Thursday, August 7, 2014

Bits: Curb vs. Snaffle


There is a common misconception in the horse world about what qualifies as a snaffle and what qualifies as a curb bit. This drives me crazy, because people inadvertently put their horses in completely inappropriate bits, thinking they are making a kinder, milder choice. So let’s clarify.

 

This is a snaffle.


This is also a snaffle


And so is this


This is not a snaffle

 


I have seen many people mislabel snaffle bits because they think that it is the joint in the mouthpiece that creates a milder bit action, that the joint allows “Give” from the rein aids. This is not the case.

A snaffle is a bit whose action works on direct pressure. If you apply one pound of force, the horse will feel one pound of pressure in his mouth. The snaffle bit applies pressure to the tongue, the bars, the lips, and, depending on the bit, sometimes to the roof of the mouth. A snaffle with a single joint can have what is referred to as a “nutcracker action.” When pressure is applied to the reins, the bit folds at the joint, pushing the middle of the bit into the roof of the mouth while the sides of the bit pinch closed on the sides of the jaw. This is why many horses with a low palate do not go well in snaffles. A French link or a mullen mouth bit are milder options because they do not create the nutcracker action.

A curb is a bit which works through leverage. The pressure applied is multiplied by the length of the shanks. In a well-schooled horse, this allows the rider to be subtler with their aids, since the horse can pick up much smaller movements of the rider’s hands. It also can, in some horses, allow the rider more control over a strong horse.

The curb bit applies pressure to the tongue, bars and lips, just like the snaffle does, but also to the chin groove, from the curb strap, and the poll, through the leverage action of the shanks. The amount of leverage applied depends on the type of bit.


A kimberwicke is a very mild curb bit. The cheekpieces attach above the ring of the bit, and there are two different slots in the rings that you can insert the rein in for different levels of leverage and control. The higher slot will cause less rotation, and thus less pressure on the poll and chin groove. The lower slot gives a little more control by increasing the rotation.


A curb like this is what most people think of when they think of a curb bit. The severity of the bit is determined by the length of the shanks and the height of the port. Longer shanks mean more rotation, which means a higher factor of multiplication for the pressure applied to the reins. A larger, squarer port will apply more pressure to the roof of the mouth as the bit rotates. A small, shallow, rounded port, on the other hand,  like that pictured above, will just allow for tongue relief.
 

 
The Tom Thumb might be one of the most misused bits in the world. Because everyone assumes that it is a snaffle, due to the joint, it is often put on horses that need a very light touch or given to beginners who don’t have good control over their hands yet. This is an advanced bit. Not only does it have the leverage action of the curb, but it also applies the nutcracker action of the single-jointed snaffle. So while it is putting pressure on the poll and the chin groove, it is also pinching the jaw together and stabbing at the roof of the mouth. In uneducated hands, this can be a disaster.

 

In this series, we will explore a variety of popular bits, discussing form and function of each. I am a firm believer that there are no such thing as bad bits*, just bad matches between bit, rider, and horse.

 

*excluding things that are obviously abusive, like barbed wire or things designed to cause pain or injury.

Friday, June 27, 2014

Kites are not fun.

When I was a kid, we went camping a lot. That was our go-to mini-vacation, as well as most year's big vacations. Trips could be anything from a weekend to two weeks, depending on the time of year and how much time my dad could get off work. We did some "big" trips too, the requisite DisneyLand sojourn, ski vacations, and Switzerland once, but that was more to visit friends than anything else. But the camping trips are what I remember the most.

We weren't primitive campers, we had a trailer or an RV because my mom hated sleeping on the ground. When I was small, I just loved going anywhere and getting to go run through the woods with my Daddy, who was 100% workaholic during the week when we were at home, and was 100% mine when we left the confines of civilization. As I got older and busier with this responbility and that, the draw of camping became more about being forced to "unplug" for a few days and just relax. I wasn't allowed to bring my schoolwork. We didn't bring any phones or computers (for one thing, they didn't work all that well "off the grid" back then.) and I wasn't allowed to bring my schoolwork unless I had a big project deadline coming up. And even then, it usually got left at home. This might cause a few minutes of panic, but I always got it done and the break usually helped me focus better when I returned. I got more reading done in the woods that I ever had sitting on the couch.

But you know what was never fun? Kites. Kites are not fun.

We spent quite a bit of time on the Oregon coast and during the summer months there were always hundreds of kites out on the beach. Everything from the simple kites you buy at wal-mart to fancy fighter kites. We always had the simple kind, of course. And they never flew. Not once. I have attempted to fly kites a number of times, I don't think I have ever succeeded.

