[QUOTE=o0rxkxrox0o;8533621]
I agree, to a beginner a TT can look like a snaffle.
And I just read the update. Awesome :)[/QUOTE]
i disagree. a TT looks NOTHING like a snaffle bit. The word snaffle does NOT mean jointed.
[QUOTE=Nezzy;8535324]
i disagree. a TT looks NOTHING like a snaffle bit. The word snaffle does NOT mean jointed.[/QUOTE]
Hence the “to a beginner”. Those of us who know about bits know that a TT is not a snaffle. It’s easy to confuse the 2 when you know nothing about bits and catalogs describe them incorrectly just because it’s a broken mouthpiece.
ETA, I ride in a full cheek French link snaffle. I dislike Tom Thumbs as a rule because of all the reasons you listen above. But I can see how someone new to horses could mix them up just starting out.
[QUOTE=Nezzy;8535324]
i disagree. a TT looks NOTHING like a snaffle bit. The word snaffle does NOT mean jointed.[/QUOTE]
Yes, but an amazing number of horse people, even experienced ones, do not seem to know the true definition of a snaffle (a bit that works on direct pressure without leverage). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen it used incorrectly to refer to any bit with a broken mouthpiece. In fact, read this thread alone and you will see it more than once. If people who have been riding, owning, or even training horses for years make this mistake, a beginner certainly will.
Why are we arguing here about snaffle vs leverage bits?
God knows it is absolutely pointless to “educate” people about them, that jointed mouthpiece has morphed into “snaffle” in so many written descriptions how are you going to change what people are seeing everywhere? When I was at the trail riding place I bit my tongue good and hard, nobody wants some English riding snob to tell them that all their friends and all their books and magazines and catalogs are “wrong”. I rode using the thing and did my best to use a soft hand and gave it my best creaky effort and I hope and believe the horse wasn’t traumatized.
I knew perfectly well what I was going to see when the gal said Argentine snaffle and that was a jointed mouth leverage bit that was really (in that case) just what we used to call the Tom Thumb or colt breaking bit of the '70’s. Had a sort of fat rounded shank with an integral cast curb strap slot. There is a different, English made version, probably the original, with a very short shank as F8 states that I have only seen in English catalogs, a Shires may be the closest type.
OP seems to have it under control and I hope that she and her new boarder have some good weather so they can go out and have a good time and he can learn about aids and his seat and NOT to pull back, at least not so far his hands are up by his ears, Lordy!
Miss Anne Thrope,
You are being such a nice person and such a true horsewoman for this guy! I think that is what horsemanship is about (and life in general, too) – learning stuff, then passing on what we’ve learned to other people.
I am so glad this guy is turning out to be receptive. He sounds like a true horseman-in-the-making and thanks to you his first steps are going well. Maybe he would enjoy having someone to walk the trails with, and maybe since there is a gap in your ages he would like enjoy the horsey friendship without the stress of the gf or xgf or possible gf or whoever the other woman is/was.*
I admire you for wanting to help him and share your horse knowledge with him. That was really good news about the full-cheek snaffle!
*(Not saying a gap in ages is all that big a deal! 
)
You sure don’t suit your COTH name. 
:encouragement:
[QUOTE=Red Barn;8533511]
You sound like such a kindly person, Miss Anne Thrope.
:yes:
Let’s just hope this is one of those rare instances where a good deed actually does go unpunished.[/QUOTE]
she does sound nice, doesn’t she.
if my cave was closer I could easily give the boarders sexy legs quite the nip, then perhaps I could board my dressage pony, there. . .
[QUOTE=ReSomething;8535658]
and he can learn about aids and his seat and NOT to pull back, at least not so far his hands are up by his ears, Lordy![/QUOTE]
Not BY his ears … way ABOVE them!! Truly, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Ha ha ha … you guys think I’m nice. You should talk to my DH … he’s the one that gets to listen to most of my rants about people in general.
[QUOTE=RPM;8535686]
enjoy the horsey friendship without the stress of the gf or xgf or possible gf or whoever the other woman is/was.*[/QUOTE]
Well, I think I’ve worked out that the rider girl is the ex-gf, because there was another girl with him yesterday, and when they left, they said they were going grocery shopping, so I’m guessing that’s a current gf.
[QUOTE=Miss Anne Thrope;8535748]
Ha ha ha … you guys think I’m nice. You should talk to my DH … he’s the one that gets to listen to most of my rants about people in general.[/QUOTE]
you mean you don’t just confine yourself to online rants? 
[QUOTE=Miss Anne Thrope;8535748]
Ha ha ha … you guys think I’m nice. You should talk to my DH … he’s the one that gets to listen to most of my rants about people in general.[/QUOTE]
you mean you don’t just confine yourself to online rants? :winkgrin:
[QUOTE=Miss Anne Thrope;8535741]
Not BY his ears … way ABOVE them!! Truly, I’ve never seen anything like it.[/QUOTE]I think I may have seen something like that and it was a very bad day for the young person that was doing it when I did. Parted company in a bad way, ugh. Well, good on you for doing something positive and I hope this fellow keeps an open mind and open eyes and ears!
I was looking around for information on “Tom Thumb” bits, found this thread and started reading. Now I’m curious. How did this all work out?
Is “high-hands boy” turning into a horseman?
Has crazy ex-girlfriend ever come back?
What bit did he wind up with?
Is his new saddle blue?
Inquiring minds…
Another who found this and wonders what happened!
You know what I love is that here is a beginner rider with the right horse for the job. I just hate seeing beginners on green horses.
Now I see this is a old post.
About the OP, because I don’t have much time to read the whole shebang, the modern day TT bit is a mess. I’m sure you can get his bridle sorted but also suggesting better bits. The old time TT I used “back in the day” (meaning decades ago) was balanced and a great bit, I used it a lot, nary a problem because it curved to fit the horses’ mouth. The new ones, use them for wall decor in the barn office. You sound like just the person he needs to show him the way, then show him this website and ask him to join!!
gah! i read the whole thread before realizing this was posted months ago LOL. but OP if you are out there I would love an update! Cheers to you for taking a fledgling newbie under your wing.
[QUOTE=goneriding24;8756236]
The old time TT I used “back in the day” (meaning decades ago) was balanced and a great bit, I used it a lot, nary a problem because it curved to fit the horses’ mouth. [/QUOTE]
Ditto. Terminology can get so confusing. TT in my hunt seat and polo world (50 years ago) was a very short shanked mullen mouth pelham. A fine bit.
Later I heard the term used with a broken snaffle as a short shanked western bit. A bad idea. Then there were longer and longer loosey goosey shanks on a broken snaffle – cowboy snaffle. Even worse.
Well, I never saw these more recent posts asking for updates, but if I had seen them two months ago, my update would have been fairly positive. The horse is very nice and well behaved on the ground and seems like a very good trail horse.
We had just one incident where the guy came late at night (around 11 p.m.) and took the horse to his house overnight without telling me, and I was royally ticked off about that and told him why that was a big no-no. And then he texted me the next afternoon saying he couldn’t get him back on the trailer, did I have any ideas?
Other than that, it was all good until he stopped paying his board. See this thread:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?503645-Boarder-not-paying
