Bits - dressage and showing a strong horse

[black_horse]

I havent been on here for a while, buy with pony and work (boo at the last part)

But anyway, my mare is ridden in a hanging cheek french link snaffle and is unbelieveably strong in it, got no respect for me as a rider etc and i dont want to hang onto her mouth! she is fairly established now so aiming to do some elementary type dressage tests. Lately i have been riding i a cambridge pelham and she is great in it! both the horse and i are much happier but this bit is obviously not dressage legal.

Am i right in assuming she is ok to show in this bit? I am hoping to move her onto a double bridle for dressage but dont know which combination of weymouth/bridoon to use. some advice would be great!

 

[spacefaer]

I've never ridden a horse that went well in a hanging snaffle - don't see the point of them at all.

What aspect of the cambridge pelham do you think your horse likes? The mouthpiece, the curb. the level action?

for dressage, I would borrow a basic weymouth/bridoon set and see what she thinks - I'm sure, being a girl, that she'll have an opinion

 

[nikkimariet]

Bruce rejects any form of snaffle in favour of his £8.99 Happy Mouth snaffle. (plastic loose ring single joint bradoon).

Have recently swapped his weymouth for a shorter curb (found he overbent and didn't work into a proper contact in a longer curb) for something similar to a Tom Thumb Weymouth.

It will take time and probably a few adjustments to find what is exactly right for you and your horse. For instance, Bruce hates sliding cheek weymouths and is totally ignorant in an eggbutt and can't stand anything with a french link. You need to consider what aspect of the pelham you/your horse likes.

 

[elsielouise]

Hi

I could've written your post. My WBx mare is perfect and the horse of my dreams, apart from she is also very strong and in a particular mindset (had her 12 years still not discovered what causes it) she just runs through me in every bit out there. Believe me have tried 'em all including no bit at all! BUT thro process of elimination she is best (jumping and flat) in a rubber pelham or even a kimblewick. Soooo so I actually ride her for dressage, and in fact now hacking and everything except jumping/hunting in a happy mouth, fulham straight bar snaffle and although she still takes a lot of riding; seat, legs etc - she is infinately better than in the hanging cheek/KK ultra/myler/you name it snaffles that are out there.

As above, if you can work out which part of the action of the bit she goes best in, in your non dressage bit then find a 'legal' compromise bit then you may be doing the best you can.

I dont know about the showing sorry, only jump and BD my ponio but I hope you find the right bit and IMO - less is more with the strong ones sometimes.