Bit Advice needed please

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SecretSquirrell379

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Hi, I posted last week asking about different bits for my mare and I had a couple of replies recommending a hanging cheek but I don't think that its going to be the right one for my mare. I'll explain why and would appreciate if you could tell me (kindly!) if I am right or totally got the wrong end of the stick. I must confess to knowing very little about bits but I am trying to learn quickly
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My mare is very strong and is in a Myler Combination at the moment. My instructor has been saying for a while that we should change it and see how she is in something not so harsh. Cropi had her back done last week and the lady asked what bit she was in as her poll was really tight, when I told her she suggested that I look at changing it as she is obviously fighting it quite hard, she is also getting slight bumps on the side of her nose where the noseband goes, as again she is fighting against it. She came to me in this bit as it was one that worked on her.

Last week in my lesson my instructor lent me a Cheltenham Gag to try. It obviously uses double reins, and I have never ridden in double reins before
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so we still attached them but tied them up so that they were there for my emergency brakes if I needed them, she did go really well in it, seemed a lot happier and was nowhere near as strong. She did get stong a couple of times and try and take the mick but no where near as strong as normal. I popped into the tack shop on the way home and they recommended that I try the Dr Bristol, I didn't realise how strong the bit was until I got home and had a look on the net. I think that this bit might be too strong and give me just as many problems as I have now.

I need a bit that gives me brakes as she is a very determined mare but one that is kind to her when she is good and does not put too much poll pressure on so that I can stop the tightening there.

Are jointed bits also too harsh? surely the jointed bit will pinch her tongue?

Thanks if you managed to get this far, hope you are not too bored and I have not speeled too much rubbish
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I couldnt find a bit that my horse was happy in, had problems of not being able to stop! I went to my local tack shop and they suggested changing the mouthpiece rather than going for a ' stronger ' bit. I went for a full cheek snaffle (after having her in a dutch gag) with a copper roller. The bit looked like a french link but the link was the roller if that makes sense! She was then a different horse, so much more relaxed and mouthed the bit alot better, i guess the roller gave her something to play with so it helped to keep her jaw more relaxed. Have tried loads of different bits in the past so i guess you just have to keep trying untill you find something to suit!
Sorry if not much help!
 
Have bitless bridles like the Dr Cook invaded England yet? They aren't a solution since one can't show in them but I've seen some incredible results from them on horses who were very strong to ride and had been going in leverage bits.

Anything with leverage (gags, combination bridles, mechanical hackamores etc) is going to work on the poll which in presumably what you are looking to avoid.

My inclination (always) is to go softer. You might try filling out the "which bit" test on the Myler site http://www.toklat.com/myler as I've had a couple of clients try that and get good specific suggestions. Otherwise you could try a different mouthpiece such as a French link or a slow twist. You could also try removing her noseband, as that really helps some horses.

There is also the question of when and why she pulls but I presume your instructor is working on that with you.
 
Horses can often get stale to the myler combination after a few months and learn to lean against it.

If the poll is causing trouble, then leverage may not be the way to go (bauchers, pelhams, non-running gags, etc)

I would give the Dr bristol you have a go - yes it is angled to press into the tongue, however not really much harsher than a single joint that pinches the tongue. However unlike a nutcracker it gives a clearer stop signal, whereas the nutcracker just squeezes in a blinder fashion.

Every horse is an individual, so it might take you quite a few bits to find the one you are after.

My suggestion would be a waterford snaffle to liven up the mouth - the mylers lie very still and the pressure is relatively accute. On the other hand she might run straight through it!

The bitless bridle is a thought, but useless unless you don't compete in anything other than show jumping.
 
Keep in mind that Dr Bristols have a "top" and a "bottom". Fitted correctly the edge nearest the tongue should be closer to the front of the mouth so that the link follows the line of the tongue and lies relatively flat if there is no rein pressure. If you put it in upside down the edge bites into the tongue and the horse cannot relieve the pressure by complying, which is supposed to be the point of the excercise.

I'm sure everyone knows that but it's on my mind because I just recently went to see a horse that was tossing its head like a fiend, only to find out that the owner's "French link" was actually a Dr. Bristol and she had it in upside down.
 
Hi, my horse was really strong when I bought her. She was ridden in a dutch gag and would either throw her head up and run through the bridle or put her head right down, yank the reins out of your hands and tank off (mm mmm, she was lovely to ride LOL).

I took her back to basics and got her going in a regular eggbut snaffle in the school and a hackamore for hacking. She quietened down quite quickly but was still leaning on me and resistant in her mouth so I had a bit of a play and ended up using a hanging cheek, straight bar mullen mouth snaffle which is pretty mild really. it was as if when she didn't have anything harsh to fight against, she actually relaxed and stopped being so obnoxious and I could finally get a decent ride out of her.

I've found that riding in bits with poll pressure whilst great for some horses, can actually teach others to get strong and to pull because they lean on the bit. this seems to apply especially to non 'true' gags (i.e. Dutch gags, American gags). Dunno if it would work for your mare to take her right back to basics and get her trusting the bit again, maybe she would stop being so strong? This isn't the solution for all horses, but it did work for mine.
 
It would be interesting to try her in a Dr Bristol. We have a very hard pulling mare that goes very well in it for exercising. She was so good in it that we've actually been able to drop her down to a snaffle (KK Ultra). She still needs a much stronger bit for hunting. For for all activities we're down to the snaffle.
 
thank so much for all of your replies, there are some great suggestions there. My problem is I get worried and lose all confidence in trying different things. We are going to try the Dr Bristol on Sunday in my lesson, we are trying all of them in the school just in case she tanks off.

We are thinking that if the bit is not as harsh then she will soften, it just worries me that she will tank off, when she goes, she goes and I need brakes!!

I will let you know how we get on
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