Dressage Legal bit for Welsh D?

[acw295]

Any ideas?

Goes beautifully in thin cambridge mouth pelham (2 reins), or cambridge mouth kimblewick.

Single joints are out, she has an enormous tongue, low palette.

Currently in a thin french link hanging cheek (Jeffries) for stressage but still not totally happy. We never have a soft, foamy mouth in a snaffle, only in a ported bit.

I've tried the Myler MB32, a happy mouth loose ring with roller, NS verbindend, sweet iron french link and I'm sure something else.

Tempted to try the NS trans lozenge baucher? Any other ideas? Hanging cheek seems the best route, needs to be thin, off the tongue.

Her evasions are varied but mainly head up and powering off, swinging nose or occasionally backing off - but never head down and rarely comes behind the vertical. I've had her 4 years and still only at unaff Prelim (dressage not our forte) and having regular lessons. We are getting better, but bit not helping. Not expecting a bit to solve all out issues but I'd love to get her soft and relaxed in something dressage legal, its is exasperating!

(BTW she has all the usual checks, and works beautifully in a ported bit, even only off the snaffle rein of a pelham (I don't school using the curb rein, I just knot it) )

 

[*hic*]

How does she go if you ride her to warm up in the pelham then whip the curb chain off and drop the curb rein? If she's still going reasonably sweetly then I'd get a bit or get one made to the same as the pelham but without the shanks - ie a cambridge mouth hanging cheek. It's something we had to do with a cob we had, work him in in a happy mouth pelham and then stick the hanging cheek in just before the test.

Incidentally, I know her mouth conformation isn't ideal but have you actually tried her in a single joint. It's just that my Welshy with a mouth like yours just seemed to feel secure with big mouthed bits. He was happiest either in a fairly thick single jointed snaffle or a chunky vulcanite pelham - absolutely NOT what one would have put in based on his conformation. We tried him in various other bits but these were what worked for him.

 

[NeverSayNever]

have you tried a fullcheek snaffle? my Sec D is in a fullcheek frenchlink , i thought an eggbutt frenchlink would be as good but when I rode her in it she wasnt as secure or consistent in the contact at all. RI thinks the cheeks on the fullcheek provide her with a sort of channel/stability to work into. Could be your pelham is doing the same.

 

[acw295]

Thanks for the ideas

Single jointed has been tried when I first got her, really awful - only time I thought she'd go up under saddle, very unhappy.

Her pelham is Cambridge mouth so is ported so can't use a snaffle version of that as not dressage legal. I've ridden her in a magic snaffle which she loves, it's just not allowed. She goes just as nicely in the pelham with the curb off and one rein <sigh>

Not tried a full cheek so that's worth a try

 

[NeverSayNever]

Try to get one that's got a curved mouthpeice,like the korsteels with a french link of lozenge,quite thin.that's what I got and found the curve gives tongue relief.

 

[Feisty Mare]

Have you tried the MB02 myler? I used to use this for dressage competitions with my Welsh DxTB but used a ported bit the rest of the time.

 

[*hic*]

Thanks for the ideas

Single jointed has been tried when I first got her, really awful - only time I thought she'd go up under saddle, very unhappy.

Her pelham is Cambridge mouth so is ported so can't use a snaffle version of that as not dressage legal. I've ridden her in a magic snaffle which she loves, it's just not allowed. She goes just as nicely in the pelham with the curb off and one rein <sigh>

Not tried a full cheek so that's worth a try

Morning brain fade re Cambridge mouth!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

What about a curved mullen mouth baucher?

The curve should give some tongue relief but without a port. I would probably try a loose ring version too.

 

[Orchardbeck]

I have an NS tranz lozenge baucher for sale if you are interested, 5 1/2 inch. Pm me if you are, I bought it second hand so it would be reasonable but need a 5 1/4 inch.