dodgy brakes - hackamore or micklem??

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1alex1moose

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Hello,
I have a young horse who is very responsive to ride and is really quite good except for our walk to halt transitions in particular. He is generally quite resistant to the bit as he has a very soft mouth being a baby... we tend to get one of a few reactions in all downward transitions... head flapping, leaning and curling up. i use my seat much more than my rein but if anything upsets him or he's in a mood he totally ignores my seat and then i have no brakes!!
He's ridden in a loose ring steel french link, but we've also tried a loose ring happy mouth straight bar and a fulmer peanut link happy mouth. The happy mouth straight bar was not too bad but he just leant on it and snatched. He's chewed the peanut one to bits in just two goes (dont ask me how - it was well fitted!!!
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) so now stuck. Wonder whether a hackamore, combination bit or Micklem bridle is worth a go??? Anyone got any experiences good or bad with any of the above??
Ta,
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Alex
 
I'd go back to the lunge an teach him voice commands for a halt (you should be able to get trot halts on the lunge!)

Then apply voice commands to correct aids to teach him. Also worth making sure when you sit up tall he understands its an aid to change down a gear.

Don't think fiddling with bits helps with this sort of training, as its more about performing the transition then the action of a bit.
 
Dolly chewed her peanut happy mouth bit after about 2 goes too. -That was a yr ago. She's loosing teath now, so when her saddle's sorted I'll be putting her bridle on, but using the dually halter over the top, then run the reins off that.

-Have you checked the teeth? I know Doll's is a bit late, but they're only just pushing through now.
 
He had his teeth checked a couple of months ago and had a blind wolf tooth removed. He also had a lot of sharp edges which had to be taken off. He doesnt appear to have any more coming through at the moment, but I am keeping an eye on his jaw to make sure there are no bumps! He has got some very back ones still to come though.
He is very responsive to the voice but doesnt seem to associate me being on board and applying aids and then saying whoa as the same thing. He stops every time if i talk to him but if i try and phase it out he does just seem to ignore me... i know baby horse brakes are often interesting but i do find him very difficult to get in any kind of consistent outline... and i don't even mean outline... just keeping his head in one place ish would be great at the moment!! i think he finds bar pressure very uncomfortable hence the idea to go for a bitless...
 
My youngster did the same thing and we had her teeth sorted but it then still took about 3-4 months for us to train her to realise that her mouth wasnt uncomfy any more. She also chewed up happy mouths - 3 in 3 weeks.

The answer for us wasnt in changing bit type (french link) but in changing to a sweetiron version which she loves, and time and patience. Just that did the trick and she is now 5 and still in the same bit.

hope this helps, it may be a smaller change and time could have the desired effect rather than drastic solutions.
 
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