HelenBack
Well-Known Member
I'm just musing bit options for my horse. We're happy hackers and tend to just go round in a snaffle. Most of the time we're on the buckle end but he can be rather enthusiastic on the faster parts of a ride and try and bog off with me. He's strong and tends to just put his head down and set against me / lean on my hands and he can be quite obnoxious about it all. Sometimes he'll add in a bit of snatching as an extra way to get his head and try to go.
We went through a lot of bits when we used to do schooling and dressage and I found out that he's very sensitive and gets upset quite easily. I've even had to get off mid-schooling session to get a bit out of his mouth because he hated it so much! At that point I found out that he seems to prefer a fixed cheek to a loose ring and he also had very little room in his mouth so goes better with a much slimmer mouthpiece. Because of all this we ended up in a Myler eggbutt and this was probably the most comfortable I got him and for everything but fast work it's great. When he gets strong though it's pretty hopeless so I'm just wondering if there might be something more suitable for us. I'm toying with the idea of something like a pelham or a kimblewick but haven't ever used anything other than a snaffle on this horse so feeling a bit hesitant and I certainly don't want to over bit him.
Anyway, it's just a musing really and if anybody has any suggestions I'd be interested to hear them. He doesn't do other nosebands than a cavesson by the way - see the comment above on him being sensitive! And for any suggestions along the lines of it being a schooling issue, he was well schooled in the past but has retired to being a happy hacker now. He was also more of a kick along in the school whereas this issue is more to do with when we're out and about and excitement takes over.
We went through a lot of bits when we used to do schooling and dressage and I found out that he's very sensitive and gets upset quite easily. I've even had to get off mid-schooling session to get a bit out of his mouth because he hated it so much! At that point I found out that he seems to prefer a fixed cheek to a loose ring and he also had very little room in his mouth so goes better with a much slimmer mouthpiece. Because of all this we ended up in a Myler eggbutt and this was probably the most comfortable I got him and for everything but fast work it's great. When he gets strong though it's pretty hopeless so I'm just wondering if there might be something more suitable for us. I'm toying with the idea of something like a pelham or a kimblewick but haven't ever used anything other than a snaffle on this horse so feeling a bit hesitant and I certainly don't want to over bit him.
Anyway, it's just a musing really and if anybody has any suggestions I'd be interested to hear them. He doesn't do other nosebands than a cavesson by the way - see the comment above on him being sensitive! And for any suggestions along the lines of it being a schooling issue, he was well schooled in the past but has retired to being a happy hacker now. He was also more of a kick along in the school whereas this issue is more to do with when we're out and about and excitement takes over.
