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Post by treacletart on Dec 27, 2010 22:15:35 GMT 1
My experience of cruppers is limited to seeing an overweight riding school pony with a dry cracked leather crupper to prevent the saddle moving forwards. It has put me off for life!
So, would love to discuss this.
And should I or shouldn't I consider a crupper (correctly fitted and in good condition) to keep ponys roller in place?
Imo, it seems like a piece of tack, as an add on, to correct badly fitting tack.
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Post by anastasia55555 on Dec 27, 2010 23:13:40 GMT 1
I have no experience of rollers so im not sure what other options there would be to solve your problem, but as you have said i saw them for many years at riding schools along with daisy reins and grass reins tying horses up in knots and to try and stop poor fitting shared tack moving about often on obese ponies which didnt help (not to say your pony is over weight, thats purely from what i saw)
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Post by treacletart on Dec 27, 2010 23:24:57 GMT 1
I would be interested to see how a horses spine and pelvic area, and muscular formation worked or were restricted by wearing a crupper. Are there any driving pony people here who can help? Anastasia, I undestood what you have written, and it didnt read my pony was overweight so dont worry. and thankyou for replying.
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Post by june on Dec 28, 2010 0:04:52 GMT 1
I'd guess the spine and pelvis would be restricted by a crupper. Afterall, the tail is still part of the spine so anything that bends it upwards or puts upward pressure on it can't be a good thing.
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varkie
Grand Prix Poster
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Post by varkie on Dec 28, 2010 15:17:06 GMT 1
First off, all driving ponies wear cruppers, and many of them are regularly checked with back & other therapists, and do just fine with them. I think with cruppers as with most things, the key is in the hands that use them - i.e. used correctly & fitted correctly, they should cause no problems. Secondly, the crupper should NOT be holding the tail up in the air, or at any sort of angle. You can buy lovely flat leather / synthetic cruppers that allow the tail to sit totally normally. Even the raised cruppers are not so raised that it should cause an issue. If you think about it, your average horse / pony doesn't go round with it's tail clamped to it's bum anyway - most of them carry it to some extent, and the crupper sits nicely (if properly fitted) around this tail carriage. Thirdly, any well fitted crupper should not be fitted so tight that it is pulling against the tail. In driving terms, and in ridden terms, it is fitted with a minimum of an upright hand space above the quarters. It should not be constantly pulling against the tail - it just helps to keep things in place when needed, and is not subject to constant pressure. If you look at this link, you can see pics of the pony I own who is both driven & ridden with a crupper: www.varkiesstud.co.uk/html/peni.htmlPeni is 11.1hh tall, and about the same width! She has no wither, a short flat back, a barrel for a tummy, and a whoopee bucking habit! To ride her without a crupper as an emergency measure to stop the saddle going up her neck would be nothing short of suicidal! If she could not wear a crupper, she could not be safely ridden, in my opinion. When driven, she clearly wears a crupper then too, to hold the harness correctly in place. She doesn't seem to mind it at all, and she is opinionated enough that she'd tell me if she did - in fact I'd likely find myself (or any other rider) pretty quickly bucked off! The only thing she puts her hoof down about is that I have to be ultra ultra careful not to have any of her tail hairs between her naked tail skin & the crupper. And understandably so - that must be very sore indeed. So I am very careful. I make sure all cruppers in my use are regularly cleaned & the leather treated to make sure it stays soft & supple & in good order. With regard to keeping a roller in place, before saying it was a good idea or not, I'd rather know more about the pony & the work expected & whether the roller has slipped before, and what other tack is used with it, before giving an answer as to whether a crupper would be a good plan.
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Post by anastasia55555 on Dec 28, 2010 19:44:26 GMT 1
Thanks for the info Varkie being a complete dumb dumb on driving i didnt know they were used, but it does sound like they have a very valid place, as you said when used correctly, fitted correctly and for the right reasons.
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Post by treacletart on Dec 28, 2010 19:48:14 GMT 1
Varkie, very informative - thanks The part which goes under the dock, i assumed were all 'rolled'. It sounds like you are talking of flat ones to allow tail to be carried naturally. I cant picture a comfy ponys dock area with a flat crupper not rounded. I will look into this to get it clear in my mind and have a better understanding. I read part of a book last night about how to tack up a driving pony, the hand on the rump, allowing a comfy fit, that made sense. So I then understood the crupper only came into play when necessary, and from what you say about Penni, is spot on. Safety comes first. Penni sounds full of character like my pony. With regard to keeping a roller in place, it has always been a problem so have not taken it further, until thinking about it now. (this snowy weather gives time for thought sometimes doesnt it?) Treacle has a sweet iron loose ring french link snaffle. No noseband, no martingale. She can be on her forehand due to conformation. Slightly higher quarters than withers. Sharp but safe and fun. Loves the fast work, voices her opinion if i ask for softer and slowerbut will oblige. It isnt easy. I am a bit too tall to do her justice really, shes 13.1hh and i am 5'6". But we have fab times all the time, every time. When shes stepping through from behind (tracking up), shes powerful but tends to try and run on a bit in front. Transitions improve but the roller then slips. She lunges with one line reasonably well either in a headcollar, cavesson,bridle or dually. I would like to use two lines, hence roller needed. She stretches long and low and is rythmical without sidereins or the like. I know she will do it with reins too, but we have to stop and re-adjust the roller, which then breaks the concentration. When she is ridden she works well, long and low, always forwards. However, when rider error (me) unbalances her, she lets me know, by carrying herself in her 'natural conformation', i.e. head slightly higher, not tracking up, hind toes slide over the grass. She has a bit of a short neck. Her top line lets her down in the thorasic trapezius area only.If i can develop this area, i hope to soften the brachio muscle a little. She finds lateral work easy. She enjoys working on hacks rather than in an arena, we work on grass in the field.
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