Bit experts - advice please

[nikicb]

Hoping for some advice please.....

New pony is working out really well, but gets a little keen jumping. We knew this, so knew what we were getting into, and it's nothing nasty - he just loves it. I will be putting the time in on the schooling as well as helping son to achieve this so I'm really hoping that the end point is that son will be able to jump him in the ordinary snaffle that he is ridden in for everything else. He has mainly been hacked and jumped in the last three years, so I really feel that flatwork will make the difference.

The person who had him before the people we bought him from apparently jumped him in a 3 ring snaffle using the second ring, and I have that bit as he came with his tack.

It is really important that son continues to feel confident as he lost a lot with the previous nappy pony. He's never really minded forward going ponies, but his previous pony napped, bucked, would spin and drop a shoulder. New pony (touch wood) shows no sign of any of these traits. I have also ridden him and although he is forward going he in no way feels like he is about to disappear into the next county! His canter is quite fast and being PB arab he has a highish head carriage and I think it looks worse than it feels. He runs into canter but once he reached 'his' ideal speed he settles into it - we need to work on the trot to canter transitions and also reducing the canter speed.

I'm anti just shoving a strong bit in as I'm not convinced that is a good long term solution.
Would it be sensible to put him back in the 3 ring snaffle for jumping in the near term as he has been ridden in it before so is at least known to him? Does this bit just give poll action or will it help with brakes as well? Really needing fine tuning - he's not a nasty pony and I have underhorsed rather than overhorsed son in terms of size (13'2", and son is strong rugby player type).

Or is there another bit that would be better - we use a wilkie on the sec A, is this a possibility? Or would a different noseband help - just using a plain cavesson one at the moment - but pony doesn't set himself against your hands, so not sure if this will help.

Sorry for the long ramble. Any advice would be great thanks! And just to add, I will discuss with his instructor, but would rather have a few ideas to mull over as he had his first lesson today and has a week to go till the next one.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

A Pelham would probably help with the high head carriage and give the possibility of 'fine tuning'. Sister really likes the Myler Pelham that she uses on her PBA Appaloosa and has completely discarded the Myler comfort snaffle that she used to use.

 

[neeny5]

a wilkie might help as they are stronger than a normal snaffle, and if you have one why not try it?

i use a pelham occasionally xc/hunting but i find them very strong, much stronger than my gag and tom thumb. and think if your son pulled too hard then this may make the pony react badly. i would try a wilkie personally

 

[nikicb]

A Pelham would probably help with the high head carriage and give the possibility of 'fine tuning'. Sister really likes the Myler Pelham that she uses on her PBA Appaloosa and has completely discarded the Myler comfort snaffle that she used to use.

a wilkie might help as they are stronger than a normal snaffle, and if you have one why not try it?

i use a pelham occasionally xc/hunting but i find them very strong, much stronger than my gag and tom thumb. and think if your son pulled too hard then this may make the pony react badly. i would try a wilkie personally

Thanks for your replies, I really appreciate them, it's very helpful getting other ideas.

I did think about a pelham, but was worried about it being too harsh due mainly to a bad experience with them in the past - we sold my first pony many years ago, and he really was a proper first pony, my sister rode with the RDA and she was fine off the lead rein on him out on hacks, he was a saint. Anyway, sold him to two families, joint ownership. They immediately put him in a pelham (looked flashy I think was the reason), he went straight up, one girl fell off and broke her arm.

Unfortunately I think the wilkie I have for my sec A may be too small (he has a tiny mouth), but I do like the way it works so would be prepared to get a bigger one for new pony, and it seems a little more subtle than the 3 ring snaffle as the leverage is less. I certainly don't want to overbit this pony - he is very genuine, and a couple of weeks into ownership, the last thing he needs is something harsh as he hasn't put a foot wrong. I just think if I can make sure son feels 'safe' for the next few weeks, he will have bonded with the pony and the confidence issues will work themselves out.

Thanks again.