Cob Jockey

Holy shit.  You guys.  I don't have enough exclamation points to describe how happy I am with last weekend's Kim Gentry bit and bridle clinic!!!  If you have the chance to do one of these, even if you don't think you need to, DO IT!

I went by myself and got zero media, so have a picture of my pack mule.

I've never done anything like this before.  If you haven't heard of these, GP rider Kim Gentry travels the country with a suitcase full of fancy bits and bridles - Neue Schule, Schockemoehle, that sort of thing. I went into it with no complaints about my bit, but I've never felt like I had a bridle that fit Connor, particularly behind the ears, and this sounded cheaper than buying and selling a pile of bridles to figure it out, so I paid my $150 and hauled him back to the farm we rode with Mary at.

I warmed up and she called us over.  After we talked about our background, she stuck her hand in his mouth to get to know his anatomy.  Some of the things she said were "low palate, large tongue, extremely sensitive bars, big puffy lips."

The first thing she put us in was a Neue Schule Turtle Top, a French link loose ring designed to lessen the pressure on his low palate.  Predictably (for me), he got his tongue over less than a lap in.

"Oh!" said Kim, "Do I have something for you, mister!"

I didn't recognize the second bit she put in his mouth, but HOLY SHIT it was a revelation.  The first thing I noticed was that his front end, neck and withers were lifted from the moment we left the mounting block.  The second thing I noticed was that he felt SO good in the contact - consistent, light, comfortable.  The third thing I noticed was that I had access to every part of his body with so little effort, he felt like a gumby horse compared to normal.  And the fourth thing I noticed: instead of launching himself into the canter chest and underneck first, he actually started the transition from his hind end and pushed forward instead of pulled.

"This is great!  He immediately got round in his topline, and that transition was great," she said.  "Let's try a variation on that bit and see if he likes it better."  This was the same bit, but with a slightly more forward curve to it.


Within seconds, I knew this one wasn't it.  He was back to feeling like a wood block.  But I was glad she tried it, because after that I got a second spin with the Choirs of Angels Bit, and it was just as good the second time.

This time, she taught me a brief 10 minute lesson.  And it was then that I was really sold on this bit.  Connor was offering so much that she was able to push us way further into collection than I've ever felt on that horse before.  At one point she asked me to transition from canter to trot by pushing his hindquarters out on the circle and then leg yielding steeper and steeper until he was forced to offer trot, and I swear to god he was cantering in place with his front end so elevated it felt to me like he was rearing with each step (he wasn't, they have mirrors, remember I'm really not used to his front end actually being elevated), and I was smiling and laughing with a joy I couldn't hide.

What, you don't have a baguette mule?  He's a farmer's market essential accessory!

"THAT is an incredible transformation," she said.  "There's a really fancy Dressage horse in there, this is going to unlock new worlds for you.  And all it took was getting him really comfortable, that's what it's all about, finding the bit that makes them the most comfortable with their anatomy."

And, for me, being pushed that far with him and him not getting his tongue over the bit told me he really WAS comfortable.  I doubt he could get it over the port, but he wasn't even trying or thinking about getting it over.  Either way, both horse and rider were happy.

The bit?  A Bombers Happy Tongue loose ring.  Literally would never have tried this in a million years. From the website: "The Bomber Happy Tongue Loose Ring allows for immediate release and relief from tongue and bar pressure. The bit is immediately reset to a neutral position in the horse's mouth...The rider will know immediately if this is the correct bit, as a horse with a sensitive tongue will finally begin to work into, and accept the contact."  Um, yes, yes that was my experience!  (And yes, it's USDF legal.  May not be USEA legal based on quick inconclusive Googling).

It also has to be shipped by carrier pigeon from South Africa and will take a month to get to me.  Cue tears of sadness - I'm seriously considering giving him a month off until it gets here, I'm not sure I can go back to the way he felt before.  I'm not sure he wants it either.

Also the cheapest bit she sells at $90 so, yay!

Next up: bridle fitting!