Horse takes hold of bit whilst hacking

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Avalanche

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Hi, I was wondering of any of you have any advice about what I should do with my 15.3 hw cob whether it be change his tack, do some schooling etc? Basically he can be very spooky out hacking and will spin and won't stand still if we are anywhere we haven't been a million times out hacking. But when he spooks he grabs hold of the bit and you can not control him, our standing is getting better but if he is a little unsure he will plough through the bit and again you have no control. Im currently schooling him about his spookyness although I now feel we have got to a brick wall where he will just take hold of the bit.
He is currently ridden in a loose ring hollow mouth snaffle with no noseband as he can be quite sensitive on his nose . His teeth have just been done too. Also he is absolutely brilliant whilst schooling and won't take hold once.
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, but any advice is thoroughly appreciated.
Thanks: )
 
Are you out alone? He might feel insecure alone and need to company of another horse - ideally a calm one! It sounds like he is trying to take control - either because he doesn't quite trust you to lead yet or because he is taking the P. More schooling and more time together would be better than stronger bits etc. but at the end of the day this is about safety and if you need something stronger to stop him before he runs both of you into the path of something then so be it!
 
He is 13, ideally stronger bits would be a last resort, we go out with others at the weekends and he is generally a very good boy apart from when he is asked to stand, but during the week hacking with others is not an option and not sure if I'd be able to spend more time bonding with him as he gets pretty much all my time already. Is there any kinds of schooling exercises on hacks that would enable him to concentrate on me other than spooky objects?
 
You could try a Waterford Snaffle, the mouthpeice is made up of a series of little balls, so the horse cannot get hold of it and lean. It worked a treat on our ShirexTB who is built like a brick outhouse and was given to grabbing the bit and bogging off.
 
Has he been at this yard very long ? It sounds like a lack of confidence and although often H/W cobs appear to be very laid back, they are just as sensitive as other horses.
It's difficult to say what the problem is without seeing you both, but things you can try are;
Martingale for hacking.
Give him 10 minutes in the school before going out and get him listening. Practice transitions and standing square. If you have to make an appointment to get him to halt, work on a sharp downward transition.
Out hacking, keep his mind on you. Do transitions and leg yielding etc.
Do circular routes if possible.
If you can anticipate when he's likely to start running, ask for trot 5 minutes before he starts getting worried and then bring him back to walk.
If you see a hazard ahead that you think he'll spook at, do not look at it. Don't grip the reins, keep a constant contact with your thumb and forefinger so he doesn't yank the reins, but keep your 4th finger soft.
Don't pull on both reins to stop him, he's stronger than you and just sets himself against you. Do half halts, squeezing the reins alternately, resist his movement with your seat and sit back, don't collapse forward.
If he doesn't listen, do a one rein stop. (It works, a novice rider did this on my H/W cob when the group he was out with lost control and 5 horses started running towards a road on a blind bend)
When you get back to the yard, don't dismount. Stay in the saddle and ask him to stand for 2-3 minutes. He needs to know that getting home isn't the end of work. Only get off when he's standing well.
 
I spent literally 2 years trying to school my hot mare to be less strong and spooky out hacking. Finally a neue schule universal bit on the second ring and a flash noseband more or less sorted it out. we are both much happier, sometimes that's just what you have to do.
 
my mare used to clamp down on her mullen mouth Pelham, so I swapped to a Waterford, totally cr ap ped myself thinking I'd have no control but it was she couldn't get a grip on it, so worked really really well!
 
A Waterford totally stopped my tank of an Irish TBxcob from pulling the reins out of my hands and doing what he liked. I kept him in it for 6 months and then went over to a low port comfort Myler snaffle and he was cured of leaning on my hands and snatching. A Waterford worked wonders for him without cruelty and you will have control.
 
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