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Showing posts from March, 2019

Is It Best To Walk Like A Horse, Talk Like A Horse?

Hubbie and my daughter with our young mare I recently showed a young mare to a prospective buyer who brought along her daughter who was also her trainer. The couple were searching for a dressage horse that they could also use in their lesson program as a therapy horse. Against my better judgement and wealth of experience I agreed to allow the trainer to work directly with the young mare from the ground. Well, at least. I agreed to allow her to longe it when she made the request on the phone. The mare was bridled with a bit in place, and the longe line attached to the bit as is our usual practice. The horse was home-produced at our farm and kept for our breeding program and to date had received perhaps 24 or so longe lessons and been sat on just a few times in preparation for sale as we are retiring from horse breeding. She had never put a foot wrong in all those sessions. Our training involves much patience to achieve relaxation and the voice is an important tool Afte

Excellent Rule Change - Double Bridle NOT Mandatory in 2019 at 4/5/6 star CDI's

Finally, the folks that control the rules of dressage as a sport are acknowledging that we need to allow the use of a snaffle bridle at higher levels of competition. The official 2019 FEI rule change: 2.2. For CDI 3 * / 4 * / 5 * / U25 and Championships / Games (except Ponies and Children), a double bridle with cavesson noseband is mandatory ie bridle and curb with curb chain . A combined noseband may be used without the lower "flash" The curb chain can be made of metal, leather or a combination. Lip strap and rubber, leather or sheepskin cover for curb chain are optional. Neither a cavesson noseband nor a curb chain may ever be so tightly fixed so as to harm the Horse. 2.2.1.: A snaffle bridle or double bridle is allowed in CDI1 * and 2 *, CDIJ and CDIY. 2.2.2.: For CDIP / Ch, Ponies and Children Championships, and marked on test sheets, a snaffle bridle is used. A noseband is still mandatory when a horse/pony is ridden in a snaffle: 2.2.3.:  A plain snaffle