Bit Ideas for Reschooling TB Gelding

kirstyl

kirstyl

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I am in the process of re schooling my TB 8yr ex racer gelding who I've now had for nearly two months. Having been extremely thin on purchase, he is starting to look and feel much better! He has been treated by the dentist and physio and on the advice of my physio have built up lunging in a cavesson to 20 mins and am now starting to lunge in a bridle and have just used the Pessoa for the second time (just for a few minutes as obviously going to be hard work for him). He is also walked out in hand every other day for up to 40mins.
I now need to buy him a suitable bit for progressing with his work and would be grateful of any suggestions. I have been borrowing a KK Sprenger lozenge bit from a friend but he obviously needs his own. Aware that times have moved on so much in bitting world and it's no longer the norm to put them in a snaffle!
My aim is to progress to dressage with him but enjoy a bit of everything else too.
 
kirstyl said:
Aware that times have moved on so much in bitting world and it's no longer the norm to put them in a snaffle!
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You should put the horse in what it needs, not what the fashion is! Have a look at the horses mouth and see what sort of conformation he has to see what bits might suit him. but i agree with the others, if the current bit works and he is comfortable then stick with it!:)
 
My ex racer is in a Neue Scheule Starter Bit and loving hit, he went well in the KK but even better in this, he really likes the metal and mouths it really well might be worth a try but i agree with the others, if the KK is working keep him in that but the NS might be worth a try before you shell out for a new bit be it KK or other? good luck! i no what a long process it can be!
 
My ex racer goes very happily in just a loose ring snaffle. Dont be dictated too by what is in fashion. Keep it simple and easy. If he is going galloping then hes goes in a dutch gag.
 
Not really commenting on the bit as I'm trying to find the right one myseld but good on you for taking him on, my TB was also really underweight and had muscle wastage when I got him so I had to lunge and walk him in hand a lot too. It pays off though, I started riding last month. He's currently in a snaffle but I'm trying a french link with lozenge on him tomorrow as he sometimes tries to evade it (this could just be naughtiness/laziness though), I have just started to lunge with two lines on the days when I don't ride rather than using a pessoa thingy but I will probably buy one at some point. Are there any hills you can walk him up either ridden or in hand? Also, one of the things I've been told by our instructor/trainer is never to let him plod along not even when I'm bringining him in from the field because all walking is exercise and good for his back end. I take a crop and give him a tap if he's not getting a move on, he's quite lazy.
 
Loose ring French link! We were in the KK but it was on loan so I had to give back. He’s just in a cheapie Kosteel one at the moment. We’re not actually doing any serious schooling yet (we were last year in the KK but we’ve faced quite a few set backs this year) so it may well change in the future. His teeth are being done next month so I might have a work with the EDT and see what she thinks.

Glad I’m not the only one that has an ex-racer that likes to potter about, although I did get a couple of strides of extended trot out of him freeschooling this morning :D
 
It's a very individual thing. Mine is just in a loose ring with a lozenge link, nothing special, it was about £12 I think! I thought it would just be a temporary fix but I have had no problems with it so i thought there was no need to change.

If you want to try some go on the Horse bit shop and get some on trial.
Hope this helps.
 
from experience, neue schule's are fantastic. my mare loves it and it is the only thing i wil school in... its also a full cheek snaffle with a lozenge in th middle because, being 3/4 tb, she has a very large tongue & low roof of her mouth and anything single jointed pinched her toungue and stabbed her in the mouth, and she leaned on anthing with a straight mouth.
unfortunatley shes too strong to hack/ compete in it so we're working on saving up for a neue schule dutch gag with a waterford mouth if possible
 
Mine had no topline at all two months ago but is starting to return slowly. Bet you're excited to be onboard. I can't wait! Due to all our walking up and down hills and round fields, I feel I must be a lot fitter. I know that he is feeling much better - initially it was like taking a large old dog for a walk - now he is starting to get his sparkle back and is having the odd leap and grunt! I just need him to lose the incredibly thick coat he grew over winter. It's coming out slowly but he is so hot and itchy. Good luck with yours
 
I've been onto the Bit Bank today and the lady also recommended a Neue Schule Team up bit - It's coming for us to trial on Thursday.

