Oliver has a tendency to live up to the Red Thoroughbred standard of sensitivity. Because of this, we’ve spent a good portion of his career playing around with tack changes...
Despite only being a Thoroughbred Cross, Oliver has a tendency to live up to the Red Thoroughbred standard of sensitivity. Because of this, we’ve spent a good portion of his career playing around with tack changes – everything from saddle fittings to bit & bridle changes, and even more recently – we’ve updated reins! Last spring, I opted to switch him into the ergonomic Collegiate ComFiTec Bridle, and with it made the change to the Collegiate Rubber Reins. We’ve been focusing more on dressage now that he’s a bit older, so I had been riding in a traditional web rein with stoppers. Although I liked the traditional style of the stoppers, I found that due to Oliver’s sensitivity it sometimes encouraged me to make too much of an adjustment in the contact.
The soft grip of the rubber reins allows me to keep a very quiet hand and helps him stretch and relax into the bridle. I also find that they have slightly more weight than a web style, which seems to give him a more consistent contact, even on a looser rein. The consistent grip of the reins also allows for very minor adjustments, which is often all that Oliver needs to make a correction! The soft European Leather is easy to clean and adjust, so any in season bit or bridle changes are quick and simple to manage!