Mounted: Side Pull Bridle
Today we played with the side pull bridle. I really like how it helps my confidence in transitioning into the trot, and trotting over ground poles. I don't worry about knocking Z in the mouth, and thus "go for it" over poles, as well as putting a lot more variety into our trot work (more transitions and turns, being more particular). I like how she doesn't surge foreward into the trot with it.
BUT, she really really leans into it, on the right. She only doesn't do this if I let her take her head right to the ground. If I ask her to carry it up, she pushes onto the rein, with no weight at all on the left side. As we proceeded this became more of a problem - I guess she figured it out!
I tried everything I know of to change how it was going, but nothing worked. She even became more difficult to halt. It isn't that she does not like it - I think she likes it a lot, because she really can do what she wants.
Mmmmm, guess our relationship still has some ways to go...
I have not been able to find information on the internet to help me. Seems that every brand of bitless bridle promises to resolve the problems of every other brand, but there is no discussion of horses that just won't pay attention to it at all.
Given that she does go nicely on the bit, and is not on the forehand I do not want to prolong use of this bridle as it seems we might actually regress, especially if she starts muscling up her neck incorrectly. I'm going to go back to the bit and work harder at sitting back for trot transitions, as well as incorporating more over-poles work, etc. to bring up my confidence.
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