Since I had noticed that Mick’s back felt better when I used a bit versus using a cross-under bitless bridle I decided to see if I could get him to move his tongue more while being ridden.  I had three choices from my bit collection, my egg-butt center copper roller snaffle, my regular Wellep bit and the Wellep Lever cheek bit that acts like a gag bit (these bits are no longer made, you can see them at wellep.com.)  Since I think…

Last week I offered Debbie the chance to see if my old German made dressage saddle would work for her Arab gelding Tercel.  This is an old calf-skin covered saddle I had found in pitiful condition in my feed store almost ten years ago.  It obviously had been ridden by someone in jeans (the leather jockeys covering the stirrup buckles were sadly worn,) and the saddle had obviously not been stored right because there were wrinkles in the calf-skin on the flaps, luckily not…

Mia, the nearly 30 year old Arab mare I ride, seems to be going through various issues as she ages.  Bits that used to be fully accepted start bothering her and she always lets me know in a few weeks if she wants me to change then.

Mia, in the past, has not particularly liked bitless bridles (old jumping caveson bridle, LG bitless, Nurtural cross-under bitless, Dr. Cook’s cross under…