If you had a horse...

katie_southwest

katie_southwest

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that got over excited when cantering out on hacks..put their head down and legged it, and was just that bit too strong in a french link fulmer..what bit would you try? She is ok in walk and most of the time in trot..just when I let her canter she gets excited and shes gone!I cant hold her
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Dont particularly want to yank at her mouth
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Any suggestions?
 
straight bar hard rubber pelham with a leather curb. I had to use one on my cob for jumping and hunting as he just wanted to go. Hacking out on his own he was fine - but in company he would just take hold and go. I have found that the straight bar vulcanite - or hard rubber suits cob's mouths and is actually quite a kind bit. Also use with split reins or double.
 
Bit wise it may seem serve but a pelham teamed with pretty light hands so you were riding off the snaffle rein mainly and the curb rein as back up. Its better then pulling and will stop the horse getting it's head down and buggering off.

I would first look at other ways around it, I dislike using strong bits. I often find doing alot of transions out hacking, building up to canter and increasing the amount of work in each peace before bringing back so the horse is listening. The monent he feels like he might go bringing him back. I try never to canter in the same spot either, and walk the places I canter so they don't thinking certain parts are for bombing along.

Sometimes I find it's a case of giving the horse a good blast, letting him go and when he starts to die on you making him keep going till he's nackerd.
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Thats where I made it worse for myself..as theres a few places where we can have a really good canter and she knows now..so maybe Il start walking them instead and trying to find other places to canter. I try and tire her out first but the more we do the more excited she gets!! nightmare
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Im trying a loose ring waterford on Bear ATM and it seems to be working! I only use the pelham for hunting and showing. Im going to buy a waterford gag if he carries on going well in the loose ring.
 
I walk my horse in places we often canter on a regular basis. I also hack him in company in an abbott davies which stops him leaning and tanking with me, else he is rather wild and a bit dangerous on hacks in company. On his own though as long as I take it steady most of the time he's fine.
 
My boy shares that passion for sticking his head down, but he throws in some lovely bucks!!! I have him in a lose ring losenge snaffle, but have learnt that I need just to stop him sticking his head down, and I do this by just giving him a short sharp pull on one rein when he tries and I have managed to stop him doing it now thankfully, this long spell of good ground has really helped and the walking where you canter also helps!! Good luck I know its not fun!!!!
 
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My boy shares that passion for sticking his head down, but he throws in some lovely bucks!!! I have him in a lose ring losenge snaffle, but have learnt that I need just to stop him sticking his head down, and I do this by just giving him a short sharp pull on one rein when he tries and I have managed to stop him doing it now thankfully, this long spell of good ground has really helped and the walking where you canter also helps!! Good luck I know its not fun!!!!

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Oh she throws in the odd buck too sometimes! Shes just so hefty my little arms cant hold her head up!
 
Maybe a happy mouth three ring gag on the second ring, its only a little bit stronger than a snaffle so not too severe, the horse I used to ride went really well out hacking in this, he didn't put his head down but did tend to lean on the bit when he got excited or was on the way home.
 
I am not advocating having strong hands, but one short yank is perfectly acceptable in such a situation. Use your back to say "oi! don't lean on me", followed immediately by a really soft hand. Think of it this way, the bit is yours and not for the horse to take on and piss off with, you are just saying "give me back what is mine", and immediately relaxing to say "thank you, isn't it nicer this way!". If using one hand breaks her hold on the bit, fine use that, if two hands are better, try that.
 
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