Happy New Year!! 🎊
2024 has been an amazing year of growth for my small business, I am forever grateful to my support system (you know who you are!) and all the amazing clients I’ve met along the way.
I am most content leaving 2024 knowing I have helped many clients and horses improve their relationship and performance with their horse through better bit and bridle fit. I am still busy as usual with leather projects which I enjoy and am still keeping my head above the water 😉 Very much looking forward to 2025!
Nothing makes me happier than seeing well fitting tack!! Yet somehow I feel some weird guilt by telling the client that their setup fits well. I think it’s because I show up with a mindset to help by fixing, so when there is nothing to fix I feel I am not helping. But I am constantly reminded by clients how happy/relieved they are to hear from a professional that they have been doing a good job.
Clients that hire a bit/bridle fitter are either having problems or want to prevent problems. Those that fall under the latter are more often in this predicament, and it is so nice to see.
But, I totally get the urge to buy a new bridle… 😋 I mean, if you *need* it…. 🙃
I’m still screaming 😅 what’s the craziest bit you’ve ever seen?
And of course, no shame to people who used these then got educated and switched to something more humane. Knowledge is power! If you aren’t sure what bit to use on your horse, reach out! I am always to help, talking about bits and bridles is my favorite thing! I will NEVER shame a client for having used harsh bits if they are willing to learn and make improvements for their horse’s welfare.
Happy Halloween! 👻
These over-engineered bridles are a genius marketing idea. But not necessarily a good option for your horse.
As a professional bit & bridle fitter, I have seen countless anatomical bridles on horses and it is a rare day if one of them fits properly. I sometimes joke “I would like to meet the horse they designed this bridle for”!
What typically goes wrong on anatomical bridles (particularly the shaped crown pieces):
🔺 most often these curve back inward at the base of the ear, which is very sensitive and many nerves run along here. Pinch potential here as well.
🔺 typically too wide which means they will not follow the curveature of the horse and will create gapping
🔺 gapping and tilting will create pressure points instead of even distribution
🔺 any crown pieces that bridge the poll just place this extra pressure on either side of the poll which does happen to be more sensitive for many horses
🔺 extra padding creates bulk and can be stiff, not following curveature of the horse.
The old southern saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” rings true here. There is nothing wrong with a traditional crown piece, and these can be cut back a little to make room for the ear if that is a concern.
LESS IS MORE! Don’t let these marketing campaigns fool you.
They tug at your heart strings because of course we want our horses to be more comfortable! But unfortunately this is often not the case with the over-engineered bridle designs today.
Thoughts? Questions? Drop a comment below 👇🏻
Equestrians have heard this term many times when looking at bit setups that appear harsh, “a bit is only as harsh as the hands that use it”.
And while you cannot disagree that strong, unforgiving hands with any bit can do some serious damage, we cannot agree that a very harsh bit on its own cannot do some damage.
I tend to believe that a bit is as harsh as the mechanics allow it to be, and/or as harsh as it is poorly fit.
There are some bits that no matter how light and empathetic your hands are, they will apply pressure in too sensitive areas or send conflicting signals to the horse which make it unfair. 😫
Believe it or not, There are some mouthpieces that under zero pressure from the reins can harm the horse❗️
A double bridle with both mouthpieces stacked, for instance, can cut off blood flow to the tongue. 👅
A thin double twisted wire bit will poke a horse in their soft palate under a feather weight of pressure from the reins. 🪶
If the bit doesn’t physically fit the horse or suit their interdental conformation, it can cause pain at rest.
Put simply, a bit that is used by anyone that doesn’t fully understand the proper fit and applied mechanics of the bit, can be harsh. ⚠️
Curious if the bit you are using may be harsh or unfair to your horse? Give me a call!
🎥 @impulsionmedia_
Love to see it!!
There are enough studies available to prove that tight nosebands (anything less than 2 finger spacing between Noseband and nasal bone) can be detrimental to the horse from a physical, psychological, and biomechanical standpoint, that we need to spread the good word and stop over-tightening nosebands.
When I pull up and a client has a plain cavesson bridle (no crank, drop, or flash) I am giddy ☺️👏🏻
Thanks @l_satt for the beautiful photo!
When I say made by hand, I mean it! Hours of cutting, dyeing, stitching, and finishing goes into making these. I find the process just as satisfying as the result, and truly love making custom pieces. Unfortunately I am not a machine and this does take a toll on my hands (and my free time) so I cannot do many of these back to back. Message me if you’d like to get on my waitlist or if you’d like a quote! This is a bespoke leather hackamore bridle for a client with a large warmblood who prefers to be bitless in the showjumping ring 🤎
I’ve been on a roll lately and it’s been such a fantastic feeling. THANK YOU to all my wonderful clients, far and wide ❤️
There is an ongoing review of FEI rules, and many stakeholders have submitted proposed changes for jumping that will be voted on at the annual summit in November. So far, representatives from Germany have made some fantastic (in my opinion 😊) proposals for tack rules in show jumping competitions.
The cut off for stakeholder proposals is next week, and I hope we can see more of these changes.
Again, these are a few proposed amendments from several countries, not new rules:
- Use of whip limited to 2x during the course
- No sharp edges to bits
- Mouthpiece diameter >10mm
- Only one Noseband or Hackamore on the nose
- Nosebands must sit on the bony part of the nose (so, no drop nosebands)
- String, rope, chain, metal bridle components must not directly contact horse
- Hackamores cannot be paired with a curb or gag bit
- Curb gag bits must be used with two sets of reins
- Lowering pony championship class fence height from 130/135cm to 120/125cm
See more here:https://inside.fei.org/system/files/4-JUMPING_Rules%20Modification_26%20June%202024.pdf
Personally I think this is moving in an excellent direction and I hope that public scrutiny over welfare concerns and loose FEI rules helps these “bills” become “law” 😊
I will say, though, after reviewing lots of Olympic show jumping footage, these proposed rules would affect a good fraction of riders. I still firmly believe this is for the best. But given the stats, it will be very interesting to see which of these proposals make the cut!
What are your thoughts?
Happy New Year! To learn more about my consultation options that are discounted the month of January - check out my site (link in bio) 🎊
