Bitting again...

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icklemadame

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After having no slowing power at all hunting on Sunday and almost coming off twice due to her jumping too fast and flattening out I'm back on the bit trail again...

Its not the stopping - I can turn in circles and stop easily enough - its slowing down in a straight line... basically in walk and trot I'm fine, but the minute she canters she powers forward and gets faster and faster - I can bring her back to walk with wiggles/circles but I can't just slow the canter, which is what I need to do esp hunting in the field when we're rapidly approaching the field master and when we're coming into jumps... If I try to slow her canter she either ignores me completely (in a snaffle/waterford) or puts her head in the air (which is what she was doing on Sunday in an american gag). I've tried curb chain varieties (Kimblewick & 3 ring gag with a curb strap) but had no cornering power so was left hurtling in a straight line!!! My two most successful tries were with a 3 ring gag without a curb strap, either with one rein or two, which we both liked but I still felt I needed a bit more braking power, and a cheltenham gag with two reins, which I loved because I can stop, but she felt quite backwards jumping in. I ride her in a snaffle at home and she goes beautifully, very wizzy but it doesn't matter as much I guess. I'd love her to be as happy as she is in her snaffle, but with the brakes I have in the cheltenham!!

I ride her in a flash as she opens her mouth a lot without one, but was wondering whether I ought to try different nosebands instead of bits?? I've strangely never tried a martingale on her either... which may be an idea
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But she doesn't have a high head carriage, and only put her head up in the american gag which I tried on Sunday. Mostly she just tanks...

Anyway, I'll stop rambling.... any ideas??? I haven't ever tried any of these 'new' bits (mylers etc.) so I don't know about those??

Thank you for any help/advice!!
 
i see you put 3 ring was quite good have you tried a waterford 3 ring? works well for wills.

what about a drop noseband maybe? never used one myself so not sure.

i ride W in a grackle as otherwise when excited she crosses her jaw and then all control is lost so maybe try one of those ? willow seems to favour hers over a flash
 
id try a well fitting running martingale first, if she objects to the pressure of a standing martingale by rearing she might topple herself over, standing martingales arent the best for jumping either as they leave the horse with restricted head movement.

may sound like going softer but have you tried a drop noseband? my pony objects severely to a flash for some reason and ends up stronger and harder to control but he goes brilliantly in a drop.

also a market harborough might help? i know a horse that changing bits with doesnt work whatsoever but she's fairly easy to control in her harborough.
 
I'm just sourcing a grakle to try, and I'll see if I can sort out a running martingale as well.... oh and a waterford 3 ring - kept meaning to try one of those anyway...

Sounds awful and I know its nothing to do with fashion but I hate the look of drop nosebands!!
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I may try her in one because stopping is more important but ah I hope it doesn't work in a funny way!!
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Biggest problem is I have to hunt to try all of these properly - so its taking me ages to solve the issue as I have more possible solutions than I have hunt meets. Plus if they don't work at all I have a nightmare day
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I always hear/read about these new fangled bits with funny names and abbreviations (myler, neue schule, kk etc. etc.) - I'm so behind the times - and wonder what the hell they are and whether there is one that may work that I'm completely unaware of and probably unable to spell the name of!!!!
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Were using a kk (a loose ring snaffle kind) you can get them with bigger leverage though. Some one suggested it to us because its lighter in their mouths. It hasnt got as much poll pressure as a 3 ring dutch gag which is what he's used to. He would always throw his head up when i needed breaks. It has worked with bringing his head down but not a great deal of breaks. One of the horse i ride here is ridden in a snaffle myler he goes great in it. He brings his head down really well its got a seperate littel part were you attach the reins to give it more leverage... the kk's got a different join in the middle the arrow on the end of the mouth piece has to go on the left hand side.
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Sprenger basically did a lot of research and changed the lozenge angle after discovering how little room a horse has in his mouth. The lozenge is rotated forward 45 degrees so more effective on the tongue (this rotated lozenge is where the KK comes from). They are made from a warmer metal too. Neue schule, as far as I can tell, copied them and also brought out other designs. Cheaper, but I don't think as good (and I have used both).
Myler, american designed. They are very thin, narrow, and don't close fully like a snaffle does. Then you get mikmar. Look like medieval torture instruments! Actually, can be very good...wide and flat mouthpiece.
I wouldn't use a drop for hunting as I think they must restrict breathing too some extent, and I'd personally never jump in a standing martingale. I'm thinking....how about a kineton noseband??? They are popular with eventers for hard pullers and also for racehorses. You cold also try the chelteham with a milder mouthpiece (ie a lozenge joint if you used a single joint). Other than that, a combination bit of some sort.
The other thing is if they open their mouth it's usually to alleviate tongue pressure. A level 2/3 myler might be worth a look.
 
If you ride in the Cheltenham gag keep the gag rein loose and ride on the snaffle...then when you need to stop, turn your wrist so that the gag action takes effect.
I used one one a very strong baby cob and it was brilliant - not just for hunting and XC but because if something frightened him out hacking he would just go!
Cab you go on a gallopy ride with a couple of co-operative friends and try it out - you'd need to pre-arrange for one to go off in front of you and then you try to stop before she does. Have an agreed term to ask her to stop if you're in real trouble.
Even on your own, you could practice galloping on and then bringing him back to you. I had to do this with the baby cob to stop WH classes becoming a stampede!
 
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