Kimblewick and Arab !!

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PercyBrown

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Ok so i have a 13yr old arab mare who has been through a lot in the last year or so. She has not had much schooling before coming to me and had developed a lot of bad habits some due to pain which is now sorted. She has just begun to work through from behind and bend in the right way through her back rather than twist in the opposite direction and move like a camel. To achieve any sort of control I have begun to ride in a kimblewick -shock horror- I know the purists would have insisted i persevere with a snaffle but we truly would never have got there I have worked with a lot of horses ..
I hope once she is used to the new way of going ..into a light contact light hands bending correctly working from behind... and built the correct muscles that i can then get her back into a snaffle or similar do you think this will be possible or can you suggest a different bit.:)
 
What kind of Kimblewick is she in? Personally, I see no reason in keeping her in it, if she works well in it and doesn't get agitated/ worked up, then light hands and light contact are good for her.
A snaffle might need a little more contact to get the same response as you would do from a Kimblewick. You could always put her in a jointed if she's in a straight bar, or a rubber covered one.
 
I do not know if you did but there are loads of snaffle or milder bits I would have been trying before sticking her in a Kimblewick!
 
Yes shes had french link metal and happy mouth ,full cheek fench link full cheek happy mouth with cherry roller,eggbut jointed loose ring jointed, hanging cheek etc etc oh and bitless for a while. I know kimblewick sonds harsh but surely if you get a response with light hands in one its better than pointless hours head in the air bent the opposite way trying to ride her forward into a contact......... waits for the have some lessons,lunge her in side reins comments.
You have to understand she is truly a unique horse and needs a unique approach;)
 
Kimblewicks are very under-rated bits.

If she likes it and you aren't doing dressage, then stick with it. Many horses don't like jointed bits, so this could be the case here.
 
:) If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

She's happy, you're happy, sometimes you just have to listen to your horse I think. You know her much better than anyone else - so what does it matter what anyone else thinks? Of course someone may suggest a bit that she would do just as well in, if so wonderful, that's what this place is good at.

I had an arab that was only happy in either a hackamore for everyday stuff or a Myler LS Combination for parties, tried all kinds of everything before that, another one refused point blank to even be caught in the stable, let alone open her mouth, if she as much as heard a bit clinking in her vicinity, she liked hackamores and let me know that in no uncertain terms. Yet another preferred a globe pelham or one of these:

81e2c75a-c1ae-4afc-b6c3-49e9eab2985e.jpg


I ride my current arab in this:

pg2014520-20show20bits.jpg


She's happy, I am happy - end of.
 
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Hi Percy Brown,

The thing I found with my arabs was that they had quite fleshy toungues so having something with a port/lifted mouth piece actually made room for the toungue. I used a French link most of the time but when I need the extra brakes on the first few miles of an endurance ride I used three ring dutch gag with "horror of horrors" a waterford mouth piece, the horse went sweetly in it and after a while I could change back to the French link or just use the snaffle rein.
Hope your reschooling goes well!
 
Ditto Arabs and fleshy mouth/tongues.... my PBA has gone better in a mullen mouth snaffle (unjointed bit, is it still called a snaffle? Can't remember...) and prior to that he was in a pelham with 2 reins which I found too much of a handful out hacking. We discovered this preference while doing a bit of showing, he'd previously been in a french link, but went so, so much better in the pelham. (As pictured by Enfys above) Switched to the mullen mouth snaffle to try and he went just as well in that.
 
Can those who think pelham family bits are harsh please explain why?? Then also please explain why a snaffle is THE best bit?

I'd love to know...
 
Many horses can't deal with snaffles, they're just too thick in the mouth most of them, and with them not having either two rings or more etc. then some horses just literally do find them too simple.
A more advanced horse will often find it easier in a pelham (only with a light contact though, curbs can be pretty darn harsh!) because there is more room for communication, finer questions from the rider meaning easier answered questions for the horse. :)

Jus my opinion haha.
 
I rode my arab mare in a kimblewick for 20 years, it was the only bit that she was happy in. She hated any sort of jointed bit. Arabs often have low palates, coupled with a fleshy tongue, so a straight bit with a port or mullen mouthpiece is more comfortable for them.
 
Thankyou everyone for your replies and I feel a lot better about using it now,would everyone keep her in the same bit even once she is established?
 
PB I think you should keep her in whatever she is happy. I don't have an arab but he does have a fleshy mouth and hates anything on his palate - up goes his head. I ride in pelhams (have a few different ones) and the kimblewick is my fave. If you change back then you'll have the same issues. It's like wearing jeans that are too tight - why put them back on when you have found the comfy one?
 
I don't think i've ever heard anyone say that snaffles are the best bits? I think snaffles are generally considered milder than other bits as they are the most simple i.e. tongue and bar pressure. Other bits, like Pelhams and Gags add additional pressure i.e. curb and poll... so they are considered harsher as they are acting on more points

Personally I am a firm believer in using whatever your horse likes best regardless of the type of bit - my Arab loves his ported show pelham, but I cannot use this for Dressage! I used to ride him in a Mullen Mouth Loose Ring Snaffle which he leaned on... just discovered the NS Verbindend and all is well :D
 
Only you know your horse, if she is happy then leave it :) Being soft in a Kimblewick is better then hacksawing in a snaffle!

The only reason I insist on a snaffle for my mare is becase we do Dressage, well attempt our own variation of it anyway ;)

Hacking, she is in a gag.

If you do want to change her bit once you are more established I would look at the Neue Schule bits. I have one for my DWB with a big fleshy tongue and cheeks, the only bit she has ever gone well in is the NS Verbindend bit (spelt something like that).
D :D
 
If she's happy stick with it. I am trying to get folk to appreciate what light hands are, so I'm putting a strand of cotton between rein and bit, try it its fun, lol.
 
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