How do you stop a pest eating when long reining? (long one)

[Theresa_F]

Chancer (28 months) is now used to long reining and we go out once a week or go in the school and do some simple schooling exercises. He goes forward at an active walk and the brakes and steering have been good until now.

We go along the bridleways but he has started stopping and eating or turning around and heading for grass. He is 14.2 of very solid strong young gypsy cob. He is extremely intelligent and learns both good and bad very quickly.

I have stopped the walking backwards into me and the turning by use of a schooling whip to wave at him along with voice commands when he attempts to turn and tap his bum when walking back to get him moving forward. He is not spooking at all.

What I cannot do is stop the head going down and the little bugger munching unless he gets a firm tap or I go and pull his head up. I don't like using a whip, but slapping the reins against his sides and voice commands has zero effect when there is grass going. I do not like pulling hard on his mouth as he is young and the one time I tried a sharpish tug, again zero effect.

Growling does not a lot - he ain't afraid of anything and making whipping noises with the whip unless I actually make contact once does not work. I cannot do my famous fish finger stance from behind effectively - the one thing that does make him take notice.

He is not hungry - he has good grazing and is well fed. That said, the grass on the bridleway is very yummy looking.

I have considered side reins, not tight, just short enough to stop him reaching the ground or a daisy rein but would like views of anyone before I do put them on as I have reservations about gadgets but do not want him to get into the habit of sticking his head down and grazing. I want to have a well mannered little horse at the end of the day.

When leading out off Cairo, he does not stop and try to graze, it is only on the long reins I have the problem.

Any thoughts?

 

[Bossanova]

A muzzle.....?

If not, grass reins- they work for small hairy ponies so they'll prob work for a gypsy cob

 

[Nari]

I've just started long reining my 2yo & my trainer told me to fit loose side reins from the start. They are fitted so there is no action unless he either lifts or drops his head a great deal & have elastic inserts so even if they are needed the action isn't too severe. I prefer this to a daisy rein because I'll want to use side reins later in his training & at least by then he'll be used to having them there.

 

[Clodagh]

I long rein my SFP (Small Fat Pony) with side reins or he just thinks we are out for a leisurely graze!

 

[flyingfeet]

Side reins yuk!

Daisy rein or muzzle. In fact the nicest one is these little crochet jobs, as they don'y sweat like they do in a plastic muzzle.

My preference would be the muzzle route, as you want to encourage long and low position to build up the back muscles.

 

[Theresa_F]

Thanks for the feed back, I do have side reins but at his age I really don't want to use them.

Think I will try the daisy rein first - I can make one up out of string (like my mum used to) and if that fails see if I can borrow a muzzle to try. If he gets round that, then I' think I am left with no choice but the side reins until the grass dies down. Shame as he is so good on any other surface.