Fix Little S Hackamore

["April Johnson" <adlee@bigfoot.com>]

Hi Ridecamp

 

I went out and rode Tanna today.  He loved it (ok, except for the fact that no buddies came along, so within 1/4 of the barn he was either poking or trotting me to death).  We explored some of the trails available to us.  Got into some nice canters and good even trots.  What a sweetie.

 

I rode in a saddle today because I was planning on working on down-shifting from canter to trot, since he has a problem with that transition and bounces me all over.  Well, when I started riding, Tanna was being a fraidy cat about being alone, so I just decided to ride without working on anything specific.

 

We got back to the pasture and I let us in through the back gate.  Well, silly me didn't have the reins, so off Tanna flies to find his buddies.  So much for my confidence!  I forgot to kiss to him to turn him toward me before he moved off (John Lyons thing) and after he got away from me, there was no stopping him.  I closed the gate and ran after him (a good 1/4 mile run), thinking of all the things he could do.  The reins were tied around his neck, and I was afraid of a wreck with one of the 15 other horses in the pasture.  Or that he'd roll and break the borrowed saddle and I'd have to buy a broke saddle.

 

Well, I caught him with out much incident and decided we couldn't end on that note.  He can't think if he runs off that he'll get out of work.  So I decided to change into jeans.  I HAD been planning on riding bareback when I changed at work and forgot to change into jeans when I decided to go the saddle route (btw, you should have seen me trying to figure out how to loop that silly girth strap around on that saddle.  Tanna rolled his eyes more than once...).  The saddle I borrowed was a cordura Abetta.  OUCH.  Don't ride in shorts in one of those.  Brought back fond memories of my first LD ride at Longstreet's Charge on my bouncy Appaloosa, bareback, in rough jeans.  Talk about rubbed raw!

 

Anyway, I tied Tanna in the barn aisle and ducked into a stall to change.  Idiot.  Me, I mean.  I should have stuck him in a stall, too!  A little 18 month old filly decided to play with Tanna and when I tried to shoo her off, she went the wrong way!!  Into Tanna and tried to go BETWEEN the wall and Tanna!  Agh!!!  I freaked.  I was sure there was going to be a major wreck.  She got scared of me freaking and backed away quickly, averting a bad wreck.  I checked Tanna for damage.  No physical damage.

 

Now to the point of my story.  The wreck broke the wire that holds together the shanks of Tanna's Little S Hackamore.  To finish his "punishment" in the arena, I tied them together with a shoestring, but that won't work long-term.  Help!  Any ideas?  I can't just leave them.  That wouldn't work at all!  No more control.  And believe me, Tanna WILL take advantage.  Happened before with a previous owner.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

April (ouch, ouch)

Tanna (fun, watch me flip these shanks, mom!)

Daniel (where have you been all evening?)