Bit recommendations/advice needed please

[spotty_pony]

My pony is currently in a French link loose ring Snaffle, he goes well in it .. apart from he is a bit 'rebellious' when I ask him to work properly (e.g long and low or a bit rounder) his teeth, saddle and back etc are all fine so he is not in any pain ... he just rebels when I try and make him bend to the inside and then tries to fall out of the outside shoulder and he swings his back legs into the centre of the school to try and evade the contact ...

he also occassionally opens his mouth to evade the bit ... do you think I should try him with a flash?

Or is it worth trying a change of bit? I have a fab instructor who is suggesting exercises to help me and him ... and tbh he isn't naughty and is very honest ... just inexperienced and fairly young ... just wondered if anybody had any advice on any of the things I have mentioned in this post? Or any similar experiences you would like to share?

Any advice much appreciated

 

[sfward]

If he goes well in it generally I'd say this is probably more a schooling issue which you could work through in the same bit - keep your outside contact outside leg on when you ask him to bend to the inside, and think about just flexing his jaw and poll for a stride or two rather than pulling his whole head round, that may help with the falling out problem. Shoulder in would probably help too.
Having said that if he's opening his mouth I'd put a flash on as that habit isn't going to help you! But with the caveat that if you're going to shut his mouth you need to be sure he's comfortable in his bit...
If you want to try another bit (and there's no harm in experimenting) then you could try something with a fixed cheek eg. an eggbutt or fulmer as these are more stable than a loose ring and can encourage a horse to take the contact more confidently. A hanging snaffle would fit this and may also help with rounding the pony up. Some horses also prefer a single link, in some cases this can encourage them to take a contact as there are less moving parts. Companies such as Neue Schule do a style called a Demi Anky which is a single link with shaped bars, and might be worth considering.
Have a browse through www.neueschulebits.com and www.shop4bits.com for some ideas.
Hope that helps!

 

[spotty_pony]

thanks for your help!

He was originally in an eggbutt single jointed snaffle when I bought him but he had a tendency to lean on the bit so I was advised to change it to a losse ring ... so not sure about going back to an eggbutt but a hanging cheek snaffle or a Fulmer might be worth a try... thanks again!

 

[sfward]

No problem! The other option might be a lozenge as opposed to a french link, as these are designed to be more comfortable than an ordinary french link (no flat edge to dig into the tongue). You can get hanging cheeks with these mouthpieces; maybe get one of these on loan to try and perhaps a demi anky loose ring and have a play for a few days.

If there's no noticeable difference with a new bit (and you'll need to try each for a few days to be able to tell properly) then I would stick with whichever he seems happiest in and carry on schooling with your trainer's help, as this would suggest the bit is probably not the cause of his evasion. It's always good to experiment but you can get hung up on bits being the answer to all problems - I am as bad a culprit as any on this point!

Good luck!

 

[HBII]

Hold him more through your out side leg contact, make sure you arent pulling with the inside contact making him drift to the outside. Remember circles are harder than striaght lines, he might be tiring or unbalanced.

Hope that helps.

Hb