Bitting question (sorry!)

algy666

algy666

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29 January 2009
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825
Location
Ayrshire, Scotland
www.bebo.com
I've always ridden Dylan in a jointed D-ring snaffle, but I find that when you put on the brakes, if he doesn't want to stop, he flings his head in the air and all stopping power goes out the window.

I was thinking of trying a french link hanging cheek snaffle to try and encourage him to stop putting his head above the bit, and to give me a bit more to brake with. A friend recommended a pelham or a Dutch gag, but I'd rather keep him in a snaffle if I can.

Thoughts?

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may sound obvious but are you using a martingale with him?

otherwise try not using your hands too strongly to slow him down, i.e. in trot us slower up downs to slow him, and in canter when trying to slow dont do one continuous pull but half halt, i.e. pull then let go, pull then let go, train him to slow down without just dependance on the bit.

also use circles and turns to slow him down, again rather than pulling, you need to use a lot of patience to train him to slow down without just resorting to pulling and stronger bits

hope he improves!
 
He's ridden in a running martingale. I've tried all of the above (I've had him 6 years), and sometimes he is just unstoppable. He's very strong, it's usually him pulling at me rather than the other way round!
 
you may have some success with a Hanging cheek - if you are sure it is only the head in the air that causes the loss of brakes! The poll action is mild and may just help a bit, but if he really likes to throw his head in the air, it may not be enough...
you don't want to use any kind of gag bit as although they have some poll action from the top ring, any rein on the lower rings has a head raising action....
a pelham would certainly lower the head....but as I said before, you need to be sure that the brakes loss is only down to the head raising....is there a possibility that even with a lower head carriage, if he wants to go, you still have no brakes?
if this is the case, other than a Dr Bristol, I can't think of any snaffles that would help the brakes I'm afraid (most people find DB's too harsh)....
 
It will be the single joint thats causing this
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Try a french link or lozenged mouthpiece as this wont poke him in the roof of the mouth and cause him to raise his head.
 
Tried the french link hanging cheek for the first time this morning ... he went really well in it
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I'm going to ride him in that for a while before I think about buying one, in case he'd just decided to behave because it was something different
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