Advice please: slightly more breaks for a poll pressure hater

[HeresHoping]

Hi. Sorry. It should say BRAKES not breaks. Am sure I corrected it once...

So, St. Larry (17 hh ISH, bought at the end of July) has long lost his halo having decided that he is a springbok on occasion, not a gentle giant of a horse. It's not serious bronking, it's an occasional, nappy, 'I don't want to do this right now so I'm going to bounce off all fours, set my neck and tip you out the side door if I can' behaviour that my instructor has witnessed. Fortunately he hasn't yet. He likes to do it on the first canter transition (probably because I don't stick my bum in the saddle properly and he sees the opportunity). Problem is, he is lightning fast at setting his neck and attempting to tank so turning him is not an option. Try and throw the reins at him, and he goes backwards, very, very fast. Boot him forwards, hope for the best. On my instructor's advice I'm changing my hanging cheek for a KK Ultra loose ring so he can't just grab the rein, set his neck and tank.

Part of the problem is that we don't have turnout in the fields now the wet weather is upon us and he needs more exercise. The horses are in sand paddocks which are not huge and they spend all day stuffing their faces with hay and hardly moving. Please don't suggest moving, that's not an option currently available to us, believe me, I have explored it in minute detail. We should be moving up north in the Spring to somewhere with plenty of land so that will make a difference. In the meantime, it's make do and mend. And lunging before schooling which is a nightmare, but that's another story.

Having now acquired a jumping saddle, I'd like to see if we can't alleviate some of the boredom he assures me he has with the schooling and dressage. However, as he has attempted to tank with me I think I would like some slightly stronger - just for reassurance. I tried him in a Wilkie French Link today in the school (having hacked him in it yesterday) and conclude he hates it. The slightest increase in contact and he throws his head in the air and shakes his lips, stops, brings his front feet off the ground and generally panics. He wouldn't even let me undo the bridle to take it off without doing the lippy lippy shake. He spent most of yesterday's hack throwing his head around; I had attributed it to being caught in the monumental downpour.

Any suggestions for a bit for a very head shy horse (curb chains are probably out) that has slightly more effect than a KK Ultra French Link Loose Ring, please? Just for my own peace of mind whilst we get through these teething issues? And talking of teeth, yes, they were fine last month when he had them done. Back checked every 6 weeks as I am paranoid about this. And saddler was out last week.

Thank you.

 

[Goldenstar]

For horses who hate poll pressure I would try .
Dr Bristol
A Waterford ( with cheeks perhaps )
Roller bits of various types.
For horse who set their neck the main cure is training .

 

[HeresHoping]

Thank you. The training we're working on. You mention cheeks. He came with a full cheek snaffle with no keepers - so I swapped it for the hanging cheek - both fairly thick with a lozenge rather than a French link. If I try a Waterford, would you recommend keepers? I must admit I find the concept of a full cheek with no keepers quite at odds, but then I'm quite old and all my training was good old fashioned BHS from many years ago and many things have changed.

 

[Abacus]

Can you hack more - in whatever bit feels safest - to let off some steam?

Alternatively I'm not averse to gadgets for safety reasons - a market harborough or even draw reins until he behaves and the halo is back in place.

 

[HeresHoping]

Hi. Thank you. I just sold my draw reins...sugar. But I'm not a huge fan - he works really well without them. It's just every so often he takes the p. And more frequently recently. I try and make it a rule 'no more than 2 days in the school' so we're hacking as much as we can. He's not the most confident solo hacker - I've gone backwards for more than 200 yards because there was a flatbed trailer...yes...a trailer... parked on a corner that wasn't there before. And then he set his very long neck and it was a few minutes before he conceded the point. So we're working on going out with just one other and taking the lead, or with a good (actually, deserves a medal) friend on her bike. He's usually very, very good on a hack with others. In fact, the one who doesn't play up and just gets on with it. Halo in place. We will work through it. He's 7, and very badly beaten in his previous home. My instructor thinks he's just pushing buttons because he knows I won't wallop him one. If I did, I'd probably be projected to the moon. He is petrified of whips - if someone is lunging in the school and he's in earshot you can see his heart beating in his chest and the whites of his eyes he's so frightened.