Illegal dressage tack alternatives!

[Sianio]

Hi all, I am buying a horse (subject to vetting, fingers crossed) as a reschooling project for dressage. She is currently ridden in a D ring copper roller snaffle, grackle and running martingale - eep! She is an Arab cross so rides head high which I will be tackling with schooling, and she's not got much topline which I also want to work on.

Her owners have had her for 11 weeks, found her too forward and didn't know a lot about horses. She was broken in for mounted games, and I managed to speak to someone who knew her and seemed to think that her tack was more of a fashion accessory than a necessity! She did seem very unsettled in the mouth when I rode, unwilling to take a contact and resisting a bit on downward transitions. However having never used a grackle before, it seems to me that a horse isn't going to relax and take a contact with their face strapped so tightly shut? It doesn't seem to allow any room for relaxing through the jaw.

So I was wondering whether it's worth changing the bridle before I even try reschooling? I was thinking a drop and french link combination to keep the bit steady in the mouth but give a bit more flexibility. Would be great to hear from anyone who's schooled out of a grackle, or has a better understanding of how they work as I've always been taught they are for horses who evade the bit.

Thanks!

 

[PorkChop]

I'm a big fan of drops, so it would definitely be my choice.

However I would start with a cavesson and a straight bar Nathe or similar - start re schooling and work up from there. I would want her to be accepting the contact, and would forgo her being a bit strong to start with before moving up to a jointed or lozenge bit. My next step would be an eggbutt or hanging cheek.

Good luck

 

[SpringArising]

Start as simple as possible and go from there. There's no point assuming that the horse needs what it already has on or that it needs something strong.

I ride all my new horses in a cavesson bridle (or sometimes just completely remove the noseband part) and a French-link snaffle. 99% of the time that's all they've needed and they are 100% more settled with that setup that with the million and one pieces of crap they were wearing before for 'control'. I think a lot of people don't realise that the more claustrophobic their horse feels the worse it's going to behave.

She's probably quite stiff/sore in the neck and back from carrying her head so high, so I would be working on lots of long and low stuff on a loose rein.

 

[nato]

First thing I do with any new horse is get teeth, back and saddle fit checked. This instantly removes any source of discomfort that could be causing their current way of going. My current horse had a tooth that had grown long and was sharp, digging into her gums and she couldn't eat properly, never mind take a contact.

Also, pop her on the lunge with a roller and a lunging aid (I prefer the Pessoa but if she's green she may not take well to it so maybe side reins to start) and do lots of work with her just seeing how she moves - do lots of transitions and get her used to your voice.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

If she has inherited a small arab head and mouth, then you might find that some bits are too thick for her. My grey didn't like anything that I tried until I used a Myler comfort snaffle (in 4 1/2 inches). Luckily I found a 2nd hand one as they are very pricey. I just use a cavesson noseband with a two finger gap.

RE the high head carriage. I found that the first thing that I need to do with mine is to get them nice and relaxed and calm. As soon as anything exciting happens the head goes up and the tail goes up. I never fight this as that just winds them up more, generally I ignore and carry on as if everything is fine. They soon relax again and then when asked for a good walk, the head carriage will lower. If your horse also snakes their head, give with your hands so you don't sock them in the chops, then gently take the contact back and carry on as if it never happened.

ETA - I agree with nato that checking back/tack/teeth is wise. I don't lunge mine in side reins or pessoas as if they try to snake their heads and they are restricted it pisses them off. My aim is calmness and channeling their energy positively, not giving them something to fight against. However I hardly ever lunge mine for various reasons.

 

[Sianio]

Thanks all - this is great advice! I will try with no noseband and the simplest bit I can find, and will follow the advice about lunging with side reins rather than pessoa at first.

 

[ester]

unwilling to take contact and unsettled in mouth and part arab I would start with a mullen mouth, poss with hanging cheeks which will keep it super still to start.

 

[triple]

Ditto back, tack and teeth - so very much to the teeth!!

Big fan of the drop; I've tried the flash/grakle alternatives and found with my guy (high head carriage, uneasy mouth, carries tension in the undercarriage of his neck/jaw) that he likes the drop - i don't have it cranked shut, just so that if he opens his mouth to evade he puts the pressure on himself; when he closes it, it goes away!

I also ride in a Sprenger ultra snaffle - loose ring gold plated one with a lozenge and a tiny roller in the centre. The first bit out of many I have tried where he is consistently relaxed in his jaw and actually foams a bit. Bit guards would keep the bit stable if she is uneasy in her mouth; the little roller is nice for them and the bit warms up almost instantly which I think helps them to relax.

Lunging is great too; side reins/bungee etc are good but I have also found that lunging him in just a headcollar is great too. I work him on a slightly smaller circle asking for slight flexion to the inside to encourage him to step under with the hindquarters. He now stretches right down after a bit with his nose almost touching the ground - something I never achieved with lunging aids on.