What do you jump/flat/show in?

[yellowbritches]

Before I got hurt, Toby did all of his jumping (at home and at events) in a figure eight with a loose ring, hollow mouth french link and running. Boots totally depends on my boots. Sometimes we just jump in 4 boots, sometimes I put on open fronts at home. Always xc boots and bell boots for xc.

For dressage or farting around he goes in a flash with a Happy Mouth straight bar. Four boots or polos.

For hacking or fitness work, I add draw reins because I don’t want to die and they give me a little bit more influence in either of his very mild bits. Can’t up the bits because that creates an all together different issue from the spooking and general goofiness that I normally deal with hacking and galloping. Four boots.

Every ride gets a breastplate and a fuzzy girth. All his boots are either fleece lined or EquiFits. I use the same spurs for everything and only ever carry a crop at events or if I feel like we might have a discussion xc schooling.

All of this may change as the trainer he’s with sorts him out while I’m on the bench, but probably not too much.

[ElementFarm]

Horse #1: schools (both flat and fences) in an Edgewood bridle with a happy mouth D-ring and no martingale. I use a Tad Coffin saddle with the leather pad under it, and a non-slip neoprene square under the smartpak schooling pad. Edgewood girth. I show her in an Edgewood bridle with a slow twist Dr Bristol, a standing martingale, and use a white fuzzy contour pad. Everything else is the same. This mare does the AOs.

Horse #2: Schools in a Myler snaffle, or a Waterford D on an Edgewood bridle. He uses either a standing martingale or a figure eight noseband. Sometimes I’ll jump in a gag rein or a gag snaffle (always with 2 reins) as Horse is large and long, and sometimes I need the leverage to get him rebalanced between the jumps. He uses a PJ saddle, a thinline pad, and a non-slip neoprene square under his schooling square pads. I use a Professional’s Choice girth for schooling as the neoprene lining minimizes slippage, and it coms in 56" which barely fits him. He shows in an Edgwood bridle with a short-shanked rubber pelham or the waterford. And he uses a leather girth and white fuzzy pad for shows, but otherwise the same. This horse does the 2’6 and will move up to the AAs in 2014.
Both horses school in either polos (front or all four) or eskadron boots. Horse #2 lives in bell boots.

[madelaine99]

At home to flat: Rodrigo fancy stitch padded bridle with waterford dee, Shedrow baby pad, Thinline half pad, Shedrow fleece girth, Calibre Noble saddle, MDC hunter classic stirrups, BoT polos on fronts, cheapo velcro bell boots that she lives in 24/7.
At home to jump: see above, except trade in open fronts and possibly a standing martingale if I feel like it.

At shows: Same bridle/bit combo, same saddle, Thinline half pad on its own (haven’t found a fitted saddle pad that I like with my saddle & Maddy likes this half pad so we go with it :D), same girth, standing martingale for over fences, and leather Devoucoux open fronts & ankle boots for equitation classes.

I like to think that I keep things pretty simple!

[kenyarider]

My horse goes in a twisted snaffle, cavesson noseband, and Antares saddle with sheepskin pad, whether he’s showing, flatting, jumping or just posing for pictures. Me: I wear whatever fits on that day unless it’s a show day in which case I wear jacket, helmet, boots etc.

[kmwines01]

Lease mare:
At home schooling/flat/jumping: went in whatever bit trainer had on the bridle from other horses/schooling rides, lol. She pretty much goes the same no matter what bit it is… although she will get a burr put on one side if she’s leaning. I prefer her in something with a port.
Bridle: Whatever one has a usable bit on it. She goes in a Mecklem, figure 8, no noseband, or crank depending on the day and what she’s been doing. I like the Mecklem but she really doesn’t seem to ride too much different in anything.

Showing: Wide minimally padded bridle to make her head look smaller Ported pelham for over fences and snaffle D for hack if there’s a chance to change it. I need the lift of the pelham. She doesn’t hack or school in it as she gets used to things pretty quick.

Saddles: Trainer’s Antares, my Albion, or trainer’s pessoa with changable gullet depending on her growth spurt at the time. She has decided to grow/expand every winter for the past 2 years so it’s a process and an evaluation every time you throw a saddle on her. Same with pads: sometimes need the non-slip + baby pad + wool half pad, sometimes gel+baby pad, sometimes just fitted

Polos all around or polos in front and hind ankle boots + bell boots for every ride. If no shoes on she gets Easyboots depending on how she’s feeling. She’s not picky about tack but she is picky about footing.

Spurs when I’m in shape and can control my right foot/leg. Dressage whip when we’re trying to condition her to somebody holding a whip but she rarely rarely needs it.

