I’ve taken an interest in checking out everyone’s tack- in particular the bits.
On the German team- the bit used on Shutterfly (Meredith) which I found incredibly interesting but really has no knowledge about the mechanics behind it- if anyone could share that would be great.
There was also an interesting saddle- but I have to rewind on my hdtv to recall the rider and horse. Incredibly deep- huge knee rolls. I kept thinking- man once wedged in there you ain’t budging!!
I was wondering about horses with their mouth open at times (maybe Hickstead?) and the fact they were not closed with a figure eight. My brief 20 minutes of watching made me think there were fewer figure eights?
I can’t remember which horses because I watched a few days ago, but I was amazed to see things like a happy mouth on one horse (or what looked to be one - honestly I’m sure it must have been something else :eek: !) and several horses with just a plain noseband (no figure 8, drop, or flash).
I, too, was amazed by the range of bits. Several snaffles and a few that look interesting, to say the least! I’d love to know what folks were using.
I saw at least one hackamore, plenty of bit connectors, and some interesting contraptions I can only guess at what they might be. I was happy to see simple snaffles, though I don’t think I saw any with a plain cavesson noseband.
It looked to me like several competitors had a different bridle for each of the three rounds, and like quite a few were moving to double reins in various configurations. Shutterfly went in a pelham in round 1 and he had a hackamore + snaffle for round 3.
What’s up with the martingales?
Please excuse this [probably] stupid question… I stopped competing over 20 years ago. Why are ALL of the show jumping riders using a martingale? I do not recall this being common at high levels of competition when I was riding in open jumper in local “A” shows. (Northeast US)
I seem to recall that using a martingale (running or otherwise) was looked at as a sign of the horse or rider requiring further schooling, or (more frequently) the rider being slightly incompetent.
I tried to find out if this has become a rule and it does not appear to be so.
non champion, either George Morris or Frank Chapot, can’t remember which off the top of my head, says that every jumper should wear a running martingale. He says that one of every four rails can be prevented by a martingale. There are lots of hot horses doing much more technical courses than in the old days, so it simply makes sense to use one. It is certainly no sign of incompetence.
Most BNTs I’ve worked with won’t let you on a horse without a whip and spurs for the same reason – hopefully you won’t need it, but you want to have it if you do need it.
What I found interesting was that there were several pelhams, without a converter, with only a rein on the curb ring, and then the running on the curp bein! I thought that odd…
I can just about promise you that those “simple snaffles” were not. Just because it has a common cheek piece like a D ring does not a snaffle make. Not saying that some of them weren’t just plain snaffles, but there is no way to know unless you saw them untacked.
Figure 8’s keep the horse from crossing their jaw. You see them mostly for fashion purposes here. You rarely ever see flashes or drops in the jumpers.
Martingales have been standard equipment in showjumping for 50+ years.
Maybe in American hunterland they were not common, but they were definitely common at the Olympics.
Hans Gunther Winkler on Halla in 1956, Raimoundo d’Inzeo 1960, Steinkraus in 1968, etc.
[QUOTE=poltroon;3455240]
It looked to me like several competitors had a different bridle for each of the three rounds, and like quite a few were moving to double reins in various configurations. Shutterfly went in a pelham in round 1 and he had a hackamore + snaffle for round 3.[/QUOTE]
Thanks- I wasn’t sure if it was a hackamore +snaffle. In discussing with my sister that was one of the conclusions we came up with- almost as if the snaffle was kept in place that way???
I could not believe the variations on tack. BTW I’ve never seen show jumping without martigales.
Sapphire goes in a plain snaffle. It’s what she likes.
Authentic is in a rubber pelham. Two reins.
I was a little eek’d by the rein only on the curb ring of the pelham thing, too. Seemed like there was a few of them.
[QUOTE=Kenike;3456253]
Sapphire goes in a plain snaffle. It’s what she likes.
Authentic is in a rubber pelham. Two reins.
I was a little eek’d by the rein only on the curb ring of the pelham thing, too. Seemed like there was a few of them.[/QUOTE]
I was so pleased to see that some of the horses are going in “average” tack. A lot of times it seems that in jumpers, the more tack the better, even if you don’t really need it.
If I remember correctly, Sapphire went in (at least what appeared to be) a snaffle with a flash or figure eight, nice and simple, and McLain didn’t even carry a stick.
What is a bit connector?
I see flashes in the jumpers all the time.
Actually, I think this was from William Steinkraus.
[QUOTE=SuperSTB;3456226]
Thanks- I wasn’t sure if it was a hackamore +snaffle. In discussing with my sister that was one of the conclusions we came up with- almost as if the snaffle was kept in place that way???
I could not believe the variations on tack. BTW I’ve never seen show jumping without martigales.[/QUOTE]
I believe it is actually a hack a bit. like the one in this link.
http://www.beval.com/Products/Jointed-Rubber-Combo-Hack-a-Bit-Size-5/2111005-5.aspx
It is actually a pretty common bit for jumpers.
I also noticed a few rope nose bands.
[QUOTE=Iride;3454446]
I can’t remember which horses because I watched a few days ago, but I was amazed to see things like a happy mouth on one horse (or what looked to be one - honestly I’m sure it must have been something else :eek: !) and several horses with just a plain noseband (no figure 8, drop, or flash).[/QUOTE]
I believe it is Opium that wears the happy mouth and he is the white faced bay that bucks in between jumps…nice nice horse…helluva jumper!
All I know is I’m going out for a rubber pelham and, probably , one rein on the curb. Then all I would need to be an international level show jumper would be the talent. And the horse, but if I had the bit and the talent I could make the horse…
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