Bit advice needed!!

[Eloisee]

Hi all
I'm looking for some advice regarding a suitable bit for my pony out hacking. He's an Arab x and has a fairly soft mouth, esp when schooling. He can be very sharp and spooky when he wants does take hold of the bit and run through it if hes being a pain, but all this is fine in the school. I ride usually in a hanging cheek snaffle with copper piece in the middle and this is fine.
However, when out hacking he is super strong, bits down hard on the bit and just ignores all my aids. At first I could deal with it but now we have started hacking out in larger groups he gets very nervous/excited and we end up trotting/jogging/cantering down the main road. I ride in the middle so he's not left behind and he also panics up front so I know he's not jogging to be up the front. I hack in a loose ring Waterford as I thought the Waterford would mean he couldn't bite down and jog off. I also hack in a grackle to stop him crossing his jaw.
Sorry this is so long I'm trying to include any info that may be useful!

 

[Ali27]

Hi all
I'm looking for some advice regarding a suitable bit for my pony out hacking. He's an Arab x and has a fairly soft mouth, esp when schooling. He can be very sharp and spooky when he wants does take hold of the bit and run through it if hes being a pain, but all this is fine in the school. I ride usually in a hanging cheek snaffle with copper piece in the middle and this is fine.
However, when out hacking he is super strong, bits down hard on the bit and just ignores all my aids. At first I could deal with it but now we have started hacking out in larger groups he gets very nervous/excited and we end up trotting/jogging/cantering down the main road. I ride in the middle so he's not left behind and he also panics up front so I know he's not jogging to be up the front. I hack in a loose ring Waterford as I thought the Waterford would mean he couldn't bite down and jog off. I also hack in a grackle to stop him crossing his jaw.
Sorry this is so long I'm trying to include any info that may be useful!

I have just tried mine in a Hilary Vernon dalehead for jumping as she gets strong a and tanks off with me. It totally transformed her so that I had perfect control. She is in a Hilary Vernon loose ring Mullen for everything else. She too as a fairly soft mouth and is very sensitive!

 

[wkiwi]

It sounds like your pony is not yet established with the aids. Because she works fine in the school, this means she has learnt the basics, but they need to be taught to respond to these everywhere.
It is boring to do initially, but rather than 'bitting him up' you will have a much happier pony if you train him to respond on hacks in the same way that she does in the school.
You will not be able to control him in larger groups until you can control him on your own, and if you put too 'strong' a bit on then he will just start leaping/bucking/or rearing in frustration. The trick here is to teach obedience and relaxation rather than trying to control the pony by strength of the bit.
I would start by choosing a hack where you can do circles quite close to home, then ride him exactly the same as you would in the school. They soon learn that hacking is not as exciting as they thought and that they are expected to be obedient regardless of where they are. Then, once he behaves in one place, take him to another place and start all over again. This is what takes the time - the horse does not have the brain to think through problems, so they have to learn that different places still mean the same work.
Good luck