VN :>owner ended up selling her Princess for *$800* (gasp!) and
VN :>somehow she ended up getting Princess for free as she made
VN :>$800 profit off what he wanted for another of his stolen
VN :>horses that she sold here for him.  I was very surprised
Not a bad deal!  Always nice to hear about an x-racehorse going to a good 
home and not to the killers.  Lots and lots of them around here.  Trained 
right and in the right hands, they make great horses.
Fiddle's mom was one of these, although she didn't quite fit the bill of 
"great horse".  She had a 'tude a mile wide, which occasionally shows up in 
her daughter (g).
VN :>     Getting back to the subject (finally) - it's a "French
VN :>cavesson."  I asked Mrs. B. what that meant as I had to
VN :>special order it as the harness is black - it just means
VN :>it's skinny and plain.  Looks just like the cavessons on my
VN :>plain vanilla hunt bridles except it's black.
Sounds like just a plain cavesson to me.  That wouldn't have the effect of 
the others that I mentioned, although if you buckle it tight, it will put 
some pressure on her upper nose.  Not quite sure why you're getting the 
response you're getting.  You don't buckle it OVER the cheek pieces, do you?
VN :>     Okay, that explains it - she HAS to keep her mouth
VN :>closed...she she gets ON the bit, right?  If it was Dub, he
Actuallyl, getting on the bit doesn't really mean that.  Getting on the bit 
is where the horse accepts the bit, rounds itself, and goes with impulsion 
from behind.  You can do all you want with a horse's mouth to keep their head 
in the right position, but if your horse isn't doing the rest, he's not "on 
the bit".  Many people believe that just because they've solved the "mouth" 
problem, they've done the whole job.  However, I'm sure Mrs. B. knows the 
difference (g)!
VN :>would find still another way to evade it, I think.  I'm so
VN :>accustomed to dealing with a DIFFICULT horse that when I
VN :>work with one that ISN'T, I don't know how to do it!  :)
I have the same problem.  One of the biggest things I had to learn to 
overcome (and am still learning!), is to let Fiddle just go straight and 
relaxed while she's being trained to the basic gaits.  I was always adjusting 
my leg, seat, etc. to get Thistle to do what she already knew how to do, and 
I have to work really hard to stay quiet in the saddle with Fid.
Thistle was an amazing horse, but she did come with particular problems that 
required a particular style of riding...not one you'd want to use with a 
green horse.  BTW, my husband, RICHARD the BIG HEART, had a headstone made 
for me for Christmas for Thistle's grave.  It's beautiful, pink granite with 
ahorsehead and Thistle's name on it.  We're going to lay it flush with the 
ground so the grass will grow around it and we can just mow over it.  We're 
having somewhat of a thaw here this week, so I hope we can get it in today or 
tomorrow.  The guy who did it is a friend of ours, and when he found out what 
Richard wanted, he refused to charge him for it!  So I feel twice blessed.
Ask Mrs. B. what she thinks this cavesson is doing for the horse and let me 
know.  I'd really be interested to see what she has to say.
Meg  
 
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