Bits to help with contact issues please?

[Chuckieee]

Hi there.

My horse has an unsteady contact so I had the dentist out and my chiropractor who both report good health.

She has always had an unsteady contact, despite having a saddle fitted to her.

I’m not training with anyone in particular at the moment so I’d like a bit of advice on bitting. She is currently in a loose ring French link snaffle. What would you recommend to assist with contact issues? Does the French link assist or does it encourage her to play? Would something like a hanging cheek help?

I should add that she wears a grackle as she is strong. It’s quite loose though.

Any guidance will be much appreciated.

 

[be positive]

Your post is a bit muddled, the contact/ connection comes from the rider maintaining a steady contact not from the horse, in most cases the unsteadiness is due to the rider being unsteady themselves or because the horse is not working through equally on both sides so any correction really needs to start with the rider although having the most suitable bit will help it rarely gives a complete solution.

A French link will lie flat on the tongue so should allow the horse to be quiet in its mouth, the loose ring can encourage it to play a little but normally only to get the bit into the best position, a hanging cheek will be more stable but can make any movement from the riders hands more obvious it can work well with one inclined to fidget.

Using a loose grackle could be more irritating than any help, I cannot see how it will stop her being strong and if she is unsteady you want her to take more of a hold, to trust your hand and soften when asked, a noseband moving about may be enough to stop that, if it was firm it may encourage a better more secure contact but equally may make her worse.

Having a trainer to assess where you are would be a good idea before you go out spending money on new bits when the simple answer may be a few lessons.

 

[ester]

Our fussy one goes well in a mullen mouth hanging cheek because it stays so still. It depends what you mean by unsteady a bit though.
(she also goes well in the pelham equivalent).

 

[Chuckieee]

I think Be Positive has hit the nail on the head and if I am truly honest with myself, my hands are not as steady as they should be.

I shall most certainly be investing in lessons with a good instructor, going forwards.

I suppose I was hoping to help my horse deal with my unstead hands whilst I learnt to maintain a consistent contact and I wondered if a different bit might help me in the meantime.

I think the grackle is a bit of a red herring. It’s loose now because she isn’t strong when I’m schooling on the flat. She is only strong when jumping which is when it is tightened.

 

[daffy44]

Totally agree with Be Positive, a steady contact comes from the rider, and lessons would be the best place to start. But if you feel your hands are a little unsteady, an eggbutt snaffle is a good idea as it has less potential for movement than a loose ring snaffle, so it will help you maintain a steady contact, but nothing can replace good lessons.

 

[Casey76]

She may find there is too much movement with a loose ring, you could try switching to a fixed ring with the same mouth piece.

 

[Chippers1]

I had similar issues and moved to a fixed ring eggbutt with a lozenge and I would say he is going better (plus I had some lessons ) I think he was looking for something a bit more stable in his mouth than the loose ring.

 

[LaurenBobby]

Having similar issues with my horse, fully aware it is me being unstable in the contact rather than him, having lessons with a good instructor and they are helping and we’re getting there he’s currently in a loose ring French link, might try the egg but version and see how we go! Does anyone have any good tips for maintaining a stable contact?

 

[tallyho!]

Be positive has good things to say. An instructor preferably one that has classical training will be good. What you’re aiming for is clear communication nor just from your hands but from your seat, your weight aids as well.

 

[oldie48]

Your post is a bit muddled, the contact/ connection comes from the rider maintaining a steady contact not from the horse, in most cases the unsteadiness is due to the rider being unsteady themselves or because the horse is not working through equally on both sides so any correction really needs to start with the rider although having the most suitable bit will help it rarely gives a complete solution.

A French link will lie flat on the tongue so should allow the horse to be quiet in its mouth, the loose ring can encourage it to play a little but normally only to get the bit into the best position, a hanging cheek will be more stable but can make any movement from the riders hands more obvious it can work well with one inclined to fidget.

I totally agree with this but you may have seen my post about having help with finding a suitable bit. We've had lots of horses and tbh they have gone well in a loose ring french link, apart from one that was BTV until we put him in a nathe straight bar. My present horse does have a tricky mouth, yours may be pretty straightforward, but fwiw I have regular lessons with very experienced trainers but no-one had spotted that actually the bit was not right for his mouth conformation. I'm not sure we have the complete solution but I do feel we are moving in the right direction so sometimes it helps to be open minded. It's very hard to have still hands if your horse doesn't have a consistent contact, it's a bit chicken and egg! Good luck,

 

[LaurenBobby]

Horse bit fit looks quite good, in the process of booking a consultation at least I will know we’ve got the right bit then!

 

[oldie48]

Horse bit fit looks quite good, in the process of booking a consultation at least I will know we’ve got the right bit then!

I used Bit Fit (Rachel Fuller) and got some friends to bring their horses tooI thought she was knowledgeable not just about bits but also noticed bridle and saddle fit. I felt the charge was reasonable for the amount of time and effort and I know my friends felt it was very worthwhile, one of them was very knowledeable and I know she was quietly impressed.