Bitting help.

[FAB_FERN]

Well I think i'm about ready to open a bit shop. Another one has joined my group of bits today and I thought it would be 'the one' but alass it I tried it today and it wasn't as I thought it would be.

The horse (pony) in question is my 14.3hh Sec D mare. She hasn't got the softest mouth in the world and is very forward but safe. We tried ever bit imaginable sometimes they work for a while and then she figures it out. We do RC ODE's so have to do Dressage, XC, SJ. On a good day she can do a nice dressage test (if not just a tad speedy lol) She does this in a neue schule tranz link snaffle. We also did sj and xc in this last year and did well BUT recently she'd become hard to control so instructor suggested something with a bit more brakes. I had a neue schule wilkie snaffle with the same mouth piece so have been using that. All has been well with lessons etc and she's always safe to hack out. last week we did BE training at Kelsall Hill. We did some massive jumps and she was great, then on Sunday we did a XC competition and she was totally out of control to the point that we got eliminated because she jumped the WRONG jump. There was nothing I could do she locked on and decided we were jumping THAT jump even though ours was further up. It's funny now but it wasn't at the time.
After that I decided i'd spend the money on a Universal tranz link. More money!!!! It came today so I tried it. BRILL, the brakes work but she won't soften to it like she does the wilkie or even the snaffle. Grrrhhh. She's got her nose stuck out like a giraffe. Any suggestions anyone??? We have regular lessons and works correctly from behind whilst being schooled but she's just so funny with her mouth.

 

[Cliqmo]

Can you explain a bit more about how she goes in the other bits, and what she does when she is being strong?- or better yet have you got any photos? Bit recommendations will vary depending on whether she puts her head up or down, whether she locks her jaw, opens her mouth etc

 

[FAB_FERN]

When she's behaving she goes well in her snaffle. She does tend to go a bit too fast but if I slow her down she leans on my hands.
It tends to go wrong when we jump. She gets too strong and eager I suppose, she doesn't run off with her head in the air so we don't use a martingale as not needed. She tends to grab the bit over bends and tanks off at speed to the next jump.
She wears a drop noseband which isn't loose. I didn't jump in the universal bit tonight as the grass was a bit too wet so hopefully tomorrow I will.

Will look and see if I can find some piccies. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cliqmo]

Have you tried anything with a waterford link? It is designed to stop a horse leaning but focuses predominantly on the mouth action, rather than poll pressure etc. Pics would help

 

[FAB_FERN]

Dressage last year. I think we got 69% prelim

Xmas SJ, under control

Not under control