I agree that people who are showing need to stay on top of rules and upcoming rule changes. The issue here is that this rule was slapped on at the last minute and before the regionals around the country. So, suddenly if you were showing in a now illegal bridle all season, you are forced to change your tack for the championships. That sucks so hard. It may not matter to a lot of horses, but many horses react to a minor change like a new bridle, even if the bit is the same. It’s clearly unfair and should have taken effect Dec 1st like virtually every other rule change.
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Sometimes it seems like USEF Dressage wants to lose members.
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This interests me. We have 3 horses showing in this crown piece - all of whom just did Region 8 champs and/or Devon and had no issues. But I agree, by the text of this ridiculously dumb new rule, the padding does extend more than 1.5 beyond the leather in the center. I believe one of the popular Schockemohle crowns is a similar design, so this is likely an issue for many people.
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It is the stability.
Bit checker here - I have noticed that bauchers tend to be fit to sit lower mouth than other bits - that is in relation to the length of metal cheek piece of the bit. A shorter leather cheek piece = more stability, which is another reason I think some horses prefer the baucher ring over the eggbutt or D ring, even if the mouth piece is the same.
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This is how I read it as well. However, they don’t clarify if they mean “after market” (not permanently attached to the bridle, but added by the rider) padding or padding that’s sewn into the crown piece. Essentially every bridle nowadays has padding on the underside of the crown piece and noseband, so specifying that the padding has to be continuous but intending that the crown piece has to be continuous is confusing. Why not just say “crown piece and padding have to be continuous”?
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I’d add to that that the mouthpiece is going to rotate less with the baucher, as well. For a horse who likes things the same-same-same else they stress, just that little change will make a big difference.
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This is something I didn’t really think about until I tried one, which ended up backfiring on me. My horse likes the stability of a D/eggbutt over a loose ring so I figured the Baucher would be a hit but I think it was TOO stable for him. He couldn’t get the mouthpiece to sit exactly where he wanted it in his mouth (exact same mouthpiece as his usual bit) which the D allows him to do. Unfortunately a very expensive failed experiment for me but I could see how other horses might prefer it for a number of reasons.
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It could be that the professionals were like us amateurs, out there riding and showing their horses in the same bridle all season until a few last minute mid season changes.
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I’m very curious/concerned about this one as well, I have a Lumiere bridle with an almost identical crownpiece. I think it will be legal, but it’s very confusing!
Not to further derail, but the Baucher design has no leverage in any direction on any part. You’d have to add rein hooks/curb chain to accomplish that, essentially making a kimberwick.
It also appears to have negative poll pressure when engaged, which is the opposite effect of a leverage bit. I think this is why so many horses like it - it is extremely stable and gives pressure relief on certain structures.
Sorry, not trying to harp on it! These types of rule changes made based on misunderstandings and lack of data - similar issues seen here with the crownpiece rule change - really bothers me coming from a national governing body for sport. You’d think they’d be consistent and clear, and have actual evidence to back up their choices. But no - rule changes to protect horses from abuse? Gotta wait for the new year. Rule changes that do nothing and aren’t based on science but will require riders to do major tack switches? Let’s implement them randomly.
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only if you taped the reins in place at the bottom of the ring. Otherwise there is no fulcrum.
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Does this mean that the entire Schockemohle line of anatomic bridles are also illegal?
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I just posted this in the other thread about new rules but here is our experience-
We are down at Region 4 Championships in Lake St Louis and the TD told us our Fairfax bridles are illegal and not valid for competition this weekend. She said it is due to the “bump” of padding that is located on the sides of the crown piece that comes into contact with the bony parts of the skull below the ears. It is one continuous piece of leather but she felt that the extra padding is an issue. She did take photos to send to USDF and also told me that ours was only the second Fairfax bridle she’s seen all season but here we are.
Thankfully we have a couple of other non-Fairfax bridles that we will be sharing to be able to compete.
The Schoeckmoehle bridles were accepted.
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I’m so sorry you’re going through this AT REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. This is just complete bullshit. If even the TDs don’t know and can’t all agree on what is within or outside of the rule, its a problematic rule. I really want to see the horses that were in pain or abused because of ANY of these crownpieces.
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If the TD’s can’t agree on interpreting the rulebook, how is a simple competitor to figure out the rules?
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My late mare absolutely insisted on her Montar bridle with the padding that didn’t go all the way across the crown. She was a headshaker, and that poll relief was so much more comfortable for her. In her case, I would’ve just quit showing if I had been showing recognized dressage and this rule had affected her.
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Woooooooooow.
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@spencerlucy - Ouch! So glad you were able to borrow bridles to deal with the craziness.
FYI - I emailed about the Fairfax as well and will share when I hear back.
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@eponacelt - Seriously! And Fairfax has actually done the work to provide data showing how their bridle relieves pressure.
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@spencerlucy push back hard on that TD about it - politely. Fairfax is one of the few bridles that has actual studies proving the opposite.
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