This message is from: SUSAN GIARGIARI <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello Listers! Sue-g in PA just visiting our son's sister! I am not connected at home right now but will be when I get back! Talk about FJord withdrawal symptoms..........the NFHA Show sure helped to cure some of that ! Just some thoughts on the issues raised for saftey at BE.........we always, always, always hitch our horses to a trailer or hitchrail with a neck rope. There are different variations of it but it is the only way to safely be out in public or even at home with those 'shake of the bridle' fjords! They can slip their halters and bridles very easily.......when taking off a bridle to put on a halter or taking off a halter to put on a bridle..........the neck rope keeps the horse there..........I even use it when hitching Hilmar to the rail for grooming .....for all of them........you can drop off the halter and they are not going anywhere.........a lead rope and two rings are all you need to make on...............you adjust for each horse very easily and it does not act like a choke...it stays at the same length around the neck........right up behind the ears.........or actually it slides down the neck a little.......but in 15 years of using a neck rope we have never had a horse ! slip on........very simple solution to a very dangerous situation. As far as a driver not being in a hitched carriage...........the is inexcuseable (sp?).......as far as I am concerned it is grounds for being told to leave the grounds. At GMHA where the VT NFHA show was held for 21 years.......if you took a bridle off of a hitched horse......you were off of the grounds......maybe if some serious consideration were put into even the NFHR FJjrd Show Rule book.......which I know isn't mandatory but may be read by more.....a rule of Expulsion from the show for dismounting a carraige such as was done at BE or taking off of a bridle from a hitched horse would make folks be more aware of it. If it saves just one life, human or horse, then it is worth it. Simple. Black and White. As the 'person' in charge of hitching and unhitching a horse to a carriage.........the driver should always be aware of this........and getting another driver to climb up in the carriage and take over the reins before you dismount the carraige is a must!! The only time the! re should be no driver in the carriage is when you are hitching or unhitching..........and then the reins should be over your shoulder or within reach on the same side that you are working on. A horse facing a rail being hitched is much safer than one in the open. We have cement-filled lally columns cemented into the ground and then pipe of the same diameter as the rail welded to the lally columns.......when a horse is hitched to this ................it isn't going anywhere..........I can safely hitch a horse to carriage with a neck rope on the horse and then with reins in hand...undo the neck rope and mount the carraige...the horse is still facing the rail and really can't go anywhere except backwards. On the Halter / Bridle................I have used a few different kinds and am not sure why the bit would have to be taken out sideways...........the bit usually is hitched to the reins and that is what is removed...........leave the reins over the poll.........then stand in front of the horse......undo both sides of the bit...usually a quick clip ........and holding one side of the bit clip in each hand, let the horse release the bit as you would with a bridle, being held above by the top. Yes, you would be standing on the side for that but for the bit to be released easily and safely and not 'clank' against the horses teeth........let him release it. The same with putting the bit back on.........stand in front of the horse and have the reins already up over the poll behind the ears..........get the horse to accept the bit........and then you should be able to clip one side with one hand and one side with the other.....never having to get the bit into the horses mouth by s! liding it sideways...... Eventually you may even be able to get the horse to accept the bit from hooking one side up and then laying it across in front of those big 'elephant' lips.......fjords are so accommadating! The nice thing about the halter / bridle is that you can leave a leadrope attached to the ring where it would normally be on the halter and then tie the rope to itself and you have an instant neckrope for riding..........balance for 'balanced' challenged individuals that some of us may be! lol............... Happy Fjording and just as a heads up..........there is already talk of an NFHR Evaluation and NFHA Show at Camp Marshall , Spencer, MA next year!! Sue-g from Northfield, MA........owned by Stella, Hilmar, Bradj, and Bacchus !
