Duchess... thanks :~)
I also noticed Bays breast collar. You dont think its up a bit high on his neck?? Almost looks like it could choke him if the saddle slipped back, or if he put his head down to graze any??
I've thought so too, when I first got that one... but the only place to connect it is way up high like that... I could put it through the girth leathers, but then I didn't like how it came over the knee rolls in the saddle, and it sat too low and would slip down. It really isn't too tight, it's got elastic at both ends... So much that up really steep hills, it doesn't really keep the saddle from slipping back anyway. I had to move it forward at our break. And that's a big muscle there, not his airway, but I do take it off if we're going to sit and graze them because I don't think it looks comfortable.
But I have agreed, at times I've used the other one below that's a standard three piece with a ring at the chest. It's not elastic though, and I think it's kindof thin (I should get a wide western one), and it's a bigger hassle to put on, and since it connects to the girth, I think it pulls the girth forward of where I like it and was part of why Bay would get rubs, and yadayada... lately I've been going with the elastic one.
And I rode in the Kimberwick last time, this time I picked the Hackamore because I actually thought he seemed a bit hotter to trot before we left :~) He does hold his head lower in it though :~)
Oh - and yes, he has got a belly, how polite of you to notice ;~)
I keep the bottom tie fairly loose so it doesn't pull the girth. A girth pad helps too.
I didn't notice in a bad way...I think he looks really good.
I was wondering about him at the start of your ride because the last couple of times you talked about working him you commented about him feeling really well, and wondering how he would be.
I didn't realize the breast collar had elastic. That probably helps. I had one of those V shaped ones for my old western saddle. I had it adjusted too high. Two times when Belle would bend down to graze it shut off her air and caused her to go down, (I wasn't on her). As soon as she went down the collar loosened and she'd get back up like nothing happened. But it took 2 times happening before I realized what was causing it. I guess that is why I notice breast collars:).
Becky