On Fri, Feb 23, 2007 at 08:57:17PM -0500, Karen Thomas wrote: > >>>> wrt sidepulls and no bit -- stjarni was taught an "emergency one-rein > stop", according to his trainer. i've never had to use it. but since his > head is as big as my whole torso and his neck probably weighs more than i > do, *if* he was spooking and i was trying to do an emergency stop, i suspect > i'd really want the extra leverage of the bit (even if his is only a > french-link snaffle). > > Many of the natural-type trainers won't let you use a bit until you've > mastered riding in a halter with a single rein...and that includes doing all > steering, turning and plenty of "bending to a stop" first, and riding at > three gaits (w/t/c). > > >>> the middle of a bad spook is not the time to wish you'd used different > tack... > > It's also not the time to practice bending a horse to stop, or a one-rein > stop. If these things aren't second nature to you, you probably won't think > to use them in a crisis.
sure, but that's a different practice. i do practice one-rein stops, but i also go out on trails with a bit. do the "natural-type" trainers to whom you refer keep their students in rings, or what? --vicka
