PolarSkye
Well-Known Member
Kali usually goes very sweetly in a french link snaffle . . . he is sharp but not particularly strong and we have worked very hard on getting him as light in the mouth as possible . . . I can now ride him almost on the buckle (on the flat) and he will still go in an outline.
When my trainer jumps him, we put him in a waterford and martingale - not because he's strong (you could jump him on the buckle) but because he has always had a tendency to throw himself at fences and the waterford just makes him sit up and listen in front of a fence that bit more.
My daughter (who shares him with me and is nearly 16) is taking him to jump club next weekend . . . it will be the first time she's jumped him in a year. She's really looking forward to it and I know he'll be a little saint. However, I'm not sure which bit to use. Her hands may not be light enough for the waterford and I don't want him to feel "pinned in" as that could cause him to stop (something he's never done, but he's very soft in the mouth so may with over-eager hands and a stronger bit) . . . but in the snaffle she may not be strong enough to "hold" him or make him wait in front of the fence. He won't tank off with her, but he may not listen and wait and therefore will have a tendency to jump flat/rush his fences.
I'm tempted to put him in the snaffle and add a martingale to stop him doing his giraffe impression (running, not standing). I could also put a flash on him to stop him opening his mouth and leaning - something he does when he's overly excited. We don't use a flash at all on the flat.
We are working on schooling him over fences to teach him to wait/balance himself - and he has improved . . . but he still rushes a little and I obviously can't wave a magic wand and have him perfectly schooled between now and next weekend.
What would you do?
P
When my trainer jumps him, we put him in a waterford and martingale - not because he's strong (you could jump him on the buckle) but because he has always had a tendency to throw himself at fences and the waterford just makes him sit up and listen in front of a fence that bit more.
My daughter (who shares him with me and is nearly 16) is taking him to jump club next weekend . . . it will be the first time she's jumped him in a year. She's really looking forward to it and I know he'll be a little saint. However, I'm not sure which bit to use. Her hands may not be light enough for the waterford and I don't want him to feel "pinned in" as that could cause him to stop (something he's never done, but he's very soft in the mouth so may with over-eager hands and a stronger bit) . . . but in the snaffle she may not be strong enough to "hold" him or make him wait in front of the fence. He won't tank off with her, but he may not listen and wait and therefore will have a tendency to jump flat/rush his fences.
I'm tempted to put him in the snaffle and add a martingale to stop him doing his giraffe impression (running, not standing). I could also put a flash on him to stop him opening his mouth and leaning - something he does when he's overly excited. We don't use a flash at all on the flat.
We are working on schooling him over fences to teach him to wait/balance himself - and he has improved . . . but he still rushes a little and I obviously can't wave a magic wand and have him perfectly schooled between now and next weekend.
What would you do?
P
