Re: Sponge Off

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-10-26 13:25:24 EST, truman.prevatt@netsrq.com writes:

<< Off a tall
 horse you are able to see sponging holes at a much greater distance and
 get your sponge ready.  Also the extra heigth allow you to cast your
 sponge over rocks and brush and still that would be in the way for a
 shorter horse. >>

I suppose the trade-off is that from a taller horse you need a longer cord and
better aim??

Heidi (The Defender of the Short Horse)

PS:  On really hot humid rides I always preferred toweling to sponging,
personally.  Just tie a cord around the middle of a bath towel, and go for it!
Cold towel covers a large area of horse, wrings out a fairly large quantity of
water, and is even nicer for wiping down your own face and arms.  Does require
a rather different technique, as the towel tends to open and flutter--you have
to judge your throw based on the pre-existing dampness or lack thereof of your
towel, the wind conditions are a bigger factor, etc.  Guess we need to start a
second category of this new sport, rather like sabre dueling vs. fencing with
tapers??  Good toweling technique helped to earn me a win and a BC riding my
old mare Sansih on a rugged 90-miler back in 1985 with heat and humidity that
would rival ANYTHING I have ever encountered in my visits to Georgia,
Tennessee, Arkansas, or Texas, and I was pretty proud of myself as I was quite
new to the technique.  In fact, I think I invented it, as the sponge just
didn't seem adequate on the first loop...