Bit suggestions for horse who evades contact, tucking nose in?

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Sunflowers

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My gelding has always been "too soft" in the hand - i.e if you have any contact, he is so sensitive he will dip behind it in an attempt to avoid it, and become over bent and tight in the neck. I currently have him in a sprenger loose-ring lozenge snaffle.

It's a constant battle to get him to take the contact from me and take his nose forward. (I know it's not me as my other horse is total opposite!!)

So i was contemplating a rubber straight-bar snaffle, but now I read up on it, it says it can pressure the bars if ridden with a constant contact, which is not what i want at all.

Feel muddled..! Any ideas guys?
 
Maybe concentrate on lots of balance building work, transitions and the like. Mine used to do this (and does when unfit) when he's unbalanced. Getting his weight to the back and on his hocks, ignoring the head position, lots of transitions etc and it all stops.

ETA - also making assumption the teeth are all in order etc.
 
I've just started using a an eggbutt snaffle with a curved mouthpiece (so no nutcracker action). My lad can be a bit light in front, and doesn't much like the wiggliness of a double jointed mouthpiece. He is far more inclined to take the contact forward in the eggbutt. Old school - but it works a treat on him
 
I ride my very sensitive horse, he also drops behind the hand, in a straight Nathe with full cheeks, I bought it for him after he suffered a serious injury to the bar on one side of his mouth, it was the only bit I could think of that he may be happy in while rehabbing him, it has taken nearly 18 months for the mouth to fully heal, it now appears healed on xray, he was ridden all last summer in it and generally was as happy as I could expect it certainly didn't seem to cause him any unnecessary discomfort and he is now going much more confidently into it, knowing the state his mouth must have been in if he can tolerate it and be happy then worth trying one for yours.
The mouth injury is a long story, no need to be critical about me riding mine, if I had a choice I would have ridden bitless but he headshakes so that is not an option.
 
Straight bar nathe with a loose ring for a snaffle solved my issues.I then got him a neue schule Weymouth, a straight one and my horse was transformed.
 
I used to ride a horse who did this, he was ridden in a snaffle which had a flexible rubber type straight mouthpiece and he was fine in that, but I have no idea what it is called!
 
Fulmer snaffle with a drop noseband. This bit is designed to encourage the horse to accept the bit with confidence.

Lots of lunging with correctly fitted side reins in trot. Drive horse into the contact. Half halt with the lunge line.
 
I have also successfully used a straight bar nathe for one that wouldn't take the contact, and only a loose cavesson noseband so she could open her mouth if she felt the need.
 
A Micklem bridle has made almost all the difference to M who is the lightest horse I've ever ridden and most evasive in terms of contact!
 
I would ask your instructor to help you with this and if you haven't make sure that he doesn't have any physical problems, teeth etc. Without seeing the conformation of your horses mouth it is really hard to suggest why he might be so light in the contact. He may have a very low palate or a fleshy tongue or any number of other things. As people have mentioned using an eggbut style rather than a loose ring will keep the bit more still. A hanging cheek lifts the bit and keeps it even more still. The thickness of the mouthpiece will have an effect but a thick one isn't necessarily kinder if the horse doesn't have room for it and then obviously the actual mouthpiece type will put pressure on different places. I would definitely be inclined to get some help from someone who has seen your horse and how he goes. Good luck.
 
My boy does that, I had him in a loose ring with lozenge. My DR instructor informed me this was the wrong choice. To choose something steady. Just a plain simple eggbutt snaffle, with thick bars, works a treat!
 
I would also tend to recommend a straight bar for this type of horse.....except it isn't what suits my latest project who is terrified of the contact. What works for him is a Neueschule verbindert lozenge snaffle, or a plain curb bit (long story: we ride horses in historical displays, hence the curb thing), so actually a straight bar, but not a snaffle. Sorry! Not helpful.
 
Mine's gone from being ghost-like in the hand with a french link loose ring, to actively taking the contact forward in a french link full cheek. Much happier now the bit doesn't move as much in his mouth.
 
Have had good results with a straight bar nathe, a micklem bridle helped (no bit clips needed) and for my super-soft-mouthed but buzzy horse who needs a bit more anchoring I use a nathe butterfly flip - but with a back strap which really helps to prevent poll pressure and nose tucking...
 
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