[King_Creole]

Schooling at home:

• just got a new bridle (Bobby’s English Tack)…so if I sell my old one, I’ll use it for schooling. If I keep my old one, it’s going to be the schooling bridle. It’s an Ovation which doesn’t match my new saddle! Gasp!
• He usually goes in his happy mouth dee but while at boot camp w/ my trainer she’s been using a corkscrew dee. I’m hoping to go back to the happy mouth when he comes home but may have to “upgrade.” The last couple of rides in the happy mouth he has not been as responsive to half halts
• square pad or navajo pad (again…gasp!) w/ a half pad on top
• Voltaire saddle that I just got…we both love it so far! I can’t believe how much of a difference it’s already made in just two rides…
• professional’s choice non-slip girth
• and I have cut a square out of a drawer liner that I use under the saddle for slippage control. I did not know they had so many pretty colors! I just have white…been using it for about 15 years! http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/1/6/0/4/2/7/2/webimg/620431902_o.jpg
• Tekna open front boots
• sometimes bell boots
• 1" spurs

Shows:

• just swap out the square pad for a fitted fleece pad and take off the open fronts and there you have it!

[Say_Goodnight_Gracie]

Eggbutt french link snaffle, regular cavesson noseband. Bates saddle with a square pad. Plain girth. Open fronts (Veredus Carbon Gel) if I’m feeling particularly inspired.

ETA: The other one goes in a figure 8 sometimes just because I have it and like it but she doesn’t really need it for anything, and she wears a breastplate but probably doesn’t need it either since she’s not an ultra-fit OTTB anymore. Also, an Ogilvy pad, that thing is like magic for her.

[ElisLove]

Right now he’s in a regular cavesson (he has worn a figure eight but I really don’t notice a difference between them with him)
mullen happymouth eggbutt snaffle
breastplate as his withers make all saddles slide back
oglivy half pad
usually front and back boot though I have to get him used to back boots again as I rarely use them at home but he’s gotten a bit upset at them at shows
regular anatomical girth currently, he’s usually better behind than in front

[candysgirl]

Jumping at home:
Oval mouth eggbutt snaffle on an inexpensive bridle. Whatever saddle pad happens to be cleanest. Sheepskin halfpad at the moment with a shim because his left side is shaped slightly differently than the right - working on that. Stubben Roxane.

Flatting at home:
Same as above, though sometimes I use my dressage saddle instead (Stubben Aramis).

Foxhunting - hunt bridle with the same snaffle bit. White shaped pad, Stubben Roxane.

I rarely, if ever, put boots on him. He also goes barefoot and doesn’t seem to have traction issues in pretty much any footing. I won’t ride on sheets of ice for obvious reasons, but small patches aren’t really problematic.

I generally have spurs on, but rarely use them.

He also goes bitless in a sidepull for things like hunt paces and less precise work like when we trail ride or do endurance rides. He CAN and will jump/foxhunt/whatever just fine in his sidepulls, but I feel like communication is a little more crisp and clear with a bit than the sidepulls so I use one for doing anything that requires any amount of finesse.

[synergy06]

So interesting to see what everyone uses! I’m another simple gal:

Always in the same bridle-a Dover brand padded one, which has helped up beautifully over the years. I get compliments on it all the time, despite it coming free with my saddle (I was 16 and on a budget!).
-Waterford D-ring bit-I need some brakes occasionally, but my mare’s mouth is pretty sensitive so she won’t tolerate anything thin or twisted! I used to ride in a French link and before that a rubber racing D, but didn’t have enough brakes in those. She LOVES her Waterford even though it looks like a lot to have in her mouth!
-School in rubber reins (also el cheapo ones, from State Line Tack) because I hate constantly cleaning the intricate laced leather ones. I save them for showing or clinics!

As I mentioned above, I got a free bridle with my saddle, which is the basic Dover one as well. It may not be as comfy as fancier ones, but it works!
-Use Professional’s Choice neoprene girth also for ease of cleaning (see above about rubber reins).

-Open front boots front and hind when we’re jumping. I have the Dover brand ones that are neoprene lined with a hard outer case. Also lasting great even though the entire set cost me about $40! They look great and have saved my girl during some of her less than graceful moments!
-Polos for flatting in a ring (boots go on when we’re outside!) or longing in cooler weather. I’ll longe her in side reins about once a week.

If it’s been a while since she’s jumped or hacked outside, I’ll put a standing martingale on her. Again, some el cheapo brand that I can’t even remember where I got it from. I’ve taken good care of everything though and it’s lasted me this far!

I always wear spurs to defend against any mare moments, but they are the rubber roller ones and I don’t use them unless she’s having a moment, during which they are WAY more effective than a crop.

[Mukluk]

No difference in tack for flat or jumping.
For schooling: Biothane bridle, french link snaffle, can throw in washing machine and comes out swell, matching breastplate for hilly trails. Saddle: Ainsley pro national with synthetic fleece girth (throw in washing machine).

For show. Leather smartpak harwich bridle with same bit. Same saddle with white pad. Leather girth with real fleece lining.