Dressage report and a quick noseband question!!

atlantis

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Also in cr but thought I'd get a bit more response in here.

Quick report from our wt test today. Intro B and a respectable 62%, which was VERY generous IMO.

She warmed up fairly nicely but in the arena turned into a giraffe with a clamped jaw and her ears in my face, very strong. I just about managed to settle her by the end of the test.

Ive been riding her (a share) for a month and have been working on getting her to relax her jaw and take the rein forward which she has been doing at walk and trot fairly well, but inconsistently. I've got rid of the flash and loosened the cavesson right off. She's a very forward mare but quite tense. I've been doing Equine touch (level 1) which settles her well.

The mare has a previous history of a broken lower jaw on the left, or so the dentist thinks. Her owner keeps a very close eye on her teeth and they were fine a couple of months ago. Saddler coming next week. She goes well in a grackle but can be very strong. Jumps in a nuhe schule 3 ring snaffle on the middle hole.

I'm thinking of trying her in either a drop loosely fitted, but really think a micklem bridle might be worth a go. But at £100 for a horse that's not mine I'm wondering if a drop might be worth trying first.

Any thoughts?
 
Hi well done on your dressage result, fab score!
I've not actually tried either noseband for what it's worth, but I would think a drop could be a good starting point. I say this as although drops and grackles are commonly used to shut an evading open mouth I actually think that they work a lot of the time due to the positioning on the face and because they do not press on the sensitive cheek onto the teeth if you see what I mean. I use a grackle on Topaz and she much prefer's it even very loose compared to a very loose cavessen...
So on-wards with my rambling, I think try the 'cheap' option and if she doesn't like it then try the Micklem?

x x x
 
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