and there was me thinking third time lucky

[MinnieMoo<3]

a few weeks ago a really nice lady came to see annie with loan wvtb in mind, she was looking for a project as her horse is going out on loan as he is too laid back for her, annie was a little madam when being ridden but she thought she was fab, we explained to her breifly that annie is in a bitless bridle because she doesnt respond to the bit and is better bitless. i decided not to post on here that we had finally found what seemed as the perfect home for annie as i didnt want to jinx it. we had got to the stage of writing up the contract for the loan and in the section on the BHS template for things the borrower needs to know about the horse, so we put how she is forward going and is ridden in the bitless briddle at all times to help with this, so she asked if she would be able to try her in a bit during the loan time, we said if you want you can but truthfully explained how annie doesnt like the bit much, the more pressure you put on the reins she shakes her head about alot and just generally doesnt like the bit. so then she replies saying that maybe annie isnt the horse for her if she really doesnt like the bit as she was hoping to maybe take her to some local shows once she was schooling nicely and so a bit would need to be worn. i honestly thought that we had finally found annie the perfect home, she rode annie really nicely with soft hands even when she was playing up for her and you could see her just being so calm with it all and letting annie like gather her thoughts again before asking again. 3 times we have got so close to finding annie a home, the first time we said no as the person kept messing us about and we just couldnt trust her to not mess us about when it came to payment, the second time she wasnt sound enough for her as she wanted to do dressage and now this. i am presuming she has checked with her local show secratary that they dont accept bitless but i just find it so annoying that parts of the horseworld still cant accept that some horses dont like bits, even a simple snaffle annie shakes her head around in, imo showing that she doesnt like it. annie has scarring in her mouth which the dentist has told us is probably caused by a bit, so if she associates a bit with pain and there is an alternative out their why cant it be used. i have nothing against bits, we are currenltly bitting minnie, it just doesnt make sense to me that a different approach is in some way wrong, even when it is the best thing for that individual horse. (sorry rant over :redcarded

i have decided that i think the kindest thing for annie would be to find her a home as a companion, and the YO and some others on the yard think annie would also be a lovely broodmare, both of these because of her fantastic temperament on the ground. i dont think she enjoys being ridden 'properly' we mostly ride on the road so im never asking her to do schooling stuff which she fights against, and she is fine if you are just changing pace, but just riding around the same loop of road isnt a life for a ridden horse, and she would need someone who is experienced enough to do anything more and i just dont think that annie enjoys it at all, also someone who does have the experience to want her would want to do more than just road work


so if anyone wants a 16.2 TB x to keep their horse company, meet annie! perfect in every way (except when ridden :giggle


creme eggs if you got to the end (my aunty have me a big box for easter and i dont really like them :redface

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

i think it was just an excuse really, how often do you go to shows, i think if she had really liked the horse, the bitless at shows could have been ignored, i am sorry you are still trying to find someone for her.

 

[Flipo's Mum]

Oh MM I'm sorry to read this, it must be so frustrating for you, you're being upfront and honest and then the disappointment. I hope you find the right home for Annie (love that name for a horse!)
I'm totally unexperienced with bitless and showing but your argument sounds justified to me - what is the explanation behind bitless not being accepted anyway? Is that true of insurance as well?

 

[MinnieMoo<3]

Oh MM I'm sorry to read this, it must be so frustrating for you, you're being upfront and honest and then the disappointment. I hope you find the right home for Annie (love that name for a horse!)
I'm totally unexperienced with bitless and showing but your argument sounds justified to me - what is the explanation behind bitless not being accepted anyway? Is that true of insurance as well?

thankyou, we quite like it too :giggle:

i dont really know is my honest answer, the dr cook website says that some disciplines require the use of a bit and that

Regarding showing, a BB user has asked the BHS to clarify the position - they have replied to the effect that, in principle, they have no objection to the Bitless Bridle, but that it is up to individual show secretaries - so please contact the show secretary of the show concerned.

as DandT said she could well have just used it as an excuse


and thinking about it we never did get round to telling our insurance that we have changed to bitless, the Dr Cook site says

I have written to several of the major equine insurance companies about this. The following two have stated that they are perfectly happy to insure horses whose owners are using The Bitless Bridle (subject to the normal terms and conditions of the policy). If you know of any others, please let me know. [Interestingly these 2 are the only two who had the courtesy to reply to my email!]

South Essex Insurance Brokers

NFU Mutual

we are with NFU, it then says in red letters it is important to get this fact conformed by your insurance in writing, ooops :redface: personally a horse like annie is alot safer bitless, for example, when bitted it used to become very dangerous if we had to stop at a junction, she would want to walk forwards, i would hold her back and she would dance all over the place, nearly into cars sometimes, in a bitless she happily standstill and not trying to rush out into the road infront of cars!

 

[Flipo's Mum]

I love NR - I get such an education on here! Thanks MM, I totally get that some horses prefer bitless and behave better in it, a shame that perhaps some ignorance or tradition in the show ground may stop bitless competing but yes, I guess it could have been an excuse for her backing out. I hope you find someone better soon.

 

[popularfurball]

This is my bug bear with showing - madam would be marked down for a regularly checked fitting treeless saddle - yet I could go in with Ill fitting treed and win. That said fat horses and stupid breeding annoys me too....*crawls back under grumpy stone*

As for annie I hope you get something sorted xxx

 

[juliecwuk]

Didn't I c a thread earlier on here looking for a TB type companion for light hacking too?

 

[MinnieMoo<3]

I love NR - I get such an education on here! Thanks MM, I totally get that some horses prefer bitless and behave better in it, a shame that perhaps some ignorance or tradition in the show ground may stop bitless competing but yes, I guess it could have been an excuse for her backing out. I hope you find someone better soon.

Its thanks to Newrider very soon after i joined ( and more specifically popularfurball) that i started using the bitless bridle! i had never really heard of it before and thankyou

This is my bug bear with showing - madam would be marked down for a regularly checked fitting treeless saddle - yet I could go in with Ill fitting treed and win. That said fat horses and stupid breeding annoys me too....*crawls back under grumpy stone*

As for annie I hope you get something sorted xxx

the showing world really is full of apparently the 'correct' way, but in horses i believe there is no 'correct' way as they are all different, can i join you under that grumpy rock? :giggle: and thankyou

Didn't I c a thread earlier on here looking for a TB type companion for light hacking too?

yeah if its the same one i saw unfortunately we are about 120 miles apart