Sol
Well-Known Member
Not often I feel like hacking, but was in the mood this morning. Haven't hacked since Dan crashed me into a tree at the start of the summer, as I don't -love- hacking and didn't see the point if he was going to be a twit!
So..... we could only use his snaffle, as the daft creature cut his chin groove the other day whacking his own head on the clippers (yes, honestly) so no pelham. No martingale either!
Solution? Draw reins. Yep, I am that cruel
Well, he was as quiet as a mouse
Forward going, but only tried to spin once and in a totally new place, but as he couldn't get his head up he just twisted a bit and went 'oh, I give up' and carried on. The place where he normally throws a huge tantrum he got a bit tense, but just got on with it. He got a bit tense again near home but then settled again.
Then I did something even worse and took him in the school as he was still full of energy and the yard was fairly quiet but there were boxes parked around the arena - normally something that would cue bolting/tanking off.
Nice loose draw reins..... well behaved horse! He didn't do anything silly, even when I took him right past the boxes, and did some lovely canter work. Might even have got a bit closer to that medium trot!
The draw reins were never tight, I always made sure my actual rein contact was firmer, and most of the time I could see the draw reins swinging so they can't have been tight anyway. But they stopped him from being a twit, so if we have to hack in draw reins, or if I have to use them in warm up arenas until he gets the idea that tanking off is BAD, then so be it
Better safe than sorry after all.....
Very happy now! And off to shop for some draw reins....
So..... we could only use his snaffle, as the daft creature cut his chin groove the other day whacking his own head on the clippers (yes, honestly) so no pelham. No martingale either!
Solution? Draw reins. Yep, I am that cruel
Well, he was as quiet as a mouse
Forward going, but only tried to spin once and in a totally new place, but as he couldn't get his head up he just twisted a bit and went 'oh, I give up' and carried on. The place where he normally throws a huge tantrum he got a bit tense, but just got on with it. He got a bit tense again near home but then settled again.Then I did something even worse and took him in the school as he was still full of energy and the yard was fairly quiet but there were boxes parked around the arena - normally something that would cue bolting/tanking off.
Nice loose draw reins..... well behaved horse! He didn't do anything silly, even when I took him right past the boxes, and did some lovely canter work. Might even have got a bit closer to that medium trot!
The draw reins were never tight, I always made sure my actual rein contact was firmer, and most of the time I could see the draw reins swinging so they can't have been tight anyway. But they stopped him from being a twit, so if we have to hack in draw reins, or if I have to use them in warm up arenas until he gets the idea that tanking off is BAD, then so be it
Better safe than sorry after all.....Very happy now! And off to shop for some draw reins....
