Bit advice??

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jess894

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16 February 2015
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Hey guys! I've been looking on this website for years but need some advice of my own now so have decided to join!

A bit of background: My new horse is a 6 y/o 15.1 ISH x Cob. He's perfect to ride out alone but gets excitable in company. He's been professionally schooled but had nothing done with him for a while. He's currently in a wilkie with a flash and running martingale (as he tends to stick his head up and bolt). My issue is that he's really unbalanced. I think that the wilkie has forced him into an outline without building the correct muscle, so without the rein contact, he's all over the place. He rushes with his head stuck up, then with the slightest contact on the rein he's massively over bent.

I genuinely don't think the bit suits him, but am not sure what else to try with him? Any ideas would be great, also ideas for working on balancing him and stopping him rushing so much! I have done some hill work with him and lunging in loose side reins, but not sure if this is right?

Thank you!
 
Put him straight in a snaffle, if you're comfortable with it. Forget head position for a while, too much focus on it won't help his balance. Is your weight distributed evenly on both seat bones? Are you collapsing down one side?
 
Right, I will get this all out the way. :p

Have you checked back/teeth/saddle - if not, this is your first plan of action to do all three.

Next would be remove flash and martingale and see if this improves it.

Preferably find what causes the bolting problem.

What I think now... try a hanging cheek or a different mouthpiece, what mouthpiece on a simple snaffle.
 
A good instructor would be your best option, they can see what will help, both bit and schooling, rather than getting advice from people who cannot see what is going on.
I would be looking at changing to a snaffle to use for hacking alone and schooling so you can work on getting him building up the correct muscles, learning to use himself properly without relying on the reins for support and control, you may need something stronger for more exciting activities but as you are finding he goes overbent in something like the wilkie that may mean you lose control anyway.

So going back to basics, accepting the contact, getting him working on a steady rhythm from your seat rather than your hand, encouraging him to stretch over his back and relaxing so he uses himself would be the first aim, until he is established you will struggle to move on.
Hillwork done well is very useful, slow and steady so they really work, lunging not so useful unless they do it well, work over poles would be beneficial even just walking over randomly placed poles can make a horse concentrate and look.
 
Yes teeth and back have been checked, saddle has not long ago been professionally fitted. We are having weekly lessons, my instructor suggested a hanging cheek- he's used to a french link, should i try a straight bar? Thanks guys!!
 
Somebody else suggested a pelham but I'm not so sure. I think its a bit strong for a 6 y/o, but I guess every bit is as strong as you make it
 
Assuming all checks have been done and all is well, I think you probably need some help getting to grips with this problem. I'd get some lessons with a decent instrcutor who can help you identify what the issue is and take action to deal with it.

In the mean time is there just one reliable, calm horse you could hack out with who won't provide any 'competition' for him when he tanks off? This worked wonders with my boy - we had two friends he could hack out with - just one at a time to begin with - as if he got silly, they didn't care and just carried on doing their thing behind him. He soon realised that tanking off just meant he was alone (his biggest fear is being left behind, which I think is why he always wanted to be in front) and he'd rather have them with him, so he stopped doing it. We then upped it to both calm horses and he was fine and eventually we added some more who are a bit more fiery and although he's still a bit more excitable in a large group he's not desperate to be in front and as anxious if someone comes past him like he used to be. He'll even go at the back now - he won't stop there until the others have stopped, but he doesn't tank past them.

We coupled this with lots of schooling and got him down from a pelham with a kineton noseband and a martingale to just a mullen mouth hanging cheek snaffle for most things. He has a waterford hanging cheek for hacking in a group or if I'm with someone who really doesn't need me to have a brakes problem too (he's that good now that as long as I have that on him he can be classed as the calm reliable friend to hack with!) and for very exciting stuff - mostly fun rides a few times a year a waterford dutch gag with two reins - more for my peace of mind than him needing it.

I'd get rid of the flash too. Mine had a flash and would fight it almost constantly. We took it off and found that when he was good he was very good, but when he was throwing his toys out of the pram, he was a lot worse than with the flash. We persevered and we've now gone from about 30:70 good:awful to about 98:2 good:awful!
 
jess894 said:
Yes teeth and back have been checked, saddle has not long ago been professionally fitted. We are having weekly lessons, my instructor suggested a hanging cheek- he's used to a french link, should i try a straight bar? Thanks guys!!
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Mine prefers either an unjointed bit or a waterford. He has a huge, slightly deformed (twisted) tongue and any jointed bit, either single or double jointed, hurts him. The mullen mouth is by far the best, but I sometimes need a bit more stopping power and he was happy in the waterford from the moment I put in on him. I think the fact it's very flexible in his mouth is what makes it more comfy. The hanging cheek definitely helped my boy.
 
If all check have been made;

I had similar issues in the first few months of having my 5yr old last winter - the bit that worked for me was a single jointed loose ring snaffle! (He came in fixed cheek French link snaffle) he couldn't hold on to the loose ring and run away with me (I'm still using the flash) it really has been a miracle worker to start all the correct training and build the right muscles. I do not envy the bit trying as been there and done it and after about 2384363 bits to try finally found the right one for me lol! Hope you find success soon :)
 
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