Myler Level 1 Snaffle

My personal favorite, the Myler Level 1
Comfort loose ring snaffle.

I will say this a hundred times... Myler bits are fantastic! (If you know what you're doing.) You can buy them virtually anywhere tack is sold. SmartPak, Dover and Bit of Britain carry them, but I bought mine at the local feed store. The bit pictured on the left is my favorite Myler--the comfort loose ring Level 1 snaffle--but I have several others and they all work very well, clean up nicely and are designed with the horse in mind.


I have a lot of horses coming and going in my barn, and I must say that I'm one of those people who could easily spend millions on random pieces of tack because I love gadgets and gizmos. I have a set of super fancy Rein Aid draw reins that I have used maybe once. I have almost twice as many bridles as I do horses. And bits? I have Strongid buckets filled to the brim with bits.


But when you're one person with seven horses to ride every single day, you don't want to spend your evenings cleaning tack. So, it's nice to be able to use one bridle on multiple horses. With my Myler Level 1 loose ring snaffle, I can use the same bridle/bit on most horses.


The copper inlays and roller in the center make this bit great for horses who don't like to accept a contact. The curved mouth piece relieves pressure where it is most needeed. It's a great bit for horses who are too strong for a traditional French link, but too soft for a more severe bit. What I like most about this snaffle is that both sides move independently--so you can sponge or wiggle on one side to get flexion, and it's great for horses who haul or lean on one side of the reins.


The only bad thing about this bit is because it's so slim, it can be a bit sharper than a regular snaffle. However, every single horse I've ever used it on has responded very well to it. Horses that hate other bits love this one, and they all WANT to take a connection with the reins. They're soft enough for sensitive horses, but sharp enough for ones that are strong. They come in all shapes and sizes, for every single discipline (both western and english) out there. You can also custom-order one to suit your horses needs.


Check out the Myler website [http://www.mylerbitsusa.com/] and see if there's a bit out there for you!

Amigo 1200D Turnout Sheet

Hercules LOVES his
Amigo turnout sheet
(and mud!)

It's that time of year again! Chilly weather, rain, snow and my horses' personal favorite: MUD. This entry is all about the classic-looking, durable, and (most importantly) extremely horse-friendly Amigo 1200D Lite Turnout Sheet from Horseware Ireland. You can get your own from Dover, SmartPak or Bit of Britain for around $125--give or take.

Let me just cut to the chase: this blanket is AWESOME. I ordered this for my Thoroughbred gelding, Hercules, this fall with high expectations, and it has by far exceeded them. I am a fan of Horseware Ireland products, and all of my horses have Rambo or Rhino turnouts in heavier weights, but I had never ordered a sheet from them before. Since it had come time to retire Hercules' old turnout sheet, which was literally being held together with duct tape and baling twine, I decided to splurge a little on a Horseware Ireland sheet. I chose Amigo vesus Rambo or Rhino simply because it was cheaper, and I had to buy three brand new sheets for several different horses this autumn and I didn't want to be spending almost twice as much just to have my sheets say "Rambo" instead of "Amgio." I'll admit that, despite being an avid Horseware Ireland fan, I was a little wary about this blanket, but after four and a half months of hard use, this blanket is every bit as nice as the Amigo line's big brother, Rambo.


While some might say that this blanket is a little long, for Hercules--who gets cold and will shiver when its a balmy 60 degrees outside--this was actually a good thing, because it offers more coverage than a shorter blanket and keeps him warmer. The 1200 denier versus the 600 denier is a little heavier as well (Hercules has one of each... not that he's spoiled, or anything) which is good for horses like Herc who do not grow winter coats and chill easily. Hercules goes out overnight, and with this blanket he was able to withstand temperatures down to 30 degrees without needing another layer or upgrading to his medium turnout. Hercules is also one of those horses who plays hard; he likes to run flat-out, buck, roll, play, rear and spends most of his time in the paddock with all four feet off the ground. This blanket moves with him and doesn't restrict any of his movements, while withstanding the constant beating he gives it and keeping him (mostly) clean to make my job of currying the dried mud out of his coat a little easier. This blanket also has a neck cover option (sold separately) for a little extra coverage on cooler days or for horses who need a little extra help to stay clean.

This blanket is easy to put on, remove, fold and washes beautifully, making it very easy to have in and around the barn. Like all H.I. products, this sheet also comes with a plastic tote that you can use to store or travel with it--a great option for all you snowbirds out there!

The one bad thing about this blanket is that the color options are very limited... It is basically a choice between navy, or navy. Mine is accented with white, and I believe you can also get them with an aqua blue piping as well. If you only have one horse, this may not be a problem, but in my barn of 7 horses with about three different blankets each, its nice to have some different colors. However, navy looks great on any horse--even Hercules, who is solid black!