You might say that it's about the fun of trying, not about actually getting the kite airborne. And for a short time, you might be right. We'd have fun running around with the kite trailing behind us, laughing as we tripped. But after a while, seeing all of the other beautiful kites in the sky while yours flopped on the groudn like a lifeless bit of trash was either depressing or enfuriating.

However, my husband worked in a kite shop when we were in high school. He probably knows the deep secrets of the kite, but I doubt that I can learn them. I still can't get the DVD player to work, so I doubt there's much hope for me. Maybe in the future I'll learn to take enjoyment by just sitting and watching other people fly a kite. Or just sitting and reading on the beach. That's probably my best option. Books don't disapoint. Books are always there for you. And they don't come crashing out of the sky on top of your head. Often.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Becoming

It's been kind of a rough year so far.

There are a lot of things that have contributed to that, but a big part is my horse's ongoing soundness issues. Last week I thought we had finally cut out the last of the abcess, only to have him limp out of his stall again yesterday. I cut out some more false sole, and I'm crossing my fingers that his foot just needs time to regrow healthy sole and frog and for the inflammation to reduce. It's hard not to be discouraged though, going on six months of treating and praying, and not being able to ride. Riding and working with horses has always been the most effective way for me to treat my mental health issues, so this makes for a rough year.

As the weather is getting nicer, my mood is always elevated though. I've got other things to help keep my busy, with my garden and my dogs and helping Colleen get ready for her upcoming wedding. It gives me just enough clarity to allow for some introspection about the person that I want to be.

I want to be the kind of person who makes healthy choices, not because of guilt, but because it makes me feel good. I used to be this way, and slipped over the winter. Work having me sitting in McDonalds for hours every day wasn't helpful in the idea of eating real food. Oh MSG, you are aso deliciously addictive. Hopefully with the warm weather, work will be taking me outside far more often and I'll start craving natural, healthy foods again.

I want to be the kind of person who doesn't miss a workout.

I want to be the kind of person who calls friends for no reason other than to talk.

I want to be the kind of person who nurtures friendships. I don't know how to do this, but it has to be a skill that I can learn.

I want to be the kind of person who puts pursuits that they enjoy before wasting time on things that don't fulfill me. So, more time reading, crocheting, writing, and playing with the critters, less time on facebook and watching TV.

I want to be the kind of person who lives the gospel and inspires other through example.

I want to be the kind of person who takes control of my living space, making it a haven rather than a source of stress. That means finding cleaning routines that work for me so that I don't have a panic attack about the amount of dog hair creating dust-hippos in the corners. It also means finding ways to decorate this space and turn it into our home rather than the place that we're living for now.

I want to be the kind of person who laughs daily.

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Peas!



Look! A Pea! An actual pea! My garden is producing food!! This is really exciting!!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

10 Tidbits to Help Us Get to Know Each Other

The internet is a big place. That's pretty obvious. The vastness is one of the biggest pulls for people like me, there is literally no end to things I can learn and discover on this thing. The sense of annonymity that comes with it is also a huge draw, but let's be honest, we all need to feel connected to other people and I always want to know more about the people I read from. So here's 10 somewhat interesting things that I think everyone should know about me.

1) I live in Washington state, in a small town about an hour from Seattle. I love living in a smaller, more rural setting. I've never been a city person and having traffic and people around all of the time sends me into panic-mode. Eventually, I'm hoping to move even farther out from civilization eventually, but playing the rental game, you have to take what you can get. I love the trees and the mountains and the ocean here. I've lived in a few different regions of the United States, and the Pacific Northwest will always be home.

2) I am an introvert in every sense of the word. I recharge by quietly sitting and reading, writing, crocheting, or hanging out with dogs/cats/horses. I don't dislike people, but social contact in general is exhausting and I can only take so much of it every day. Since my job involves a lot of working with people, at the end of the day I usually want nothing other than to curl up on the sofa with a good book or a skein of fancy yarn.

3) Technology and I don't always get along. I can't tell you how many times I can't get something to work and after an hour of fighting with it, I had it to my husband and he pushes one button to fix it. I am the quintessential "Did you check to see if it was plugged in?" customer service call. Thankfully, I married someone who is really good at technology, so I feel aboslutely no need to change this.

4) I don't have children. This is not because I don't like children. I work with children every day and love (most) every minute of it. I say "most" because it's hard to love them when you're stuck in a traffic jam on I-5 and they're having a temper tantrum in the backseat. That's hardly every day though.

