a new piece of kit...

 

Micklem bitless

...for a while now, I've been plotting to overthrow the piece of metal I use in Tom & Henry's bridles, and go bitless.

 

My reasons are two-fold. One, and most importantly, I want my boys to be pain and discomfort-free, to be happy and willing - and two - I want to de-clutter their pretty faces from all the superfluous leather.

They both have Mylar low-port comfort snaffles, so they already have a kind bit soloution, but the more I read, the more I ride, the more I'm determined to do this.

 

 I have read about anatomy, and this made me even more determined to go this way.

 

So, after much research, I landed on Micklem - the bridle which has many configurations including bitless - at three different levels of 'hold'.

 

 As I type, my new bridle (and I bought just the one to try-out), is waiting at the Post Office for me to collect. So, for the Easter bank holiday - Tom and Henry will go bitless for the first time.  

 













...cant wait.

this is what I have selected - I will, of course, let you know how it went...with lots of photos of course.

   

what's happened to the summer already?

Tom & Henry,
...just in case you'd forgotten what they looked like!

...aw, them 'orses....

...for the love of Tom & Henry...

...more photo-journal stuff, and how Tom really is slimming down for the beach, and nearly a year after his accident, where he had 37 stitches in his shoulder, he's recovered just fine xxx

...springtime....

...and the land needs attention...

...the top 2 fields are done, but the final one - the 'pony paddock', the one that gets the maximum hoof-fall needs some serious harrowing,  and this is the weekend to do it, because the grass is growing fast.

My neighbours land, Boob-tube Lisa's, was being farmed last night, through the night.  Tractors with their lights on working all night in the dark.  It reminded me that time - like land - can wait for no man.  I need to get out in the Landy at the weekend myself and see to my paddock, with Placebo playing to keep me in rhythm.

You'll see from the photos with Min modeling the deep hoof-shaped ruts, there's lots of hard divots from rampaging Trakehners - I will work this to the extreme, re-seed and make this a perfect surface for growing healthy grass.


As you can see Tom and Henry are very proud of their grazing.

.... Coco, get off my land!  

...spring silliness.....

....Tom & Henry finally out at grass, and how yours truly risked life and limb taking photos....
I was standing in the midst of the action & John took these from behind the safety of the fence!

Sit back with a cuppa, and enjoy the fierce speed of care free galloping - I was there, so you didn't have to be.

...We have LIFT OFF!