bitting nightmare...

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wench

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19 December 2005
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horse is mw cob. I have been hacking him out in an eggbut french link snaffle, but found that this didnt give me much control over him at all. He has since been tried in a full cheek single jointed snaffle, which he goes much better in the school in (I have done three lots of schooling with him in the two months I have owned him, and he seems to steer much better with the full cheek bit). However, he is still a bit of a nightmare out hacking.

When we are out hacking, we all stay in single file, so they cant get excited. When we start cantering, I get lots a few problems. I am not sure if he is a very strong horse, or just has a very insensitive mouth. When it comes to stopping, he is not responsive at all, although better in the jointed snaffle than the french link. But you can anticipate where the horse in front will be pulling up, and ask him to stop, and he really doesnt until you get up the other horses bum, which is obviously not a good thing.

any ideas... will get in touch with a bit bank to...
 
Three lots of schooling in 2 months isn't much! Mine are schooled everytime I ride! Suggest you do some serious work with lots of transitions

I don't like single joint bits, as they are not ergonomic for the horses mouth.

What aids are you giving to stop? With mine out hacking reins are dropped and I shift weight back.

In the school practise stopping and downward transitions without touching the rein.

You could put something stronger in the mouth, but horse will not be stopping correctly if not schooled.
 
sorry should have said... not after something stronger, just didnt feel very happy in either of those bits.

He was a handful when we got him, hence why not been schooled much, just hacked out to get him used to things.
 
Being a cob he probably hasn't go much space in the mouth - I'd probably try a 14mm diameter loose ring lozenge snaffle and work on from there.

French links can flop about and irritate them, and the single joint is likely to make the horse raise their head in downwards transitions to avoid the nutcracker action.
 
If its a been a bit of a handful maybe its just a case that u havent worked each other out yet.
Def more schooling, cant expect him to just behave in open company if u havent been schooling. I would say try schooling a bit more, u didnt say that he was very strong just that u couldnt stop??
 
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