Re: [RC] Crupper adjustment - superpatCruppers have been used by riders and drivers for eons with no ill effect. Remember that they have been used with mules pulling very heavy loads and they are not pulling on the spine. They are essentially the same as you wearing a back pack. Your body is supporting the weight. Anyway, I am sure that you will get plenty of explanations as to the eficacy of using them. I just want to offer a word of caution. Introduce it to your horse over a period of several days. I have had horses who accepted it immediately and went on with hardly a flick of the ear. (that's the exception). If you have been handling your horse so that you can touch and rub them all over, that puts you ahead of the game. Start lifting the base of the tail and rubbing them and manipulating the tail. When you decide to introduce the crupper, put it on rather loosely at first and turn the horse into the arena or round pen and ask him to move out at a walk. Usually you will not get a reaction until the horse trots and feels it under the tail, and then he may buck or kick out but that's ok. Work the horse for a few minutes and then remove the saddle and crupper. Each day (or a couple of times a day) do this exercise. I would wait until the horse moved out at all gaits without showing irritation at the properly adjusted crupper before I would attempt to mount with it on. By then, it should be a non issue. Then while riding, reach back and tug lightly on the crupper, increasing the pressure you apply. By the time you go out on trail, any amount of downhill will not cause the slightest reaction. Hope your saddle works out for you and your horse. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jennifer Thompson" <jlthompson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 9:25 AM Subject: [RC] Crupper adjustment I recently bought a new gelding and am having terrible problems with my saddle sliding forward when going down hills. I've never had this issue before with any other horse I've had. I am having a Desoto saddle made for him and hope that the problem will go away once he has a saddle that really fits him, but in the meantime, I think I'll need to use a crupper, as he gets VERY unhappy going downhill with the saddle over his shoulders. I have ordered a Zilco crupper. I've never used one before. Can anybody tell me how to properly use amd adjust one? Also, is there any danger (to the horse) in using one? Seems like something pulling backward on the tailbone (which is actually the horse's spine) could cause problems? Thanks, Jennifer =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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