Make the Bridle a Safe Place

This week has, so far, been punctuated by some great milestones in Factor’s world - chiropractic, a great ride, getting a turnout buddy - and some great learning in mine.

For my part, I recently joined EventingTraining.com - if you don’t know about it, it’s worth a month’s fee for some of the content available on training and riding event horses. I’ve buzzed through a dozen videos so far and have been really benefiting from the video instruction even as a means of immersing myself in lessons during a time of limited clinics.

One of my favourite take-aways so far was a description of contact:

“…the bit should be a safe place…”

I had to pause the video I was watching, and really consider what that meant. If the contact is steady, the bit does not interact with the bars or tongue or roof of mouth except in that the horse has a sort of “suction” on the bit itself. This allows a calm conversation, and creates the possibility for articulation through must subtle aids. But first, of course, the rider needs to create calm, receiving hands - and make the bit a safe place - before the horse will naturally want to rest there.

It seems so simple, that idea, and yet the reason for why we want quiet hands is soft often a quick impart from the instructor about the horse’s mouth being sensitive… But the physicality of the horse’s jaw, tongue, pallet and the mechanics of a bit are so incredibly important to understand at a more-than-conceptual level (in my opinion) when you begin the discussion with a young horse or retrain an OTTB.

For Factor, the world this week was perhaps equally enlightening.

Last weekend, Factor was turned out with his new paddock friend, a young warmblood gelding named Noah. Though not an overly dominant character, Factor definitely demanded Noah be respectful in his bubble or leave him be. For this, honestly, I’m glad and grateful - in thinking back on other horses I’ve owned or worked with, the opposite likely would result with my horse taking a shod foot to the head.

On Sunday, we rode in the indoor - solid ride overall! I introduced him to the German rein, though the intention of riding with them stopped at the introduction to the concept of stretching at the walk, versus applying more pressure to the bit as we moved at pace. He’s an OTTB after all, and he definitely still believes contact means faster. At a walk, though, Factor was eager to stretch his neck and back, with only a handful of prompts to continue to engage his hindquarters and keep impulsion.

Monday was a day of rest for my big guy, and instead of working too hard we just did a lunge exercise at the walk and trot. After that, the vet was out, and Factor got his toes x-rayed again to see how his hooves are progressing since we first took his shoes off. (Side note - I’m a huge believer in preventative medicine. X-rays and imaging of a horse’s joints while they are healthy and sound is key to helping stop problems in the hoof before they get out of control when unsoundness shows up.) In the wintery months from the end of October to mid-February (3.5 months) the imaging revealed almost 5mm of digital cushion and new hoof sole depth! Some of the coffin bone impacts from racing - some bone spurs in three feet - are showing signs of improvement as well. We are going to make some adjustments to how he’s trimmed, but overall solid improvement in so many ways.

Our ride on Tuesday was short but exceptionally sweet, which made the small window I had to be at the barn that much more wonderful. Factor and I found the arena empty and freshly dragged, so seized the opportunity to lay down a ground pole and try warming up under saddle versus the lunge. We spent the entire ride at a walk or trot, using the pole to keep some interest and frankly to distract him from how sticky he can be on his right on a circle.

It went beautifully.

Any time he wanted to speed off, I asked him to slow down. Any time he started to try to lean off balance in our rhythm, I asked for an adjustment back the other way. In a mostly walking ride, Factor worked up a nice heart rate and seemed eager to learn what I was trying to say. By the end of the ride, he had the lip lather of an engaged mouth and was loose through his body. The most satisfying of all though was that after I dismounted and we began walking away, I heard a few clicks as Factor’s hind hooves over-tracked and struck the sole of his fronts.

The coup-de-gras of everything else, Factor got his first chiropractic adjustment the day following our wonderful ride. Our new friend came out and showed me some ways I can warm up his hamstrings and other tight areas before we ride, and check in with how tight he is overall. She adjusted his entire right side, releasing pop after snap after crunch. By the time she was done, Factor stood square behind, with two identifiable glute muscles in his hindquarters. He has been labeled “flexible”, but it was a solid reminder that flexibility does not equate strength.

Even more satisfying, when I went to see him today, that square stance behind was still there, with a very solid confidence. My boy is feeling good in his body ^_^