Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

In a message dated 3/1/2005 9:38:37 AM Pacific Standard Time, rides2far@xxxxxxxx writes:

> I dunno. I gave up scissor snaps after my third one broke while riding. I wasn't even pulling the reins, was crossing a river with slack reins. I figure I'd rather put a break away piece in the middle of the reins, or have a headpiece on my bridle that would break than have something that might come loose when my horse decides he wants to race in and camp's right behind the finish line.


I had a very startling experience at the 20 Mule Team ride last weekend involving scissor snaps.  My rookie horse, Jazz, doing his 2nd ride with me wanted to GO first thing in the morning and got really annoyed with me for insisting on some sort of sane pace so he started shaking his head really hard up and down (not flipping it up high, but just sort of nodding really hard).  The dang snaps on BOTH reins opened up!!!  There I was trotting along going faster and faster with no reins anymore.  I ended up reaching down and grabbing the martingale which was clipped to his halter and was able to stop him that way (my Guardian angel must have stepped in on this one).  I resnapped the reins and couldn't find a thing wrong with them, the snaps weren't even loose.  I have no idea how they both managed to come undone at once.  What a fluke!

A few miles later the head thing was getting worse and worse so I finally decided to try taking the bit out and riding in the halter (aaack!).  Well, the minute the bit was gone Jazz returned to his normal good boy self and the rest of the ride was very pleasant.  I'm having an equine dentist out this week to give him a good going over because something obviously was wrong in his mouth.

No more scissor snaps for me and maybe no more bits for Jazz!  I bought him a brand new S hack to try while we work out the mouth issue :)

Aren't new horses fun!??? =:O

Sylvia