Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Bits and Pieces

When Lucy came to Sandy's barn with her previous owner, Lucy was fussy in the contact.  Sandy tried her in a happy mouth bit (plastic, not metal) and told me that Lucy went much better.  When I bought Lucy, her bridle and happy mouth bit came with her.

I've noticed that she doesn't like to take the bit when I put the bridle on before we ride.  I rode Jackson, and Auke before him, in a KK Ultra bit and they both loved it; opening their mouths for the bit and even diving forward into the bridle at times in their eagerness to get the bridle on and get to work.  Winston had a huge tongue and so I used a tongue relief bit with him.

You know where this is going.  I decided to try the KK with Lucy to see if she liked it better.  Sunday morning I rode her with the bit.  She chomped on it like mad and fussed in our warm up.  But, she was in heat and she was fussing at everything in sight.  She did settle down and work quietly, no more furious chomping or head tossing.

This morning, I rode her early before work.  She stood quietly at the tie rail -- no heat induced scooting and pooping and fussing.  She took the bit -- not eagerly, but not reluctantly either.

She felt like gold riding.  Our leg yields were effortless.  Our conversation seemed more ... precise.

The happy mouth feels like talking to Lucy through a towel.  She can hear me but it isn't crystal clear.  This morning I asked and she gave.  I'm sure that if I rode as well as Sandy, I could communicate through the marble mouth feel of the rigid plastic bit.  Or maybe I just lucked out and found a bit that Lucy really likes.

Time will tell.  This was only ride two with the KK.

Lucy wore her fancy blue pad again this morning.  Its my favorite.  In answer to the question of where I got it:  I bought it from a vendor at a clinic and it is a Dutch brand.  UGG or something like that.  Um, no.  That's fleecy boots.  ...The name escapes me.

7 comments:

  1. A lot of horses seem to like the KK, although none of my current ones . . .

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  2. Okay, I checked the saddle pad. USG is the brand and the pad is German made not Dutch.

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  3. Aero does that 'not opening the mouth for the bit' every so often. This was actually what pushed me towards trying him bitless - I figured he was telling me something. He's so much happier without a bit, but of course I'd never be able to compete bitless, should we ever get to that point...
    Anyway I rummaged around in my bit box and found a straight rubber snaffle. I've ridden with it before - not Aero, some other horse years ago, I don't remember who - and I hated it. Like you said, it's like trying to communicate through a towel. We'll see how I get on with it next time I ride him with his bridle!

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  4. Our Appaloosa did the same thing until we started using a wonder bit. We told everyone about the bit and now everyone (Minus me, I ride bitless) at my barn uses it. Maybe something else to try if it doesn't work! :)

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  5. I have a kk imitation for Irish and he likes it a lot. I bought a Happy Mouth for Steele but I'm not sure that I like it- it seems too flexible and gets twisted easily. I'm thinking of switching him over.

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  6. The pad is attractive, and I'm so glad Brett takes pictures of you!

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  7. I love that blue pad. Thanks for looking to see what brand it was. :D

    I hope she continues to like her new bit!

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Thanks so much for commenting!