#overbending

Tutorial for Over Bending, and advanced string bend technique. 

Link to Doug Aldrich solo

http://pixofthelitter.net/pixofthelitter_011.htm

I urge you to visit Michelle Guillot's excellent 'Super Prix' website and of course, read the book (I have and it's something you will definitely not regret).  But today, I'd like to make a point aboutgadgets.  You will see on the website various pieces of futuristic tack which are very close to reality. 

Saddles

Saddles come in all sorts of shapes, and while they are needed in competitive riding, they are getting gadget-ier.  The Guter-Sitz saddle on the website is a terrifying premonition of the future.  Bates are already manufacturing a saddle which claims to hold you in the perfect position.  Surely this is something which we need to achieve on our own, rather than being locked in place by a chunk of leather?  The FEI even introduced a rule allowing coloured piping, and it's only a matter of time before this is applied to saddles, and then we let advertisers take hold of our Grand Prix riders.  Tack fitting is often left to letting the horse mould to the saddles, and we hold them in place with all sorts of gizmos.  Someday, I am sure that we will just throw a saddle, any saddle, onto the backs of our poor horses.  I dread the day.

Shoes

Two of our horses are shod, but only on the front to prevent damage from the amount of roadwork we do.  My Connemara, Merlin, has quite sensitive hooves, so needs the shoes.  I know some people are terrified of the consequences, but our shod ones have more good done than harm by the shoes.  The other two are, of course, barefoot, and fare extremely well.  However, the shoes shown on Super Prix's website resemble a combination of tendon boots and swimming overshoes.  Intended to protect from difficult work, they are given to every horse even if they do not need them.  And what's worse, we're actually giving horses shoes for the sake of it.  If they can cope without, they're better without!  Save yourself the money and the worry, just get the hooves of horses who can cope barefoot trimmed instead of spending £60 on shoes when they don't need them.

Bridles and Bits

The bridles shown on the website look sleek and subtle, but are in fact a dangerous web of wires.  Strong nosebands, draw reins, and brutal bits are all unnecessary in the horse world, in my opinion.  Very often, they stem from laziness.  If you can't be bothered to correct a problem, hiding it with a load of straps and gadgets will make it worse.  When fitted incorrectly, bridles can cause a lot of problems - I saw a great picture to explain this the other day, I'll see if I can find it...  Keep your eyes peeled! Consider a harsh bit.  Imagine all that pressure on your tongue, particularly with rollkur users and heavy handed riders - ouch!

Other Gadgets

The Rueckgrat Aufwickelender (Spine Cranker) is an imaginary piece of gadgetry, but it's frighteningly close to some of the kit designed to hold in place and hide problems. 

What is the world coming to?!