VN :>full cheek snaffle.  They sold me a snaffle with TWO
VN :>hinges, and I use it when she is in a Western saddle,
 MA> There is a bit called a french snaffle...like a regular snaffle, only it 
 MA> has two hinges connected by a flat plate in the 
 MA> middle.  Also a Dr. Bristol...they're similar, but the 
 MA> Bristol is harsher.  The French snaffle is a nice 
 MA> bit...often better for horses who have smaller mouths 
 MA> and can't tolerate a fat plain snaffle.  I used one on 
 MA> Fiddle for a while till she outgrew it.  I've been 
 MA> thinking about getting a new one...
     I'll have to look at it; seems to me that it is a flat thing in the 
middle that is almost dog-bone in shape.  She likes it a lot.
     Hey, I feel really stupid - I have been letting a lady from HORSES HELP 
(the local therapeutic riding place) drive Spot -  it was AWESOME, she got 
TEARS IN HER EYES because she had always believed that since polio left her 
with almost no strength in her right hand, she would be unable to ever drive 
a horse.  I took her out twice, and fought the urge almost successfully to 
grab the reins out of her hands when I didn't think she could pull hard 
enough.  But, Spot AMAZED me; she actually ADJUSTED and started listening to 
Penelope's voice when I finally got smart and let Penelope give the commands 
instead of me.  
     Anyway, last Monday Mrs. Braswell (also a polio victim, if you recall - 
evidently the disease favored women whose lives revolved around horses) gave 
Penelope a lesson, her first time driving alone (without me in the cart) and 
her first time driving in the arena.  Spot was perfect - did everything 
Penelope asked her to do.  EXCEPT that she stuck out her nose and got out of 
the bridle.
     Mrs. Braswell asked me where the cavesson was; I told her I only used it 
while showing so Spot wouldn't open up her mouth when asked to back up.  She 
looked at me with a surprised look, said she needed it to get on the bit (I 
*THINK* that's what she said) so I went and got it on Spot.
     Minutes later, Spot was flawlessly collected, her neck was arched, and 
her nose was almost perpendicular to the ground.  What a nice presentation 
that mare can give!
     My question - HOW IN THE HECK?  I mean, what does the cavesson have to 
do with that?  She was all strung out, neck-wise, like many of the hunter 
jumpers I see in the show rings.  I put the cavesson on her and within 2 
minutes she was back on the bit where she belonged.  I don't think Penelope 
did anything different...I feel like such a dummy when things like this 
happen!  I mean, just when I THINK I am starting to understand something 
about these horses...
I guess Penelope knows now what I mean when I say Mrs. Braswell knows my 
horses better than I do.
--- Maximus/2 3.00
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