I think I need to be brave and ask for your help.

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Alphamare

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It's bit help.

My youngster is very large and very strong. And i am only little. We are having weekly lessons and I have light hands. Schooling is not so much our issue as this is being addressed. He is very good and responsive in the school.

Our issue is out hacking. He gets very het up sometimes out hacking. It doesn't happen all the time, only on solo hacks but he is going a mix of company and solo. Thing is if something frightens him he takes off, a real baby reaction. This has only happened a couple times but my instructor has suggested that maybe I need something more.

He is now in a noseband, he doesn't open his mouth normally so didn't need one.

We talked about a standing martingale.

I am thinking of getting a French link baucher for his dressage anyway and it's slightly stronger than what he is in.

What would you do? His baby brain takes over and schooling goes out the window. Pop something stronger in or hope that the schooling messages sink in?

People can be so anti stronger bits but it would only be used as emergency breaks when needed. Especially as I am going to be taking him out and about to see the world.

What would you do? I need to be safe but I want to do what's right and I am not sure what that is.
 
People can be anti anything they like, they're not you and they're not riding your horse. You need to feel safe and you need to have the tools to nip this in the bud before it becomes habit. At the moment your horse is simply reacting, which is fine in his field but not with you on him :) If you can find some sort of combination bridle and ride in double reins for a while, so you're mostly on the snaffle but you have that extra when needed it should help. You probably won't need it forever, once he learns to stop and look and things don't kill him
 
Thank you ridefast for your very thoughtful reply. Safety both his and mine is important.

Blitznbobs yes of course this works for the small scary things he is and can be very looky. He is fab in company but nervous solo. I spend a lot of time 'schooling' on hacks. This does help and will help in the long run as he starts to pay more attention to me on hacks. But it's when he shoots off from walk to canter because of something frightening him from behind. This is where I potentially need better breaks as although he pulls up its very hard work and could (and should) happen a lot faster!
 
Amyway he is just six but is acting like a four year old atm. He was pretty bombproof last year but regressed or something this year. He was turned away for the winter and has been ridden since feb.

He is so mannerly on the ground I insisted on it and mostly great in the school but hacking solo is hard work and occasionally could be a potential problem.

I have started taking him in a mix of company and solo but I do feel that he needs to keep going solo to learn that it's ok, in company he never acts up or looks.
 
Completely agree about mixing it up with company and solo.

As a first step I'd put a drop noseband on him and a standing martingale. You could think about a dr bristol, but im not convinced you need a stronger bit.
 
Ok takes a deep breath, I had a horse (still do but he's 26 now) that used to spin on the road so I used to hack in draw reins, because he respected them he didn't spin, because I was paranoid about using them and not doing him harm I kept my hands still and light and made sure that the draw rein was like a curb rein - loose unless needed. If you hadn't said you had light hands I would not have mentioned it. After a while I didn't ned them, just got us over a problem.
 
Thank you Amymay I am seriously considering a standing, why would you choose a drop over a cavasson with it? the problem I have is that he is so large his tack is made to measure. I can with less cost and waiting time get hold of a baucher (may do so anyway for dressage as current bit isn't legal) or a Pelham or a gag. He is currently in a PeeWee and I am not sure that a baucher would offer anymore brakes than this. I would happily spend the money to have the extra tack made if this is a better route so could you elaborate?

Sven thank you for your kind post, I understand the use (and potential problems in the wrong hands) of draw reins but I don't think I would necessarily jump straight to them. I do want to nip this in the bud but I think there are steps I can take before them.

I am really appreciating the advice I am finding it helpful and not at all judgmental.
 
I am sorry Amymay the end of my last post was meant in complete sincerity. Would you mind elaborating so I can understand why you suggested martingale over a stronger bit but now suggest a stronger bit instead.

I want to get this right as its not a problem (yet, it could always become a problem) so I would like to understand the reasoning behind what you would choose so I can know how best to act.

