eeek - may not be able to do dressage - can't ride with snaffle!!

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Somebody please tell me I can do local showing and mini clear round jumping in a pelham?!


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You can.
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have you tried him in a drop noseband ? my daughters welsh was ridden on the 2nd hole of a dutch gag ,we put a drop noseband on her and very soon afterwards realised she didnt need the gag and put her snaffle back in and she has been fine in it ever since for all disciplines . she was an absolute git before we put a drop on her with tanking off etc etc, she would just open her mouth and off she went. she is so good now (along with lessons from a good instructor) that i have entered the pair of them in there first ever walk trot dressage test in april
 
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Somebody please tell me I can do local showing and mini clear round jumping in a pelham?!


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You can.
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Thank god for that. Was beginning to think I'd have to cancel all my summer plans!! Have pm'd you
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You say he was opening his mouth! You could try a flash nose band.

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Excuse me, but just strapping his mouth shut when he's not happy with the bit is not the answer! Especially if he is known to be happy and not open his mouth in another. In your sig (i'm assuming its the same horse) he looks the chunky sort, these horses often have very fleshy tounges and find thick bits uncomfortable and single joints can pinch them more than most. maybe something with a low port, mullen or double jointed? If it is the tounge thing try something thin too. If a pelham works well then i think something with cheeks, i.e. hanging cheek/fulmer, would be a good way to go. Try bit bank if your a bit strapped or the note ideas good too
 
When I last had the dentist out she said looking at his mouth, he's be happiest in a straight bar or something with a low port, which echoes what you say Ezme. Sounds like a straight bar/french link hanging cheek would be my best bet then.
 
I would try french link hanging cheek, have a 5.5inch, I have got a straight bar one as well, could post it to you to try if you want? not using it at mo so no problem
 
Well you cannot blame your poor pony

You took him out of his pelham and put something in that pinches his tongue and probably stabbed him in the roof of the mouth to boot!

So if its the ponio in the pic, you want a mouthpeice no thicker than 14mm. Ideally a lozenge or french link, however a myler or barrel (without hooks) would also be good, but bloomin expensive

Little bit like this should cost around £12. Only slight hitch come sif you need 6", then they tend to be around £20.
 
No, waterfords not dressage legal. But you could still use one and as suggested before, explain you want to do it hc for experience and go from there.

Also don't expect him to go brilliantly in a new bit straight away - it might take some time for him to get used to it.

Single jointed can be quite sharp, they now think that the nutcracker bits can actually hit and damage roof of mouth in some horses when you pull on the reins, so that might explain him throwing head up? Try a mullen mouth maybe to start? Not seen a hanging cheek mullen but that's not to say someone somewhere won't have one!

Also really really don't worry about trying to get his head down in an outline for a first test - it gives you and him extra pressure. Let him go round with his head where he normally likes it, and just get him used to stopping, starting and turning where you want him to in a school. You can work on outline for next test, for this one just ask him to listen to you, don't worry about his head for now.

A good judge would rather see a horse going forward happily before worrying about anything else.
 
i have a horse I could ride any where in a straight bar vulcanite peham, I jumped him in it and he was fantastic - school him in it brilliant. But when I changed to a dressage legal bit he would work out within about 5 mins how to evade it and block me through his neck. So I got a hanging cheek snaffle made with a straight bar vulcanite mouthpiece - the same size as his pelham. It worked. He loved it and we had dressage control. I would not advocate a flash, he is opening his mouth for a reason strapping it down may just make him more determined to have his own way.
 
A Waterford is not dressage legal.
Try a hanging cheek , they are less than £15 from most saddlers or look on ebay.
Can you lunge him with side reins so he goes forward to the contact.
 
Mine doesn't really go in a snaffle either. She hates joints of any sort and can't tollerate any tongue pressure so french links etc are all out. She will set her mouth down one side and pull like a train in a snaffle. she goes like a dream in a kimberwick though, is soft and light and easy to ride into an outline.

Only thing I can suggest for you is to school in your pelham to build up correct muscles them maybe switch to a straight bar or mullen mouth hanging cheek bit just for the test. Because the mouth piece will be fairly simialar to your pelham, you might find it more effective. Oh and my horse HATES flash nosebands but it fine in a drop or a grackle.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone. I don't blame Murphy at all for his reaction - I have always suspected he prefers straight bar bits but thought I'd give this a try (I did ride him in snaffles for months when I first had him - but with lots of problems!!) - at least now i know for sure to avoid single jointed bits.

Someone at the yard has this morning offered to lend me a french link hanging cheek, so will give that a go and see how he gets on. Sundance - will PM you re: the straight bar one, thank you!

I'm not too worried about him going in an outline - apart from the fact that it stops him jogging because it distracts him, and it means he can't engage his tanking off muscle and take off with me, which might be important!!!

Interesting point that some of you have made about keeping the same mouthpiece as his pelham has, that does make a lot of sense now I think about it.

Having slept on it, I think our issues were less to do with him being strong, and more to do with him being uncomfortable due to the single joint. There's no way I would put a flash on him, because it makes him fuss more because he's obviously opening his mouth to avoid discomfort.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that a hanging cheek does the job!! I really appreciate all of your advice and I feel a lot better about things this morning.
 
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Only thing I can suggest for you is to school in your pelham to build up correct muscles them maybe switch to a straight bar or mullen mouth hanging cheek bit just for the test.

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Hopefully that's what I'll be able to do - although I need to do a few test runs first to ensure we're not out of control like we were last night!!
 
just off topic - i believe a lot of horses will go in a false outline in a pelham.

But dont worry about the outline, concentrate more on riding the right shapes and paces
 
My last gypsy cob mare went best in a hanging cheek snaffle - though she liked the french link.

I would try as other have suggest and get a straight bar hanging cheek - probably the most similar to his current bit.

Jemima was very strong and unschooled when I started - no brakes and I was forced on occasion to brake via wall!

I put on a pelham with two reins so I could have backup but most of the time rode on the top rein. Once we had brakes on the top rein only, progressed to the hanging cheek. She most definately did not like other snaffles.

Chancer is ridden on a lozenge loose ring snaffle, but long term I will probably end up on the hanging cheek and I think he will be one big strong chap in a few years time.

Good luck and relax and have fun - go for the experience.
 
I think I need to learn how to ride with two reins in the pelham too.

I'm definitely going to do the test for the experience, am under no illusions of winning/getting placed - I just don't want to be mowing people down in the warm up!! Murphy forgets that other horses kick and he used to tank to the gate of the school when other horses were there and charge right up to them to say hello...bit dangerous!
 
Thought some more about this last night - My friend used to have a pony that refused to go in anything but a straight bar snaffle - so not a snaffle as such, just a straight bad with eggbutt rings. I presume if she found one of these then other bits must be available in straight bars too.
 
I hacked out my ex-eventer/team chaser in a french link hanging cheek snaffle for the first time today, I cantered him across fields, he went really well in it and stopped when asked; but, I had to use a more upright position rather than leaning forward, then when I wanted to slow down, sat deep in the saddle and wrapped my legs around and asked for walk. He was great. The first time in a new place, and I've only had him 6 weeks, I was really chuffed
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