Thanks for all your comments everybody. Would like to add that in no way am I 'following the fashion' regarding bitting. I just want to get the most appropriate and comfortable bit for my horse!
 
kirstyl said:
Mine had no topline at all two months ago but is starting to return slowly. Bet you're excited to be onboard. I can't wait! Due to all our walking up and down hills and round fields, I feel I must be a lot fitter. I know that he is feeling much better - initially it was like taking a large old dog for a walk - now he is starting to get his sparkle back and is having the odd leap and grunt! I just need him to lose the incredibly thick coat he grew over winter. It's coming out slowly but he is so hot and itchy. Good luck with yours
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You can see him on www.tobyprojecthorse.blogspot.com he's my first horse and I don't regret taking him in at all, he's got a bit of attitude now and cheekiness which is quite nice to see, when I went to see him he looked like he'd completely given up. I also felt like I had a large dog for a while haha, Toby is moulting his winter coat now, I try and give him a good grooming most days and end up with a pretty impressive pile of fur at my feet. Have you got a saddle sorted? We tried loads but settled on a T4 high wither, I plan on buying a keiffer or getting a made to measure next year once he's fit but I am really impressed with the T4 and with it being synthetic it doesn't take any looking after. The ground work is quite a long haul but I think it sets you up for the ridden work and helps you both to bond.

I'm trying him in a loose ring french link with lozenge tonight, it's just a shires one that my instructor brought down to try out, I'm hoping that he will be easier to halt so that I can trust him enough to hack out, at the moment he throws a bit of a tantrum when I ask him to stop which is not great when approaching junctions!
 
Just had a look at your before and after pics. Haven't worked out how to put photos on here yet! Very similar state to mine when I got him 7 wks ago. He is starting to look and feel better but when my instructor came over yesterday to help us with groundwork exercises, she was still appalled by his condition. Just going to take time. I need Spring grass to hurry up! On the plus side, we have lots of in hand exercises to work on
 
kirstyl said:
Just had a look at your before and after pics. Haven't worked out how to put photos on here yet! Very similar state to mine when I got him 7 wks ago. He is starting to look and feel better but when my instructor came over yesterday to help us with groundwork exercises, she was still appalled by his condition. Just going to take time. I need Spring grass to hurry up! On the plus side, we have lots of in hand exercises to work on
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It does take a while and Toby still has a way to go, I don't think he'll be looking right until the end of summer, his back end is really weak, I swear by outshine though, if he starts to lack condition next winter then he's going back on it. Have you had a worm count done? I did that when I got him as a precaution, he didn't have a bad burden though, I plan on doing another one just to be safe.

I think you can use photobucket to put photos on here. It's a shame that they get into these states in the first place. Toby's summer coat is coming through now and he's looking so shiny, its lovely to see him looking heathy from the inside out. He is quite a softie too, he rolls in his stable every day which makes me laugh, he's not colicking, I think he's just grateful to have a big comfortable bed, he kicks the straw everywhere, I think there is a vid of him doing it on the blog. I didn't ride last night so will try the loose ring french link, I will let you know how he gets on with it.
 
kirstyl said:
I've been onto the Bit Bank today and the lady also recommended a Neue Schule Team up bit - It's coming for us to trial on Thursday.

Thanks for all your comments everybody. Would like to add that in no way am I 'following the fashion' regarding bitting. I just want to get the most appropriate and comfortable bit for my horse!
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I'm going to trial this one too, Toby accepts the loose ring french link better but it's still not quite right, he doesn't cross his jaw with it as much when he's in a grump about being asked to do something. I'm going back to ground work for a couple of weeks as he will work in an outline much better whilst being lunged with two lines and his saddle needs rebalancing so I don't want to ride in it until that's done, fortunately we have a reputable saddler on the yard so it will be sorted soon, I get it checked frequently since he is gaining weight and changing shape. Also booking an appointment with the physio for a check over and some advice :-). The dentist is due again next month. My friend has offered to lend me her pessoa to try too so I plan on giving that a go for 5-10 minutes at the weekend and we're going to long line up and down the hilly farm track just to get him out of the school for a bit, if he behaves I will get up really early and take him off the yard to find some bigger hills lol.

It's useful to hear what works for other TBs as there are so many bits to choose from.
 
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