Leaning horse bitting issues, ideas?

[charleysummer]

My horse is coming on fab, but after a few minutes schooling he leans on the bit and becomes heavy on the hand. Because he balances on the bit and is on the forehand, he rushes his canter and it is bouncy- he pulls against the bit in downwards transitions and can take a tug to pull up in trot to walk or canter to trot! this is in his mullen mouth, rubber fixed cheek- a very easy bit to lean on granted! When he was leaning he'd make a 'snapping' noise in his mouth and clench his jaw.

I have been lunging him in a loose ring lozenge snaffle (metal) and he has been getting used to it, as he doesn't like broken mouthpeices but I think this is because he cannot lean on them so throws his toys out the pram And today I rode him in it for the first time- He crunched on it a lot but was a lot lighter and his canter was brilliant as he couldn't lean- smoother and much more balanced- although he did quite often do a great rollkur impression to evade it. The crunching became less as time went on but he still kept doing it for an hour - but no leaning as such, and much more balanced in himself despite having his head BTV!

What should I do? Keep him in this bit and just get him used to it? I thought of using a loose ring rubber mullen mouth, but I feel he'd just lock his jaw against the straight bar again, so I wanted to use a collapsing mouthpeice. Or try one of the 'super-bits' such as the neue schule?

Ideas much appreciated I'd like to keep him in something dressage legal, he came in a gag and I'm pleased that he is responding to a snaffle! He's coming on fantastically and it's not a huge issue- just a few hiccups and episodes of leaning and evasion (but he is undermuscled so can't support himself fully yet- I just don't want him to get in the habit!)and if I can iron out as many potential problems as possible then all the better. Teeth have been recently done, he was very sharp before but all sorted now.

Thanks

 

[Queenbee]

This may get a few frowns, but I flipping hate leaners, if they are really narking me, I will gather them in (in walk) let them lean, then slip the reins a good few inches, as soon as they get the message that u aren't going to support them, they tend to try a bit harder to carry their own flipping head! Also a loose ring copper mix French link snaffle or double jointed snaffle with a peanut, really helps, they accept the bit nicely, the loose rings mean that they have nothing to lean on as essentially the bit just keeps moving everytime they try and lean.

 

[Izzwizz]

My horse did this when I first had him, took the bit between his teeth and held onto it. Think it was a habit he had got into before I owned him. My Trainer suggested we try him in a Waterford, a loose ring one. We have never looked back. I know its not Dressage legal and he has an ordinary snaffle for competition use, but he does go beautifully in the Waterford and he has gradually got out of the habit of hanging on and leaning. We hack out in it too, in fact it is his normal everyday bit these days!

 

[charleysummer]

He has stopped his leaning but now goes quite behind the vertical at times and can rush as he is unbalanced. Still in the loose ring lozenge link but think another metal type could be worth a try. The one I have got at the moment is quite old (still in good condition) but probably not a brilliant design. The mouthpiece is thin but he has a small mouth. He is only unbalanced in trot- his canter has just been brilliant since the bit change, jumping is much improved and no problems in walk at all; very responsive. He was crunching less today but did lock his jaw a bit. Thought about waterford but think he'd hate that much movement in his mouth. He's always liked little movement so the loose ring lozenge link is a huge step for him! do they come in rubber mouthpieces?

 

[Izzwizz]

No idea if they come in rubber. If your horse is doing well now since the bit change then I would persevere, it will all come together in time.