Another which bit thread!

[Captain Bridget]

I've been riding my share horse since August now. He was originally in a french link hanging cheek which was fine. His owner switched him to sweet iron copper roller thing [picture below] to try and get him to soften through the mouth more which is does.

He does go into an outline sometimes but quite often chucks his head up and when we canter out on a hack, to start with he's okay, he then begins to tuck his head in and take hold a bit more and then he sticks his head up and I have very little brakes!

I end up really having to pull to get him to stop, even though I'm trying as much as I can to sit deep and all those other things and he just ignores me. To school he's great in canter, can fling his head a little, he's forward but doesn't take a hold.

I know it's excitement mainly, he's a 6 year old ex racer [jumper] and loves a good run! He does get excited a lot, he quite often jogs instead of walking and if you try to get him to walk he's chuck his head about at the slightest pressure.

I don't like having to use my hands so much to get him to stop and ideally don't want anything stronger but it's becoming a little dangerous when it takes me quite a while to stop!

 

[ImmyS]

If it works for him I would honestly give bitless a try, where you say that any slight pressure on the rein agitates him even more, my ex racer is exactly the same, the more you touch her mouth, the more wound up she gets so I now ride her bitless all the time and she is so much more relaxed and listens incredibly well to the seat now. No problems with breaking or steering.. So maybe something to think about?

 

[Tnavas]

I'd pop a standing martingale on him when you hack out - mainly to save your face from injury and maybe if he can't get his head up he will settle better.

The other alternative is a Market HArborough - this will definately help with the head chucking in canter.