martingale - Jet has one on in this training session.

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If you wanted a bridle I can easily send one to you - I have a few people going back to the UK over the next few months so can send it off in their luggage and they can mail it from England. I have found that often the mail order places are not such good leather - you are best buying from a saddler as the quality is far better.
 
Purely out of interest Tia, how easy is it to train a horse to ride western?

I love western riding and would love to have my own horse to do it on one day.
 
It's all down to the handler really. It is a totally different concept from riding English and you really need to start from the beginning and do a fair amount of groundwork. There's no pulling the horse around; it is all gentle and subtle movements....although once in a while with the horse pictured above (Jet) I will have the odd argument as he is quite a thick horse and even when I teach him things, he has the capacity to forget the minute I place him back in the field!

None of mine are what you would call highly trained though - my oldest (personal) horse is only 5 years old (that is Jet /\ ) so they aren't asked to do a whole lot. Ooopsie, no wrong, Golden is 8 and she is super well trained! Oscar, my 4 year old is wonderful! He knows much much more than most of the others.....but then I taught him a lot when he was 2 or 3 so he has been learning for longer.

I have an old horse, Red, now he is a master! He is a beautiful horse to ride, although I hardly ever ride him nowadays. He neck-reins like you wouldn't believe and he knows all of the movements needed of a western pleasure horse.
 
I've ridden western before, and absolutely love the concept of it. How laid back and responsive the horses are to the simple aids.
Me... I'm a very nervy rider (just ask a friend who had to lead me round an indoor school lol), but will happily ride in open countryside western style. Funnily enough, having little or no contact on the reins is comforting! It's hard to explain, but riding english style, i seem to always panic, worrying i'll upset the horse by having too much contact, or get run off with for having too little. Western style, there isnt really this issue, as the horses respond so lightly. Cantering across a field in company with a loose rein and KNOWING a simple movement will make the horse slow is strangely liberating. I can only describe the feeling as freedom.
After hearing me rattle on how much i adore riding this way my OH as even agreed to give it a go.
 
10 ft????
is that together or each rein?(doh!)
is £ about half $?
oh,what a lot of questoins for you.
i plan to use my snaffle and i mostly hack.my pony is mostly relaxed.do you think we`d be ok?
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That's the one. i was trying to find it on their website, but couldnt see it.

See? simple concept and easy to make! I am seriously considering getting one. the height of laziness!
 
I know exactly what you mean Katy. This is why I very very rarely ever ride English anymore. I love cantering along with no bit contact and then just a little tiny movement or a word will bring my horse immediately to a stand still; or to a slower pace or whatever I'm asking.

You NEED a US/Canadian bred and raised Quarter Horse Katy
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. They are all amazing. British ones don't quite cut it for me; the breeding must be different as they are nothing like the North American working cattle-bred ones.
 
re- the fit all....
good idea but i want nice leather.

ooh getting carried away now....
what about fancy silver thingys,i`ve seen them for sale(little square corners) for western saddles.do you buy them for bridles or do them come all together fixed on like you can buy a plain one or a fancy one?
 
10ft each rein....so 20ft of rein altogether. You can buy any length though - some people like gaming reins; these are really short and are only one rein which attaches to either side of the bit, just like English reins but MUCH shorter.

For you or anyone else paying in £'s, these bridles are cheap! $70 is about £40 and the reins would be about £15 so for £55 you would have a really top-notch (but plain) headstall. If you want a fancy one then the cost goes up steeply.
 
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