Bitting Help?

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MiserableMare

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I'm currently considering changing my mare (Rosies') bit. She is a 16.2 TB with a history of racing, she is 14. I've owned her for 7 months and have been schooling her since but she constantly pulls against the bit and won't accept contact as she is constantly "jogging" when she walks. she also constantly has her head high and refuses to bring it down to work in an outline. She is a very strong horse and has problems with her "brakes" and gets carried away. She currently working in a loose ring snaffle. I have preserved with it but I'm considering a change may do the both of us some good? I was considering a Kimblewick but any other suggestions? Also would draw reins help to bring her into the correct outline and headset or would they make the problem worse? It's a awful feeling as it feels like I'm constantly riding a giraffe haha!
 
Is your loose-ring snaffle single jointed? If so it is probably poking her in the soft palette. She will be raising her head to avoid it. I suggest that you try a French-link or mullen-mouthed bit to start with. You can hire them quite cheaply to see which suits her best. She will need to develop the correct muscles to work in an outline, forcing her to pull her head down/in with draw reins will only cause a false outline. You need to ride her from behind until her muscles develop properly, when she will be able to begin to work in an outline.
 
Certainly it will. If she doesn't feel comfortable in the French-link, I'd try a mullen-mouthed bit. You may need to experiment with different styles and metals/materials until you find something that she likes. Sweet-iron might be worth a try.
 
Thankfully the yard is placed around a lot of hills and greenery :)
any other exercises you can suggest? i've been working her on 5m,10m, and 20m circles along with serpentine's aswell but she does have a tendency to "drag" her hind around corners.

I'll give the Mullen-Mouth bit a try and let you know how she gets on!
 
Hi!

I have a TB who was was out of racing so totally understand where you are coming from with schooling issues. It takes sooo long :) (Well worth it though!) I have found that most horses I ride go well in Neue Schule snaffles (come jointed, or with a losenge etc) as the metal is really soft and not cold in there mouth.

As for draw reins, they can be really usefull if used correctly and not too often :) As long as they are used as a guide to keep the horse soft and ridden really forwards so works over her back, I dont see the harm in them as a training aid! Just when they become too fixed or pulling onto the forehand that they have this 'false' outline. Try them - might work, might not!

As to get her using her back end maybe try riding square's instead of circles so that she pushes of her hindquarters and brings the shoulder round the turn :) Almost like a quarter turn of the haunches. Can be done in walk trot and canter!

Hope that helps :) x
 
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