Bit Advice

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SuzyLK

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Hi there,
Looking for some bit advice. I took on a rescue cob a year ago...he was in a bad way. One of the biggest problems was his mouth. full of ulcers and extremely sore. He had 3 months to heal, put on weight and sort out his numerous other issues before i brought him slowly back to work. Dont know much about his history but was told he was broken to drive as a two year old bless him. He was broken to ride when i got him but only hacking and had done no schooling. He has come on brilliantly since starting but im still having problems with his mouth in that he is very hard. He used to nap terribly in the school but i have stopped that now. He is pretty lazy in the school to be honest but is so good, my 10 year old can ride him. Just not much steering and i feel im having to be heavier with my hands than i would like to be. Hacking out or in new situations he can turn into a complete monster lol... he is very nappy...even in company and usually decides to reverse and spin on the road which is not fun but rather than a huge fight nowadays he takes one or two tellings. He's a lot more forward hacking until he suddenly slams on the breaks. If he is worked up or doesnt want to go somewhere he plows through the bit with not much effort. He doesn't take hold of it, more pulls through it. I'm not daft and I know he will continue to improve with time but I really think he would benefit from getting out and about and I know my sometimes RDA pony will turn into a monster lol. What I'm asking is what people would recommend to try bit wise for a bit of control if I need it? Nothing to harsh but just need him to respect it and give me more control if need it. Bad riding and probable scar tissue have made him very hard...also living in pain for god knows how long. He's a 14.3h Cob but is now built like a baby rhino haha. He is currently in a full cheek French link and I have found a great improvement/help with steering and napping. This is fine when he's happy but I know if I take him out he will just not respect it. Sorry for such a long speel! Look forward to any advice. Thanks. I will try and attach some before and after pics.
 
hi Suzy

Your poor chap! I'm glad to hear he's fallen on his feet with his new owner as it were.

As he's not been treated kindly in the past I think you'd want to avoid "weighing him down" in the mouth with some god-awful contraption which might hurt him in the mouth and remind him of his past.

I think you've got two options here, 1) hackamore (remove this whole mouth business altogether) or 2) a good old-fashioned pelham with two sets of reins. For normal day-to-day you've got your basic snaffle mouthpiece, but when you do need extra brakes/steering then you've got the curb rein. When you're not using it you can just tie a knot in the reins and leave it resting on his neck. Get someone to help you with the fitting of either (if you choose to try them) as fitting correctly is a bit of an art.
 
I agree with the above. The only thing that concerns me avoit the hackamore is it won't help much with steering if he spins round. In the long term though it would maybe be a good thing to aim for, as long as you're not into showing or dressage.

You can get a pelham with a flexible rubber mouthpiece if you want something really gentle, or a French link mouthpiece if thats currently working out ok, as well as various unjointed mouthpieces which may give you more control. The fact it works on the curb groove and poll, where he hopefully doesn't have any scarring, should increase your control. The cheeks of the pelham should help with steering too.

One more option, loose ring bits are better for horses that lean than fixed ring bits. I've had success on a few difficult horses (strong, nappy) with a French link fulmer snaffle used without keepers and with a grackle noseband.
 
I would have to offer an alternative view. I'm not a fan of the Pelham - although you can get some interesting mouthpeices etc my experience, mainly from hunting, is that a pelham makes it easier for the horse to take hold and "lean". Two reins are infinitely better than one rein with roundings though. I would tend to look more toward the waterford range - the NS elevator is nice and light when the horse is compliant; but has the flex, poll pressure and full cheek you might need in case of evasion. It might be worth giving the staff at The Bit Bank a call - there are so many different types of bits out there. Plus you can hire them for 30 days and return them if they don't work!
 
Kimblewick is a good bit for strong horses I rode my Fjord in one for a year I was then able to go back to a snaffle as the Kimblewick could be used with light hands to get a response.
 
Many cobs go better in a curb action type bit, they tend to be overloaded on the front end (cobs are after all designed to pull, not carry) and often need a bit of a "lift" from the curb. Snaffles are not "kind" bits as everyone seems to think, especially not when they are being hauled on (takes two to pull).
 
My pony used to be in a waterford - still is for jumping. Maybe go for a full cheek waterford? Not legal for dressage but I think it's good apart from that. Can't lean on it because there is nothing to lean on. It just 'collapses'.
Good luck :)
 
Cortez said:
Many cobs go better in a curb action type bit, they tend to be overloaded on the front end (cobs are after all designed to pull, not carry) and often need a bit of a "lift" from the curb. Snaffles are not "kind" bits as everyone seems to think, especially not when they are being hauled on (takes two to pull).
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FINALLY! Someone that doesn't think snaffles are the best thing ever. I really don't like some snaffles, not against them though. Mainly the ones that use nutcracker action. I find this can sometimes be very harsh. Also, if fitted incorrectly, the skin can be pinched between the bit and the ring (if it's a loose ring)
 
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