Horse yanking/snatching at his bit when excited

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Lollii

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My horse has always yanked/snatched at his bit sometimes but I thought I had overcome this with a waterford as it seemed to have more or less stopped him doing it.

I had his teeth & back worked on and all seemed to be fine but I have started hunting him, it seems it is out of pure excitement, he can't seem to control his head!!

I went out hunting on Saturday and he has started doing it again, it got so bad at one stage he did it just before and after a jump and pulled me over his head!!
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I am thinking now of either grass reins or a market harbourgh just so that he can't get his head down - any experiences of horses doing this please?

My neck, arms and shoulders are aching so much today I can't ride!!
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I'm glad it's not just me then!!

I saw the thread in hunting, I don't think it is a stronger bit that I need as I have tried loads, anything other than the waterford he can grab hold of and it is worse
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It is not that I can't hold him, he doesn't tank off, just snatches even when we are standing still, he just seems to want to keep going and if you have a contact he does a quick 'yank' down - then he is ok till the next one - nightmare!!
 
Meant to add that I think I will try some grass reins, I am just worried about jumping with them, but I will see what happens, I guess it will stop him putting his head down after the jump and me going over the top
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Have you tried a waterford gag with 3 rings??? I have used one of these but we put a leather strap (flash strap) threaded through the rings which attach to the cheek pieces and round the back of the jaw, this has to be used by experienced hands as can be lethal with heavy inexperienced hands but the horse we used this in who constantly leaned on us and pulled us forward became lovely and light and really sat back on his hocks and respected the bit!
 
I haven't tried a 3 ring waterford gag, he was terrible in a jointed 3 ring gag, but I have thought about the waterford version.

Does the leather strap work like a curb?

Willing to try anything but I cannot work out how this works?
 
Well not as a curb as such because it puts pressure on the upper jaw rather than lower jaw under the chin. My horse didnt go well in the jointed gag either, we had him in the loose ring waterford but it just wasnt quite enough so I thought well he likes the waterford mouth so wel try the gag version, I only use it now again as he can get complacent in bits so we go back to the loose ring now and again. He loves his double, if I could ride him in his double all the time hed be perfect but thats just for shows!
 
I'm going to go the other way to all the other replies. Have you tried him in a very nice bit? Or a hackamore? Could be objections to the strength of the bit pressure, that he is too polite to show until he is excited?

I would also suggest elastic rein inserts: makes the yanking less "satisfying" to the horse and easier on your hands/wrists.

... Thats all on top of the obvious, make sure its not your hands that's the problem: not just that they are kind when he is calm, but that you aren't subconsciously tensing up when he is excited
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I do agree sometimes a softer bit can help, my old competition mare came to us with a pelham and a drop noseband and all sorts of gadgets and she was as strong as an ox and we ended up putting her in a loose ring snaffle and flash and this is what we kept her in, its just trial and error. x
 
I don't think there is many 'kind' bits I haven't tried, but I am open to any suggestions for the sake of my poor old back & neck!

I have tried every snaffle, jointed, french link, happy mouth, rubber, loose ring, fixed ring, straight bar, mullen mouth,KK sprenger, NS, sweet iron etc etc. my tack room has more bits than a shop! I haven't tried a pelham yet
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He is *very* light in the hand normally, he doesn't pull or lean and he isn't strong, it is just when he gets a bit excited he every now and again will just 'snatch' down towards the ground, out hunting he was very excited!

Elastic inserts may be worth a try - thanks.
 
Have you tried a Dr Bristol? My little mare is mostly very light in the mouth but every now and again she goes all orange and gets REALLY strong. She tends to snatch and throw her head up rather than down. Galloping allong and seeing her stripey nose pointing skywards is very disconcerting cos not sure how she can actually see where she is going. Tried going gentler in a french link snaffle but I may as well not have been on board! In a pelham we end up doing rollkur with 3 inch long reins, but in the Dr B she takes an even contact and we rarely have arguments. When we do, they tend to be of the "oi madam" one-handed firm upwards yank and she comes back. I know I can hold/stop her whatever and rarely have to touch her mouth at all but it's nice to know the control is there if we need it.
 
Try a Kineton or a i'm not sure it is called but I one years ago. Stopped horses bucking bolting and took pressure of their mouths. The info is some where up in my loft and it worked on the horse I had at the time,so will try and hook it out the info that is and as I'm 5ft and at that time 6 stone light weight (sigh) both horse and I didn't get stressed out, me in control and him under control
 
I would like to know what it was if you can find out?

A Kineton? I will do a search and find out what this is - thanks.

I am not sure about a Dr Bristol, I don't think I have tried one of them, I will search for info on that as well.

He is an ISH, brought from Ireland (all Irish horses have hunted - I don't think so!!) He looks like he may have been a Point to pointer, it's just the way he hurdles jumps ... scary!

I do school him in a running martingale, I have found him so much better in the waterford, canvesson noseband and no flash (have tried a grackle - no good) so he isn't doing it much now in the school, it just started again on Saturday when hunting
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Up most of the night, It's a Gloster noseband and I'm not sure if they are made anymore as I bought it in the 70's you could also use it as bitless bridle for a sore mouth
 
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