He never takes the piss on the ground even though I am little but when he gets frightened I feel like I need 'something' more than I have right now.
 
God, didnt think it wasn't - sorry if you thought that.

A standing martingale means you have more control over the head - more so than a running martingale. So if he's inclined to spin and bu$$3r off chances are he sticks his head up first or during. Standing M will help prevent this and give you more control.
 
He has never spun always ******* off in a straight line. :-)

Yes he does put his head up.

If I put in a stronger bit I would choose something I can ride with two reins

Just got to decide which way to go with him. And to see if local saddler can make him a large standing!
 
I'd go for a standing.... It's exactly what I've done with my boy for hacking as he is getting a but too big for his boots, a bit to strong and throwing his head up to evade. The standing has really helped to reduce this and give me control when needed. As a result of using a standing he is doing it less and less and soon I reckon ill be able to take the standing off.
 
I wouldn't use a standing martingale with a drop noseband.

My horse is similar to yours, he'll run first, think later! I school in a hanging cheek snaffle with a lozenge and hack in a Pelham with the same mouth piece, using two reins and with a grackle noseband. I have less spooks with this as he is more focused on me as he respects the Pelham and if he does go to shoot off he's much easier to pull up with the help of the Pelham.

I'm not a huge fan of standing martingales as some horses do learn to set themselves against it. I don't particularly like the action of the running martingale either. If his head is flying up consider using a market harborough. I found it very useful for my horse in the past when he gets a bit looky and the head comes up as it acts like draw reins but only comes into play when the horses head is raised too high therefore is harder to "make a mistake" as you could do using draw reins.

I feel the best person to consult with is really your riding instructor though, as they will know you best and it's always easier to advise when you can watch the horse go.
 
A running won't give you much extra control. If you need it to give you that little bit of edge, then the standing, so long as he's not the type built to take his head close and just barge through irrespective.

Something like the Pelham will give you the gentle rein, with a back up of the bottom rein and curb. Definitely test it out gently before going out in it though, otherwise you may end up with your horse either sat on his butt on the road or tense and worried.
 
He is 17'2 but off the peg stuff is too small for him. Occasionally I can get hold of an xxfull but even this tends to be a little on the small side.

I wasn't even considering a running as I am not fan of them either. Someone else suggested a market harborough. I will def chat to her again about it. She says she may have some very large Pelhams kicking about and it was her who suggested a martingale or a stronger bit.

I like the idea of something like a Pelham where I can use the normal rein when he is being good (most of the time) but the other rein is there if and when I need it.

I do have a very large continental gag knocking about that came with another large horse (now retired) but I changed it as she really didn't need it. I kept it though just incase. Pelham may be a better choice for him if I go the bit route. A peewee isn't the mildest bit in heavy hands as its so thin but it don't know if it made any difference to him shooting off unless I try something else. He has pulled up every single time so that is something, the message is getting through to his frightened brain just not fast enough
 
I have a 17.3hh WB. Kincade do an XF martingale that fits my lad where nothing else would. Good price and actually decent quality.

When I first got my lad I had a breaks issue out hacking due to him getting extremely het up and very reactive (before he settled in). I put a straight bar vulcanite pelham with curb chain in and he was instantly like a different horse. I could be soft with my hands and he had a new respect for me. Worth a try.
 
If you decide to put a pelham in make sure he is used to/understands the curb action before you ride him in it. I'd go down the draw rein route myself.
 
I'd use a pelham, standing martingale and cavesson noseband. The curb action and the martingale both act to lower the head. With the head lower the bit will act on the lips and bars and tongue of the mouth. When the head is raised beyond the point of control the bit acts mainly on the lips and is therefore less effective.
 
My hubby harrowed two of our fields today so I schooled first and then rode him round and round with the harrow going behind us. He only shot off once, one rein stop worked beautifully but I can't very well do that on the road. I hope this helped desensitise him to noise behind. A couple of company hacks, a solo hack, a schooling session and a lesson planned for this week. I will chat to my instructor about bits etc further.
 
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