off season check-ins: bits + other miscellany

Happy Monday, y'all! I've spent a lot of time in the past couple weeks trying to be empowering about riding in the winter, and not letting any excuses get between me and my dreams etc. Which like, is great. This attitude has helped me stay on a fairly regular schedule.

But it's still winter. It's still cold. And we're still basically just traipsing around the dusty, small indoor - trying to get back to where we were before Charlie's untimely splint surgery. Which is fine, ya know? That's kinda what off season is all about anyway, right?

Another advantage to the off season? It's the perfect opportunity to introduce new tack or gear changes, or experiment a little bit. Especially if this involves a little low key fun shopping, amiright?

experimenting with bits again! this one has a new mouth piece, but the same loose ring cheek piece that seems to work for Charlie on the flat

So let's talk about some of the small changes and new introductions I've made in Charlieland over the past couple months!

In no particular order:

1) Over the past year and change, I've experimented more with Charlie's bits than I ever really did with Isabel. Once I found the Sprenger KK Ultras for Izzy, that's just what we went with - both over fences and on the flat.

Charlie's needed a little more thought. He's a sensitive horse, but not the softest mouth. Esp in the early days he would lean very heavily, and even to this day our brakes can be dull. He's a green horse tho - still learning about contact - so I'm not very inclined to put anything in his mouth that doesn't feel like a pleasant place to go.

big fat heavy silver d-ring: not particularly magical for charlie

Things I've tried:

- Big fat heavy silver single jointed d-ring snaffle, at the recommendation of a dressage clinician. Verdict? Not much difference shown, tho the d-ring cheek piece allowed more leaning than I wanted.

- Myler correction bit: I wrote a whole post on this bit, here. Short story is: This is a LOT of bit. It was hugely influential in how Charlie went - to the point where it was almost overwhelming for him. Very easy for him to suddenly feel claustrophobic in this bit, and I had to be very careful not to box him in. BUT it also allowed me to access more of him, and influence his balance in ways not fully possible for me without the bit. And - the biggie - those breakthroughs carried over when we switched back to our normal snaffle. I think I rode in this bit maybe three times over the course of 2-3 months, and it was a useful tool used sparingly.

myler correction bit: a useful tool used sparingly

- Sprenger KK Ultra loose ring double jointed snaffles. These are carry-overs from Isabel. Just as with her, the fatter aurigan bit went on Charlie's jump bridle and the narrower silver bit went on his dressage bridle. The plain snaffle eventually proved to be insufficient for Charlie's gusto over fences, so I switched to another KK Ultra - same mouth piece but now with a three ring elevator cheek piece.

After making that change, I switched the fatter aurigan bit to Charlie's dressage bridle, which he actually seemed to like a little better. That's been our go-to situation through the end of last year's competition season.

my two Sprenger KKs: the one hanging straight down is a standard loose ring made in the aurigan alloy, and the one i'm holding up is in a plain silver (i think) and is technically a bradoon snaffle, therefore with smaller rings. the aurigan bit is slightly thicker than the bradoon bit -- only barely, but possibly enough to make a difference.

My dressage trainer has at times wondered if something different might prove more palatable (lol puns) to Charlie, tho. Not that the KK isn't working well for us, but just a general curiosity of whether there's a better option out there. 

So I've kinda vaguely been keeping an eye out for another Myler - but this time their lowest level, simplest comfort snaffle. This is another double jointed loose ring bit -- but the joint functions differently than a typical snaffle by not being fully able to bend or collapse. The middle ring holds the bit's shape as a general "U" even as the pieces are allowed to rotate and move independently.

the new bit: Myler loose ring comfort snaffle, picked up from eBay

One finally popped up on eBay at a good price, so I nabbed it and Charlie's been wearing it for a couple weeks now. Honestly? I haven't really noticed a true difference. There are times where I really like it, and times where I've felt like it's not sufficient in the brakes department. However both of those feelings could also have been caused by environmental factors so I'm not ready to attribute them to the bit itself.

Basically, needs more experimentation, I think. But I don't *dislike* it so far. We'll see. It's staying on the bridle for now. Have any of you used Myler bits? Had any similar experiences to me with the two I've tried so far? Or does your horse seem kinda like Charlie, where he kinda goes more or less the same in most bits, with just very subtle differences?

photo of my favorite pair of spurs: simple little nubs. 

Anyway. Bits aren't the only difference lately in Charlieland. Leading us to item #2 on my list of updates: Spurs!!!

You may remember last February where I wrote about ditching carrying a whip or crop with Charlie and picking up a pair of spurs instead. The idea there was that Charlie was no stranger to either whips or crops, and it's likely based on what I know from his track history that he and former trainers had some throwdowns that included possibly excessive use of said whip/crop.

Long story short, Charlie knows what those tools are. Has a history of fighting against them. And would basically give me this attitude of "Bring it on!" when I'd try to apply them as aids, especially during his 'dinosaur in tar pit' moments. This was.... not productive or fun or even very safe haha. Spurs, however, were new to him and would allow me to get in and get out when needed, without a lot of fuss.

pictured: charlie reacting to the crop almost exactly one year ago. it's a tough life, buddy!

