After a great visit with my mom I was ready to hit the trails this morning. My custom bridle from Distance Depot came on Saturday and I was itching to try it out. As you can see it's just a thin strip of beta attached to the bit and not quite visible is a loop at the poll that goes around the halter and pops back onto itself so there is some sort of security without the brow/throat latch/noseband.
It went on really easily and Desire didn't sling her head with the simple slip over the ears, not having to pull her right ear through the browband seemed to solve the problem as I had hoped. I checked it throughout the ride to make sure it wasn't too thin and biting into her poll but she seemed comfortable in it and it's very light and easy to tie onto the saddle which I did at the end of the ride as I was walking in. I love having the rope halter on her so there is some bite there if I need it. Overall, VERY happy with a very affordable custom piece.
5 miles out from the trailer I stopped at the local fishing hole just to see and Guess What--my husband was there! He was just getting into his truck to head home but it was nice to catch each other and our mini doxie, Wilbur, hung out with me in the saddle for a while ;-)
Lots of grass sprouting along the trails and Desire was happy to grab mouthfuls as well as turning her head back for the occasional bite of carrot. She pooped and drank and grazed but held her pee again until back at the trailer. *eyeroll*
Miss D started out pretty mellow but got balky on the way home. She wasn't as forward as usual today and I thought I felt a few funny steps in her hind end. You know how when you ride alone and think you feel something and then would give anything for a riding buddy to watch and see if your horse looks sound?!! Yeah, that happened. I got off and walked a couple of times, and watched her walk a couple of times too, she looked sound and felt mostly sound but once those things are in your mind it's hard to make them go away without backup opinions at hand.
Now we know where Sheza's cranky white-eye look came from! GIVE ME CARROT
I activated the haunch pressure points lightly and evenly with hoof picks and her spine popped a bunch of times like when the bodywork gal did it last week. This muddy Desire pcitured below is muddy because she was washed--and then she rolled and rolled!
Definitely much more frequent rolling since the back adjustment and further pressure point attention from me. I am happy with the Renegades, loving the Woolback pad for her, and like her new bridle however I am concerned about arthritis in her hind end/stifle popping/mysterious weird steps I felt. She is on Smartpak Smartflex III supplements currently, with electrolytes and salt daily in her mashes. I'll be keeping a close eye on things and hopefully am just being paranoid!
I like the simplicity of that bridle. I've also been looking for a snap-onto-halter version. Major is weird about his ears too, not bad, but he doesn't like to have his (BIG) ears shoved around. I don't blame him. Desire doesn't want you to mess up her pretty hair! 8-)
ReplyDeleteI hope Desire is OK. I know the weird-step feeling is unnerving. I wonder if she is using muscles a bit differently since her adjustment, and needs to strengthen the muscles/tendons/etc that support those structures.