Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Barn Rule Number I've-Lost-Count

No changing out the curb chain on kimberwick bits.  Ever.

A few years ago, I got the bright idea of swapping out the curb chain on the kimberwick I was using for a beta-ended, Western-style curb chain, the theory being that I wouldn't have to undo it all the time.

Great in theory...doesn't work for Princess Pea-Head in practice, since I only recently figured out I couldn't actually get the curb chain properly tight enough under her cute lil' muzzle.

How long have you been riding?!?

If you've ever tried to remove a curb chain, you know that wrenching apart the J-hooks with pliers twists them out of shape and renders them really hard to use in the future.

But did you also know there's a certain way to put new ones on?  As in, there's a right one and a left one, and when hung right, won't poke the horse's jaw with the open ends of the hooks?

I learned these things this afternoon.

This curb chain is never leaving this bit again.

4 comments:

  1. I've just started using a Kimberwick on Desire in the last few months. Good to know!!

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    1. If I'm going to use a bit, I love using a kimberwick for endurance...lots of control options and enough authority to break through the "race brain."

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  2. My gigantic TWH has a gigantic beautiful head, and HER snazzy biothane curb chain is way too big for her. Like, it's one of those deals with a chain in the middle and biothane straps on either end, and JUST THE CHAIN would be plenty big. I guess I can't complain, because I could just unbuckle the biothane bits and swap in something else... but I want her biothane to work. Wahh. I feel your pain. Why can't curb chain manufacturers make curb chains that fit, oh, you know, NON DRAFT HORSES?!

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    1. The only way the biothane curb chains end up working for me is attached to an s-hack...y'know, halfway up the chin!

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