Over time tho, Charlie has grown more accustomed to the spurs. And when we went through a recent sour patch caused by a pinching saddle, he would take out his irritation by reacting very badly to any spur. Much like he used to do with a whip or crop. So I decided to ditch the spurs (allowing me to really boot him when he needed a boot), and picked up a crop again.

We've spent a lot of time building trust over aids, expectations, and corrections appropriately sized to the indiscretions over the past year. So, so far, Charlie has accepted the reintroduction of the crop to our rides, especially if I'm really consistent in its application.

But as I learned in one of Charlie's earliest jumping lessons, when we were first starting to really struggle with his dinosaur in tar pit routine, there must be a clear, firm line on acceptable horsey behaviors while riding. And I need to be prepared to apply every tool in my tool box to help Charlie understand that. So far, so good!

i picked up the Smartpak blanket insulator on sale after hearing good things about it from Kristen at Stampy & The Brain

Obviously we also updated Charlie's saddle situation in light of said sour patch and subsequent nasty behavior haha... But I already told you about that gorgeous luxurious custom Hulsebos dressage saddle <3

So that about sums up all the changes in riding gear thus far into the off season. I tend to be a real creature of habit and routine, and somewhat change averse, but these small adjustments have been fun to play with.

Other recent additions are more along the management side of things - like #3, the above insulating water bucket cover. I only picked it up at the very tail end of our recent extreme cold snap so we haven't had a real true test of how effective it is yet.

Kristen gave it solid review tho, and so far the commentary from barn staff is: it isn't a cure-all, but it does help. And when ice does form in extremely cold temperatures, it doesn't form as thickly and is therefore easier to break up. So the general feeling from those who would care the most is that it's a positive addition.

hey it's a picture of my horse's shoulder in mid January, after being clipped for about a month now and blanketed almost full time. so far, no rubs! 

A more glowing review has to come in for new item #4: the new style of shoulder guard that I tried this year. A loose silky bib made by Snuggy Hoods that I picked up a few months ago from Amazon for something like $15.

This thing is fantastic - it fits loosely under any style of blanket and has a tab that loops over blanket straps to keep the bib in place. Tho the woman who helps me with blanket changes during the week never remembers to use the tab and the bib stays in place anyway.

flashback to when i first introduce our new shoulder guard, the silky loose bib by Snuggy Hoods. so far i'm a big fan!

I use this bib under any and all blankets, including Charlie's Back on Track mesh sheet. And so far he doesn't have any shoulder rubs at all, whereas this time last year he was already becoming bald in spots.

The bib itself is still in great shape despite all the constant wear. I should have taken a new picture of it, but all seams are still holding, it's not gotten super nasty or anything like that, and basically looks the same now as it did when I got it, aside from the standard dust and whatnot.

So my general verdict? This thing was definitely worth the cost, is super easy to fit, and easier to get on and off than the previous stretchy elastic thingy I used. My friends who tried to get one after me this year couldn't find one in the right sizes, but it's worth keeping an eye out for next season, imo.

shine bright like a diamond, charlie! and yes one of the strands is out of juice right now, but there's a usb charger so i think i can just recharge it on my usb adapter in my car one of these days!

Last but not least: #5 on my list of fun new changes in recent times, the reflective LED road safety breast plate from my blogger secret santa, Susan of Saddle Seeks Horse.

This thing is amazing - rechargeable LED light strips on each segment of the breast plate that can either hold a steady glow or strobe or pulse (or stay off). The top two straps have standard clips to attach to the saddle's D rings, and the bottom strap has a loop to fit over the girth. All three straps are fully adjustable and fit Charlie easily.

On weeknights Charlie and I spend a lot of time on the long, twisty driveway between his barn and the arenas. Drivers know to be careful and watch for horses..... but it's also REALLY hard to see - esp dark horses and around the bends. Naturally, this can be pretty nerve wracking both for riders AND drivers.

it's gotten a lot of compliments from passing drivers!

So far every time Charlie's worn this breast plate, we have encountered passing cars. And almost all the drivers have stopped to roll down their windows and say how easy it was to see us. Or, they have mentioned it to me later.

The breastplate can seem kinda silly, and it's definitely SUPER flashy and can be a little spooky or cast an eerie green glow on our path.... But it makes me feel WAY safer on the road. So I'm calling it a win.

Anything that makes the dark, cold winter nights more festive, right? So yea. That's all my latest and greatest stuff recently. Normal practical stuff like anti-rub guards for blankets, and water bucket insulators. And not getting thrown off my horse when he bucks at the spur. Ya know. Normal stuff. But also fun stuff like bit experimentation and sparkling like a disco ball on our way up to the arenas. Lol....

Have you used the off season to reconfigure any of your gear or tack? Or found any useful upgrades for dealing with all the incidentals that come along with winter? Or maybe you're still holding out for some big exciting upcoming purchases or additions???