Bully Wooly

Bully Wooly and I have made friends.

Note: Horns are not for chewing

New Neighbor

I have a problem with my new neigh-bor.  He's actually a moo-bor.

The problem is that he has the grassy paddock, and I have the trimmed-short paddock.

He seems quite pleased with the arrangement.

Re: My Spring Fling

I, William Pendleton Grey, would like to go on record and say that after two consecutive days of airing out in the spring breezes, I did behave with most admirable decorum today on our hack out. I even declined two car chasing opportunites and conducted myself with the utmost dignity.

The Joy of Spring

The weather is fine and I have a spring in my step! There are teeny tiny shoots of grass. Ever so rare but juicy and tender.

I've shaken out all the winter dust, and cleared my pipes.

I'm working out all the kinks.

It feels so good to get out in the warm sunshine and get things aired out and fluffed up.

'Round and 'Round and 'Round We Go

Where this stops, nobody knows...



After I got used to having two bits in my mouth, and the curb rein buckled to the bareback pad, we added the snaffle rein. I got to run around with that arrangement for a few days. It isn't much bother. With the reins so long, the only feeling I got was a slight motion as their weight swung the bits a little.

Because we had the bareback pad on, Brita could hop on for a little ride towards the end of each work out and take up contact on the reins... not ready to ride yet... so I need some work in lines.

My bareback pad is replaced with a surcingle, and the snaffle rein is removed and replaced with long lines. The curb rein is buckled through the center ring on the surcingle. At first she didn't even take up contact, just let the weight of the lines take it up. I set my head up really cute. I'm very light mouthed, and just the weight of the reins is enough to get a response.

We go through my paces both ways of the ring at a walk, trot and canter. I am obedient enough on lines that my trainer only needs one hand, leaving the other hand free for movie making.

Once the camera is put away, the lines can be taken up, and contact adjusted to keep me bent along the circle. If my mouth is happy, and I am receptive to learning that day, then the lines are shortened and we do some "ground driving" in figure eights and serpentine. This DOES require two hands. It also sends a lot of new and complicated information through the double bits. Brita can watch from a distance to see what is going on which is the reason long lining is so useful. From my back she can't see as well what mistakes she is making and we can concentrate on me and giving me experience with the bridle.

How'd I do? Good?

Double Double Toil and Trouble

We have been doing some constructive things with our time. The main one is working on getting a double bridle adjusted for me. And here's what I think of THAT...

It's not that I'm totally unfamiliar with a double bridle. I did a stint back when I was four years old when we were trying to decide my career path. Also, now and then we use a pelham, but we spend most of our time in a plain snaffle.

Since I'm a Saddlebred, Brita figures it would be best if I learn the finer points of a double in case anyone ever expects me to wear one. And since she has dreams of showing side saddle someday, a double bridle is really the most appropriate. Plus, at my age and stage she says a horse ought to know these things.

Fortunately, Brita, with her Saddlebred background, knows enough to lead the way on this one, even if she is a little out of practice. The first and most important part is getting bits that fit. This is a bit of a shopping challenge, because I have a wiiiiiiide head. Not a big head. A wiiiiiiide one. I now wear a 5 1/2" bit. All the bits in our double bridle bit collection are 5". In fact, I've outgrown all the bits we own except for my favorite racing Dee and a full cheek Waterford. So it was time to go shopping. You can't even buy a 5 1/2" bit in a Saddlebred store. But the dressage people make some.

So here I am in my new 5 1/2" weymouth bit. Brita says if we ever want to play Cowboy and buy a western bit (or cinch for that matter), we have to shop at the Big and Tall (draft horse tack) store. I am wiiiiide in more than one place.

The next challenge is getting them hung in the right place. Your bradoon (snaffle) must hang above the curb mouthpiece and wrinkle the sides of your mouth. The weymouth (curb) must hang below so as not to interfere or pinch against the other bit. But not so low as to clank against your teeth. It's easiest to adjust one bit at a time. That's why we have the bridle stripped down.

We started with the curb. The problem with the curb is that it tickles my whiskers. I'll need to shave. Sometimes it gives me sneezing fits and I have to stop and rub my face on something. Shaving helps this.

While we're making these adjustments, I spend most of my time trotting about with my curb rein buckled through the "oh shit" strap at the pommel of my bareback pad. I don't even get the snaffle rein yet because Brita does not want me to be able to pull against it to help pick that snaffle up into my teeth because I like to chomp on it.

I am spending a lot of time with the bits just hanging there so I can get accustomed to this mouthful. The next step will involve replacing the bareback pad with a surcingle and running long lines off of the snaffle so I can get used tot he feel of two bits working independently in my mouth.

Happy Feet!

I got my shoes back on yesterday and my feets feel SO much better!

I even got to go for a run down the road!

Whoopee!