Horse Snatching Reins

[jo_pearl]

Results were fairly immediate but I have to be honest, when he was happier in the mouth, I started to learn more about the contact he liked, so my hands improved and then I could ride more with my seat as I could focus calmly and no longer feel I was about to be yanked over his neck - so it was like a kind of biofeedback system.

That is interesting!

 

[exracehorse]

Our dentist is incredible and as above he only does it hacking, doesn’t do it on fields or arena where I take more of a contact. He had a Fairfax cavesson bridle and fits him correctly he doesn’t head shake but snatches the reins down and does it from the start now not just the end

I had exactly the same with T Tim. Fine on the yard. Schooling in the arena etc. Awful out riding. Especially if horse in front. It was stress. I put him in a Dr Cook bitless. He didn’t pull as much as had no bit to anchor on to. He did eventually stop. And went back to bridle. When I sold him.. he went back to doing it again. New owner, new hacking.

 

[jo_pearl]

I had exactly the same with T Tim. Fine on the yard. Schooling in the arena etc. Awful out riding. Especially if horse in front. It was stress. I put him in a Dr Cook bitless. He didn’t pull as much as had no bit to anchor on to. He did eventually stop. And went back to bridle. When I sold him.. he went back to doing it again. New owner, new hacking.

That an idea to try

 

[Glitter's fun]

Hi,
Just wondering how you got along with this?

 

[blitznbobs]

What does he do after he has snatched the reins? Does he run off or try to get grass or something else

 

[Glitter's fun]

Someone mentioned a different thread about this horse, so I went looking for that and instead found a lot of threads about your first horse. About her being very strong and having many bitting problems. It sounds like you had a really difficult time with her over several years. It would be surprising if you hadn't developed tensions and habits from all that.

There is a lot of very good advice above but if everything else has been covered without improvement could you get your instructor to hack with you once? Or hack him herself to get a feel for what he does?

I'm wondering if you are doing something with this new horse that you are not aware of, maybe to do with how you tense your spine when he first pulls, or the angle of your pelvis?
If he is literally pulling you over his neck, that takes a certain body shape from him that might explain why he does it on hacks. In the school he will be in more of an outline but on a hack he would perhaps be able to get 'leverage' with his hind feet? How you sit would be important in him getting into the right shape to manage it.

 

[vanrim]

Interesting thread as I have a gelding who does this but only in walk in the manage and out hacking. He has the Chiro regularly and like the OP I'm confident in my master saddler for saddle fit. However I found him worse in my Faifax bridle. I might try different bits and other bridles though to see if this helps.