[drivingpairs] Re: Update Ansel and Adam

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Dear Friends,
Many of you offered suggestions on the situation I was having with a new pair 
of Perch geldings, Ansel and Adam. Adam was wanting to jig and work way ahead 
of laid back Ansel. I was considering using a buckback strap on Adam's 
halter, and promised to report the results.
Since that time I've been working both horses singly with a new Myler bit 
that has a jointed port. I really like the bit on both horses. Yesterday I 
constructed the buckback strap and my assistant and I hitched them as a pair 
and put 
to the wagonette. It was a blistering hot day and Adam was not so forward as 
before. Ansel only needed slight encouragement with the whip. They did so well 
on the farm and on the road that I never attached the buckback strap. 
So--though we still don't know how effective it would be (maybe he SAW it and 
KNEW I 
had him--<<GRIN>>), I'm happy right now with this newest pair and plan to put 
them to work in our carriage biz soon.

One thing that might have made a difference on Adam: previously I had worked 
him in a snaffle and he was very unresponsive--bore right through my hands. So 
I had switched to a butterfly bit with a straight mouthpiece and port. He was 
listening better, but was jigging more. Close inspection  mouth revealed a 
rather severe, raised old scar on the right corner of his mouth. My best guess 
is that someone really tore him up one time with some very evil bit. The new 
Myler has a curved mouthpiece. My insight now is that the Myler is more 
comfortable to him--therefore he relaxed and did not want to jig forward nearly 
as m
uch. 

On another topic. I use a britchen to britchen strap between my pairs. While 
ground driving before putting to yesterday, I decided it needed to be 
shortened a bit. My assistant held the lines while I attempted to shorten it 
(conway 
buckle) while still attached to the beasts. Bad idea. I had my left index 
finger between the doubled strap when both horses decided to shift their weight 
to 
the outside--this was not a silly  blither or anything so dramatic, just a 
shifting of their big wide arses. The result was that the strap lifted my 
fingernail right off the bed of my finger YEEOOWWWW and it hurt and bled like 
crazy. 
OUCH!!! So, lesson learned. Why did I not simply unfasten it, shorten the 
strap, and put it back on? Will I ever quit having to learn the hard way? 

Thought I'd pass this on in case someone else gets the same brilliant idea!

Best,
Carla Hawkinson
www.echobrookefarm.com 


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