Lacey Videos and Bit Change

Today I had help in the form of our amazing paparazzi Kimberly Hale Photography, and so we got some video of Lacey riding on the flat and over a simple cross rail.

This first video is of her jumping.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFq3uQErq8

This second video is of her basic flat work.

Lacey is riding quite well, and since I changed her bit to a three piece eggbutt snaffle she has been MUCH lighter on the forehand. 

Most of the time when the horse doesn't like their bit they tell me by having a very busy mouth, grinding their teeth, twisting their head, refusing to take contact with the bit, or even refusing to let me put the bit in their mouth!  Lacey didn't do any of those things, but she would get heavy enough in the bridle that I was sore in my trapezius and lats after riding her!

I wondered if was trying to tell me she didn't like the bit by hanging on it, so I graduated her to a step-up bit.  I usually start horses in a regular eggbutt snaffle, and as they progress in their training and their preferences change I will change the bit to accommodate them.

Since Lacey had decided she wanted something different than the regular starter bit, I changed her  to the bottom one in this photo.  She likes it much better!  She still has a quiet mouth and is taking contact with the bit just fine, but she is tremendously lighter on the forehand and not leaning on me anymore.  We don't have to do nearly as many small circles or transitions to get her balanced, and she carries herself in a much softer frame. I suspect she likes this one better because it gives some tongue relief with the two joints in the middle, and therefore she wouldn't have it hitting the roof of her mouth.

That's a victory for listening to the horse's opinion!