This blanket is great for autumn, spring, or for those occasional warm winter days when you don't need as much to cover your horse. You want my advice? Buy your horse one today!

Nunn Finer Figure 8 Bridle

"Forrest" modeling his brand

new  Nunn Finer Figure 8 in

black with stainless steel hardware.

I guess the best way to start off this blog is with the product that served as it's inspiration... My (or, rather, Forrest's) new Nunn Finer Figure 8 bridle from Bit of Britain. I am in love with this bridle. Why? Let me count the ways...

 

 

My search for the perfect bridle for Forrest began in January. Shortly after accepting the ride, I was faced with a serious problem: finding a bridle that would fit a tall, gangly Thoroughbred with an awkwardly shaped face and and attitude problem that would be effective and not look hideous. I pieced together parts of an old black dressage bridle and a grackle (otherwise known as a figure 8) noseband that had also been purchased from Bit of Britain nearly a decade earlier that I'd dug out of the bottom of my tack trunk, brushed the mold and dust off of and slapped onto Forrest's head.

However, when my mare needed her dressage bridle back to compete in this year, I had to come up with a different plan. My very first event horse, known as "Chance" around the farm, had a gorgeous dark havana figure 8 bridle that had been a gift from my mother and--after Chance was sold--had been hanging off of the corner of my bedroom mirror since August of 2004. Which worked great for schooling... But the the brown bridle clashed with my black everything else (yes... I'm one of those matchy-matchy people) and I wasn't about to run around a cross country course with fraying laced reins and braiding elastics in the place of the keepers on the noseband. So, with some horse/dog/farm sitting money, I decided to splurge on a new bridle--or two--for Forrest.

Forrest is one of those horses that is going to need a different bit for every phase of eventing... Which is totally fine with me. I love tack--especially bridles and bits. I'd have a different bridle for dressage, show jumping, cross country and formal vet inspections if it was up to me. But alas, I am not made of money and have better things to spend my hard-earned cash on than pretty fancy stitched hunter bridles that my horses would only ever wear for the twenty seconds it takes them to jog in front of a ground jury. So I came to the conclusion  that I would buy Forrest two bridles: a very classy double raised dressage bridle, and a figure 8 for jumping. Two bridles, two--eh, maybe three--bits... It seemed like the perfect solution.

My Vespucci double raised dressage bridle seriously failed in my expectations (more about that in a future blog...) but Nunn Finer exceeded them greatly.

I came into possession of my first Nunn Finer bridle a few years ago when the barn that I was boarding my Irish horse, "Stormy," at was robbed of all bridles and two saddles. In a barn full of over forty horses, it was devastating. My trainer at the time was sponsored by Nunn Finer and Bit of Britain generously offered us a fantastic discount to help replace our stolen bridles. I was still reeling over the loss of Stormy's bridle (which was more about the sentimental value of a small clover leaf charm and Swarovski crystal browband more than anything else) and picked out a Brentina bridle because I love Debbie McDonald's Grand Prix mare, who serves as the bridle's namesake. I was very pleasantly surprised to find the superb quality of the leather and the unique craftsmanship of the Nunn Finer bridle and I have been a fan of them ever since.

My bridle arrived on my front porch two days after ordering it. It was already assembled (sans bit) and was practically broken in. My Vespucci did not fit Forrest's uniquely shaped head at all, but the figure 8 was practically made for him. The custom options are fabulous... The option of having neoprene or fleece on the noseband is wonderful for my barn full of sensitive, opinionated (in other words, spoiled) horses. I love that it also comes with a clincher browband and the butter-soft Soft Grip reins that are so nice to people like me who believe that "gloves are for sissies" come with the bridle itself. You can also choose your hardware color (brass or nickel) and either black or havana leather, so all your tack can be "matchy-matchy." So, while at almost $300 it is not a cheap investment, you definitely get your money's worth in this bridle.

Having said all that, I know that figure 8 browbands aren't for everyone. Personally, I prefer running cross country in them because they don't restrict the horses' breathing like flash nosebands sometimes can, but I understand that they are shunned in the world of dressage. Some horses don't appreciate them, either... My over dramatic Irish horse will tuck his nose to his chest (I wouldn't be surprised if there are photos of him on some anti-rolkur website somewhere) and refuse to move off the leg if you dare to put a grackle on him. My mare thinks it's funny to stick out her tongue over fences if you force her into a figure 8 (we have since figured out that her calling is to be an upper level dressage horse, anyway). So, if you're looking for a really nice bridle for eventing or jumping, I highly recommend you invest in a Nunn Finer Figure 8.

(Or, if you're one of those pure dressage people that don't do the figure 8 thing--totally understandable, by the way--I have a lovely Vespucci for sale that doesn't even come close to fitting my horse.)