another bit post, advice please!

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Cinders

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I have a 14hh pony who for the last year we've been working really hard to get her from a pokey nosed pony to working in an outline and we are getting there although its been a long slow process as its been a big learning curve for me as well.

Originally i rode her in a kimblewick as instructor thought it would help me get her round but obviously i cant do dressage in it. Have had her schooling in just a plain snaffle for a few weeks now and she always starts off very stiff and wooden but after lots of transitions and circles she loosens up a bit but she never properly gives and softens for me and there's always so much resistance. Put her in the kimblewick yesterday and today and wow she completelty amazed me, i d begun to think she didn't have the muscle to carry herself properly but she clearly does as in the kimblewick she was soft and round from the moment i got on her, it was lovely.

i m a completely novice when it comes to bitting, but i dont understand why there is such a huge contrast in her way of going between the two bits? i m guessing she doesn't like the snaffle as much as the kimblewick so i was thinking about changing her ordinary snaffle to a different mouth piece any one got any ideas on what i can change it to?
 
which is jointed/straight bar?

I schooled a horse for ages in a jointed slotted kimblewick, I wanted to do dressage with him so spent ages trying to find a snaffle to suit. Eventually found he went beautifully in a jointed hanging cheek! He also went really nicely in a wilkie, but Im not sure if they are dressage legal?
 
*CLICK* There you go! Personally I would change her to a french link for starters and see what happens - a lot of horses dislike a single link, they are actually V harsh - try one on your arm, they pinch! If the french link does not get you softness then have a think about trying a straight bar with a port (although not entirely sure what is allowed in BD), Mylers are straight too
smile.gif
 
Jemayni- the kimblewick is just a ported mouth with a straight bar and the snaffle is a jointed eggbutt.

thanks for the help guys, will give her a go in your suggestions!
 
[ QUOTE ]
*CLICK* There you go! Personally I would change her to a french link for starters and see what happens - a lot of horses dislike a single link, they are actually V harsh - try one on your arm, they pinch! If the french link does not get you softness then have a think about trying a straight bar with a port (although not entirely sure what is allowed in BD), Mylers are straight too
smile.gif


[/ QUOTE ] I know where you are coming from, but some horses prefer a single joint (just to complicate things!). When I got my mare, I tried her in a range of double jointed bits (Sprenger KK Ultra, Myler etc) she hated them all. In the end I put a single joint in there and she breathed a sigh of relief and has never looked back! Also there are modern versions of the single joint that don't have the nutcracker (pinching) action. I use a JP single joint snaffe (designed to have a slight arch in the middle to allow extra room for the tongue) and there is also a 'Pinchess' (brand name) that I understand also has some sort of spring action sides, allowing each one to act independantly of the other (somehow!).
 
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