bit for a strong horse with a sensitive mouth and tendency to rearing?

[star]

6yr old welsh cob completely snaffle mouthed for everything except hunting. well, to be fair i haven't tried hunting in a snaffle but dont really want to die! first time out i tried a kimblewick and i couldn't stop him and he kept yanking his head to the round. I had previously hacked and XC schooled and done sponsored rides in the kimblewick and it had been fine. We had done jumps in company with other horses in front and he wasn't a problem at all. He obviously knows when he's hunting and changes into a different beast! He's fine as long as i let him keep up but if i try and steady him he just yanks and goes. I tried a Cheltenham gag with double reins last weekend and also changed from a cavesson to a grackle and it wasnt too bad to start with but when i really needed him to steady as i wasn't happy going so fast downhill and round slippery corners he threw his teddies out the pram bigtime. Tried hacking yesterday in a vulcanite pelham and every time I took up a contact he went to stand up with me so obviously very unhappy with that.

What on earth do I try next? I need something with brakes but anything with poll pressure and he has major strops and they're not fun!

 

[Tinkle]

I had a Waterford for my mare that used to be strong for jumping. She hated most bits I tried with poll pressure and just used to start backing off. And actually she stuck her head down and tanked off so poll pressure wasn't always very helpful. Obviously there are different cheek options with the Waterford - I had a hanging cheek but I could have done with full cheeks to assist with steering.

Not sure whether it would have been enough for her out hunting as I never took her. She used to nearly wee herself at the prospect of a gallop with 2 others nevermind a whole bunch - not sure hunting would have been a good idea.

x

 

[charliesarmy]

I hunted my mare in a Pelham....she's really strong but was used to it from showing...if you gave her a pull though (in a gag) she used to go up dentist said she has a really low palate and any bit with a nutcracker action would hurt her if she took a pull...

not that I used too

 

[Thistle]

How about a waterford cheltenham gag but wrap the mouthpiece with latex bit wrap to 'soften' it.

 

[connie1288]

Or a nathe straight bar cheltenham gag??

 

[annret]

You could try a kimblewick - mullen mouthed with tongue relief through the port, and more curb than poll action?

If a metal curb chain's too strong, I have a leather one you can have!

 

[annret]

Also, forgot to say - perhaps try a kineton noseband???
Here they are £15 - http://www.divoza.co.uk/product774.aspx - cheapest I've seen.

Sorry if this comes across as deeply patronising but i found this really excellent at explaining the logic of the noseband - http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/bridle.php#kineton

He's only a baby so it'd be a shame to have to put serious metalwork in his mouth although that may be the safest option.

Good luck, anyway!

 

[MerryMaker]

Cherry rolers, no poll pressure but the horse can't lean on them.

 

[ihatework]

Waterford / Megennis / Cherry roller

combined with kineton noseband

 

[catembi]

Myler combi...shares the pressure between the mouth & nose, so less to object to in the mouth?

 

[hellybelly6]

I second the myler combi

 

[KatB]

Bubble gag or Tom thumb with a leather curb strap. the curb strap limits the poll action, but gives a bit of an elevatibng action. My boy is inclined to leap and rear in a pelham, but the curb strap and happy mouth gag worked well, combined with a grackle noseband

 

[eoe]

Try a straight bar snaffle, this works for my strong 16hh Irish Cob.

 

[CrazyMare]

I know you say you tried a pelham but my mare hated hated a mullen mouth pelham, but goes sweetly (and stops) in her NS lozenge pelham. She has a tendancy to rear if something is too much for her.

I'm quite aware having the lozenge changes the action of the pelham however its pretty sucessful for us, with a curb chain rather than leather or elastic, with a loose caverson noseband.

 

[lucemoose]

beval or cartwheel bit- try and get a leather curb on it to limit the poll pressure.

 

[kendra2705]

hi my horse is responsive but strong if that makes sense , i put a pelham on her but its not the bit but the chain that she listens to , however do not put on too much presure and keep the chain loose to start with till you find her stopping point, too much pull will cause her to rear, please be careful , my mare responds to a little twitch of the fingers pulling would totally damage her but you have to put the pressure on that the horse listens too, which you will find eventually,