More advice - this time bits!!

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Kiko

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Hi Guys

You may have read my previous post about horse leaning to the left, he has now seen the dentist, and feels alot more even in the rein contact, which is fab.

I currently school him in a french link fulmer bit with keepers, which I find he still pulls me around and leans and tries everything not to do any work! I find sitting trot helps me (I only do this when needed and once thoroughly warmed up) because he can't shift me as easily!

At the weekend I tried a thin, french link loose ring snaffle, which didn't seem to make much of a difference, but after we had finished in the school, had signs of it starting to pinch the sides of his mouth, so I won't be using that again!

I want to stay away from anything with poll pressure as he has a tendancy to throw an excitable buck, especially out hacking, so something that will give me some brakes and enough to get his head up and not let him lean, p*ff off and buck! Was thinking of a waterford, but not sure if this will be to hard?

He has quite a hard mouth as it is and would ideally like to keep it as soft as possible, but this is proving difficult when he goes against the rider all the time. He is quite lazy off the leg but once going forward he is fine and we can settle into a nice rthym, but then tries every trick in the book, falling in, falling out, spooking and trying to charge at other horses in the school by pulling and leaning which throws me out. He definatly has his good days and bad days!

I will be speaking to my instructor tonight about it but thought I would get an idea from all you pro's out there to see if I'm heading in the right direction!

Or I might just have to cut my losses and sell him as he is infact to much for me, and I should stop trying so much to make it right, which would break my heart but I feel he could do so much more with the right rider.

Please let me know your opinions :0) thanks in advance x

NB: New saddle fitted in October last year, it seems fine at the moment, no tightness but I think I'm going to get it checked out to rule any pain out.
 
Have you thought about trying flexi reins? They mimic the elastic contact that most of us can only dream of having and they have a profound effect on the horse. I have used them in the past with great success and a friend of mine is using them on her tense,forward going cob that tends to hollow and run through the bit. She has only used them twice but has noticed a difference already. Might be worth a go as it will take the pressure off and might allow him to relax and concentrate.
 
What noseband are you using? Might a grackle or drop help?

Also if you liked the loose ring french link snaffle apart from the fact it pinched you could buy some bit guards and keep going with it. They are sooooo much cheaper than a new bit!
 
hmmm flexi reins could be an idea for the school, maybe not hacking though lol will have a look into it, thanks SS!

He is just in a plain cavesson noseband at the minute, to be honest, I overlooked nosebands! He did have a flash but wasn't keen on it, will have a read up on and speak to Instructor tonight! Thanks x
 
had a similar prob to you, a rather gobby mare who knew more tricks than me to evade work! I needed to change her bit anyway to something with a shape as she has a large tongue and low palatte. So she is in a loose ring verbind from ns after some fab advice from hilary. I have really wanted to keep her in a caverson as I have a pet hate of straping the mouth shut as I think that is she is comfortable in her mouth, then there is nothing to strap shut! She is comfy in her bit, but I have to admit with a well fitting snug but not tight grackle she is loads better. I think it just reminds her not to be so gobby, so I don't need to tackle that battle myself. So once that is out the way there is much less to concentrate on and we can have a nice ride that we both enjoy!
 
I wasn't suggesting just strapping the mouth shut irrespective! If a horse is opening its mouth then you need to check it is comfortable before you set about takling it, but sometimes the noseband can be a big influence on the horse's way of going. A lot of horses that feel gobby are opening their mouths to resist.

Some older horses are just ingrained in their bad habits and may open their mouths or cross their jaw just as evasion even if they aren't in discomfort. If so a well fitted drop or grakle may help.

A mexican grackle can also help with discomfort, some horses find that cavessons press uncomfortably on the side of their mouth, where as a mexican grackle relieves this. Taking the noseband off completely would also help with this though.

From choice I would use a drop not a flash as the action is different and a flash does tend to strap the mouth shut rather than encourage them not to open their mouth like a drop. Use the grackle if crossing the jaw is a problem.

I'd get yourself some bit guards for that loose ring too and see how you get on with it.
 
Just re-read your OP and he does sound a bit like a big mare I sometimes ride.

Have you ever tried him in a double bridle or a pelham with two reins? I rode this mare in a rubber pelham with two reins recently and although it wasn't hard on her mouth at all compared to the french link she is normally in she was like a different horse. She completely respected it and listened and I was able to be feather light with her rather than having to take her back teeth out to get a downward transition.

There are loads of different types of pelham to try out too, straight mouths, ports, rubber ones, ones with long or short shanks etc etc. Might be worth floating the idea with your instructor, and you'd probably need some lessons on riding with two reins but it is a skill well worth learning.
 
I would second the pelham/double idea.

Lots of people will shout you down - but not every horse is suited to a snaffle. Fact. Better to use a light and forgiving contact on a stronger bit than be hauling on the reins in a snaffle.

I do ride my horse in a hanging cheek snaffle most of the time, but for showing I use a double bridle and boy what a difference does it make. He just respects it a lot more.

You could always try a pelham for now while you get the basic schooling improved and switch back to a snaffle in the future. A horse doesn't have to be ridden in the same bit for its whole life.
 
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