Advice needed on bit for a strong horse

E

Evenstar

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 March 2007
Messages
54
Visit site
Hi everybody

I have a 15.3hh gelding who is very strong; he used to be a riding school horse and I always feel like I'm pulling REALLY hard to keep an effective contact!

He also has a tendency to shake his head about every so often which my instructor says is also him trying to avoid the contact.

He is currently ridden in a regular eggbutt snaffle with a kineton noseband.
I have been eyeing up the Neue Schule bits as I've heard good things.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice/recommendations?

Thanks x
 
It sounds as if he has been subjected to heavy hands, and he's running through the contact. Pulling him back will just cause him to lean more.

You could try a pee wee bit and soft hands. Teach him from the ground how to take the contact, and to yield to it.
 
My mare will headshake if she has nose pressure, so I wonder if that is a problem with the kineton you are using?

I've often found a pelham with two reins will lighten a horse up, I find a mullen mouth stainless steel the best as it is still relatively mild and not too thick.
 
Hmmm maybe it is the kineton then.
I've had him since mid-january and he was already in the kineton so i carried on with it (not being very knowledgeable about bits, nosebands etc myself!).
My instructor has known him quite a long time with him being a riding school horse, and she says the head shaking is a pretty recent thing.
 
Maybe just try a basic combo...... a regular plain noseband, and the egg butt snaffle and see if it is nose pressure.
Or a neule scheule bit, I found that if you get it in the soft metal horses often will respond well to it! Or myler bits are good for this as well! :)
 
Lucy_Nottingham said:
Maybe just try a basic combo...... a regular plain noseband, and the egg butt snaffle and see if it is nose pressure.
Or a neule scheule bit, I found that if you get it in the soft metal horses often will respond well to it! Or myler bits are good for this as well! :)
Click to expand...

Thanks I think I will try the basic combo approach first and see what happens :)
 
My irishxtb mare was very strong when I first bought her. I tried lots of different bits as she also had a sensitive mouth and was easily rubbed. The one that eventually worked for me was the Myler french link snaffle with added flash if we are doing anything exciting! She is quite happy in this and we have reasonable brakes! I think the extra tongue room helps greatly. Good luck, hope you find the right bit soon.
 
joos66 said:
My irishxtb mare was very strong when I first bought her. I tried lots of different bits as she also had a sensitive mouth and was easily rubbed. The one that eventually worked for me was the Myler french link snaffle with added flash if we are doing anything exciting! She is quite happy in this and we have reasonable brakes! I think the extra tongue room helps greatly. Good luck, hope you find the right bit soon.
Click to expand...

Joos66, I am having the same problem at the moment, my warmblood has a very hard mouth and can be very strong, he leans on me constantly... I am going to try a Myler, have you got a fixed or loose ring?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top