A Change Brings Me Back to Start

Debbie called me earlier in the week asking if I could postpone my lesson until 12:30 P.M. as she wanted to be with her grandson as he got ear-tubes Wednesday morning. Since it was going to be cold early in the day, and it was going to be even colder later in the week I agreed. We had never had a lesson where he had been turned out for hours previously so I was…

How to - Make Money with your Equine Business

This idea is as simple as ABC which is why it works.

If making money from what you already have and attracting a steady stream of new clients to your business sounds interesting.  Continue reading.

If you have all the clients and money you could possibly want or need. Congratulations, feel free to discard this information, I won’t waste any more of your…

How to - Make Money with your Equine Business

This idea is as simple as ABC which is why it works.

If making money from what you already have and attracting a steady stream of new clients to your business sounds interesting.  Continue reading.

If you have all the clients and money you could possibly want or need. Congratulations, feel free to discard this information, I won’t waste any more of your…

How to - Make Money with your Equine Business

This idea is as simple as ABC which is why it works.

If making money from what you already have and attracting a steady stream of new clients to your business sounds interesting.  Continue reading.

If you have all the clients and money you could possibly want or need. Congratulations, feel free to discard this information, I won’t waste any more of your…

Finally I am Riding Again

And it is SO GOOD to get back into the saddle!

I have just been walking because I got so weak while my cracked ribs healed. My entire body has to be brought back “on line” so I can ride safely and without irritating the horses. Right now walking the horse is the best thing I can do to get my body…

Dwyer on Curb Chains

This is probably the last blog I write on Francis Dwyer's book, “On Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting,” since I am riding again (YEAH!!!). Since the curb bit, in the past, was named after the curb chain, I will give you what Dwyer wrote about the curb chain so that there are seven blogs I've written about this book. I am sorry if there is some repetition from previous…

Dwyer on Curb Bits—Part III

Now we get to the outside of the curb bit, the upper and lower bars of the curb bit cheek-pieces. Again all quotes come from “Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting” by Francis Dwyer, all caps are my emphasis and all parentheses include my clarifications when the meaning is unclear.

From page…

Dwyer on Curb Bits—Part II

This week I quote Dwyer on the inside of the horse's mouth and how that can affect the selection of a proper curb bit. All quotes are from “Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting” by Francis Dwyer. Everything in parentheses is my additions, and I put really important things in capital letters.

On…

  Despite all I've read about how to position oneself in the saddle, and despite my best effort to follow advice, it is still easy to mis-understand, and easier still to slip into poor posture.

  So, re-reading the advice for beginners in the EC handbook, and re-reading Sally Swift's definitive work, and discussing it with my coach while doing my usual, strenuous riding without stirrups, we came to two observations, viz., that the stirrup bars and flaps of the standard European riding…

Dwyer on Curb Bits, Part I

Dwyer writes a lot on curb bits because back then the cavalries used a lot of curbs, either by themselves or as part of the double bridle.  From his experiences with 400 light cavalry horses in the Austrian Imperial cavalry he determined that many, if not most, of the problems that the cavalry troopers had with their horses came from improperly fitted and sited curb bits.

Dwyer (and Oeynhausen) found certain ratios in the horses' heads…

Dwyer on Snaffle and Bridoon Bits

Most of Dwyer's writings on bits concentrate on the curb bit, but he does have some words to say about snaffle bits, fortunately. As before all the quotes are from “On Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting” by Francis Dwyer. All the underlining and parentheses are mine.

On page 140 Dwyer lets…

Toronto's leading indie art gallery, URBAN GALLERY, presents their show for December 2018 with a whole herd of colourful, vibrant horses galloping across the gallery walls: VANESSA CUARTAS presents lively abstract equine portraits in her solo…

Dwyer's Philosophy of Bitting

The last two weeks, stuck at home, I have been reading, re-reading and digesting the bitting information in Francis Dwyer's “On Seats and Saddles, Bits and Bitting.” I have been questioning all of my old assumptions about bits and riding with bits. While reading and thinking about this information I have wondered if many of the modern fads in riding, which many of…

What I've Learned About Curb Bits

After hurting all weekend I went to my MD on Monday. He ordered X-rays and found two cracked ribs. I am also bruised from my left hip down my thigh, my lower back from the edges of the protective vest, and my left rib cage hurts. I asked the doctor about riding and he said 6 WEEKS not riding, I told him about Mia (32-33, arthritic, freezes instead of bolting so…

I Don't Bounce Like I Used To

I fell off Coach.

It was in the 30's F when we got out to the stable. For some reason Coach had not been turned out at all that morning in spite of 2 days inside because of the cold rain. When Debbie brought him to the wash stall he was pissed off, he was more reactive to his grooming and he…

The environment plays a vital factor,and it affects every living thing on this planet. As human beings, it is like a sacred duty to save the environment. There are many human actions and machines built by human beings that affect the environment,but the ill effects can be curbed if proper measures are implemented. The keeping of a pet animal or…

The Thick Flexible Mullen Mouth Snaffle Got a No

I had found a $20.00 USD thick flexible black rubber Mullen mouth snaffle on Ebay. I bought it to try on Coach because it was cheap enough that I would not be out much money if Coach gnawed it to pieces. I also liked that it had a thick, gentle mouthpiece and that it did not taste HORRIBLE to me. Trotting is coming up and I worry that with…

Both Mares Like My Bombers Bit More Than Coach Does

This week I got to try my new Bombers Titanium Happy Tongue bit on Cider and Mia. After Coach's reactions I was not very hopeful, particularly with Mia. When I asked Shannon if I could switch Cider's bit from the titanium coated rainbow Kimberwick to the Bombers bit she was quite interested.…

Coach Did NOT Like His New Bit!

I was SO EAGER to try my new bit when it arrived! It is a Bombers Titanium Happy Tongue non-jointed snaffle. Coach has clearly indicated a preference for titanium bits over stainless steel bits, and he also has firmly “told” me that the more joints the bit has the more the bit irritates him. This bit is “anatomic” in shape, with a generous port and it is Bomber's…