5) I do have an awful lot of animals. By some people's standards at least. I think I need a few more. But right now we're sitting pretty well at two large dogs, two cats, and a horse. I'm itching to get chickens, but I don't know how my landlord would feel about that.

6) I hate spending money and love trying to find ways to save it. I'm hardly an expert in frugality, but I'm learning quickly what systems work for me and what don't. Meal planning has saved us thousands, but I'm still not sure what good making my own windex is going to do, since I only buy about a bottle a year. Maybe that means I need to clean my house more often. I'm always looking for new and different ways to save a few bucks here or there and get really excited about finding creative ways to do without. And if I can try to make something myself intsead of buying it? I'm all over that.

7) I don't think there is anything more therapeutic than making bread. A good 10 minutes beating/kneading the dough is a great way to work out pent-up aggression after a long day. Plus, you get bread afterwards.

8) I'm not very good at gardening, but I'm trying to get better. I got one edible cucumber last year, and three inedible tomatoes. This year it looks like my peas might be doing well, but I don't know about any of the other vegetables. My thumb isn't quite green, but I'm determined to fake it until is because there is nothing quite like fresh produce.

9) I'm a bit of a geek. My father and I spent years bonding over Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a love bordering on obsession with Dr. Who, Firefly, and all things fantasy is one of the biggest things that my husband and I have in common. I'm not a gamer though. I play the occasional video game, but I'm very bad at it, so I refuse to play with my husband, who is beyond intense on the subject.

10) My biggest passions in life lie in horses and crocheting, thus the title of this blog. My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was 8 and I've been riding and training sport horses for 16 years. This is an attempt to chronicle that journey.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Dog Walking


Colleen and I have been trying to get in the habit of walking every morning before work.  I would be lying if I said that it was getting easier to wake up extra early, especially when she’s the one who has an early morning case, but once we get going, I’m always grateful for it. I haven’t needed coffee to wake up a single morning since, which is pretty exciting. I wasn’t exactly coffee dependent before, but 1-2 days a week it was necessary. I’d rather not be stuck on the habit though. Walking seems like a much better way to get up.

At first, we were only taking Colleen’s dog, Toby. Toby is her service dog, and has pretty darn good manners on the leash. My dogs… used to. I spent a year doing agility training with them (or trying to, Shadow is still afraid of most of the obstacles…) but we’ve slacked off with a large yard, and I honestly hadn’t walked them on a leash in almost a year. First thing in the morning, I wasn’t quite up for the battle that I knew that would be. Even with the gentle leader on, Abby can pull like a freight train.

Well, Colleen’s fiancĂ© came with us the other day, and with one person for each dog, I was out of excuses, so they came with us and had a great time. After getting that first walk out of the way (and a few reminders of proper manners when on the leash, especially on a road) they’ve become regular fixtures on our walks.

There’s a quiet side street that we always go down where Colleen can let Toby off leash, since there’s virtually no traffic. Abby gets to go off leash as well, since she’s always been good at listening when you call her back. Shadow however, always the problem child, has never had a reliable recall, so he’s stuck tied up. Colleen had the idea today, though, to hook Shadow to Toby, so that Toby could haul him back and keep him from leaving the county if need be. We just buckled Toby’s collar around the handle on Shadow’s leash, and they towed each other around. It was pretty funny to watch, because either of them would step on the leash and the other would stop and look at us, asking who had given them the correction.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll dig out Shadow’s remote collar, the only way I’ve ever been able to ensure his recall. I don’t know though. It’s pretty funny to watch him and Toby dragging each other around.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Spring!

Spring is here! I can't describe out excited I am to start seeing shoots of new greens growing in my yard, flower buds on the trees, and to be able to sit outside watching my dogs being lizards and soaking up the sunshine. This is by far the nicest weekend weather we've had yet, 62* today!  It's supposed to go back to rainy and gray tomorrow, but that's Washington for you. Still. I'm trying to enjoy the nice weather while I can by sitting outside with my computer and the lizard-dogs.

Though poor shadow is stuck back on a tether. In our fenced yard. With an invisible fence around it. Freaking Houdini dog. We're still searching for his electronic collar, which he ditched somewhere on his last escape mission, and until we find it and can get new batteries for it, he's stuck on the line whenever he's outside. I'll let him off to run if I can devote all of my attention to watching him, but if I turn my back he sneaks away and disappears. He has two acres to roam on, I don't know what is so alluring about the road. Besides the neighbor's rooster, that is.