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 Scorpions R Us
Posts: 9586
   
Location: So. Cali. | Decribe to me the kind of horse you would use a Bonnet type Town Down on. Hopefully this makes sense...
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
 
Location: Kansas | I have used them on a lot of different horses with good results. My old bay gelding won't go ahead and run all out if there's a regular tiedown on his nose no matter how loose it is. But he needs a little help balancing and the bonnet lets him push on SOMETHING but also stick his nose out to run. My gray horse was also hitting the tiedown and backing off a little so I put a bonnet back on him late last summer and it freed him up some. I ran a little gaited mare in a bonnet because she just fought a tiedown but would go ahead and work in a bonnet. She needed a little something to get on her back end at all, and the bonnet worked like a charm. Hers was pretty snug while my bay gelding's is pretty loose and the gray's is kind of in the middle. He doesn't really hit it until his head comes quite a ways up. I did use one for a while on my big sorrel but he was sticking his head out to run and not staying hooked quite long enough in a turn. Put a rope nose tiedown back on him and suddenly we are finishing barrels again. He may eventually end up back in the bonnet like the gray horse.
I just have a gut feeling on when a bonnet is a good idea and I'm not afraid to try it for a run to see what will happen. I tried the gaited mare in a regular tiedown and we about wiped out because she was fighting the tiedown instead of watching where she put her feet. She was a train wreck in a lot of ways but by getting along with her unorthodox style I was able to have fun at the local shows and we actually won quite a few 4D checks at district NBHAs. She wasn't one I was willing to retrain at age 16 - it wasn't worth it for an older horse that was maxed out athletically at 2-2.5 seconds off the 1D horses. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I started late last season running my boy in a browband tie down (I feel there is a difference - a bonnet connects with a ring and the ring distributes pressure to both the brow and poll. Mine the poll portion is a hanger to keep it in place, there is probably some poll pressure, but most of the pressure is exerted directly on the brow, which is one piece of leather over the brow connected to the tie strap).
I felt like he was getting really front endy around the barrels and it was always about the same time he would lean on the tie down - it was as if he was falling on his face, that pulled me forward, and out wide we went. Since switching to the browband he has been able to stand up a lot better and keep his shoulders in line.
We only ran in one for our last race of the season. We were typically 2.1-2.2sec off our local 1D hauling partner and this time we were 1.6sec off her. I'm pretty stoked to see if those results can become consistent or better. |
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Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | OhMax - 2014-01-27 7:09 PM I started late last season running my boy in a browband tie down (I feel there is a difference - a bonnet connects with a ring and the ring distributes pressure to both the brow and poll. Mine the poll portion is a hanger to keep it in place, there is probably some poll pressure, but most of the pressure is exerted directly on the brow, which is one piece of leather over the brow connected to the tie strap). I felt like he was getting really front endy around the barrels and it was always about the same time he would lean on the tie down - it was as if he was falling on his face, that pulled me forward, and out wide we went. Since switching to the browband he has been able to stand up a lot better and keep his shoulders in line. We only ran in one for our last race of the season. We were typically 2.1-2.2sec off our local 1D hauling partner and this time we were 1.6sec off her. I'm pretty stoked to see if those results can become consistent or better.
Sounds like we are using the same type of tiedown. Here's a picture.
 (543Bonnet.jpg)
 (DiamondBonnet.jpg)
Attachments
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 543Bonnet.jpg (71KB - 325 downloads)
DiamondBonnet.jpg (88KB - 335 downloads)
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| Sounds like it, I use this one:
http://www.barrelracingsuperstore.com/7761-browband-tie-down/
As opposed to a war bonnet, which IMO would be harsher
http://www.barrelracingsuperstore.com/bonnet-tiedown/ |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1092
Location: OK | If a horse roots his nose out, I use a tie down. If his nose is in, but his head is up, I use a bonnet. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1767
Location: California | I would use one on a horse that has trouble engaging their hind end because their head is up in the air, or if they have a tendancy to want to run more "up" instead of forward. |
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