need a 'bit' of help

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laurajane

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Serious bitting problems at the minute.

Horse number 1
is 17.2 warmblood x tb. 18 years old and always been a snaffle mouth. occasionally he gets abit rude and I put a pelham in for a couple of weeks, then he respects the snaffle again.

I have 2 friends riding him and he's tanking off with them and they can't pull him up. I'm not sure how good they are with their hands so I don't want anything too harsh - any suggestions?

Horse number 2

16hh cob x tb. short mouth, big tounge and HUGE shoulders. I've tried a kimblewick, which worked for a couple of weeks now she's running through it. I've tried dutch gags, waterfords, snaffles (never again!)
I don't know what else to try her in but I can't afford to keep buying them both bits that won't work.

and just to top it off, they're different sizes in the mouths. sigh!


please help if you have any suggestions!
 
I think what might help both these horses, is to go back to basics and learn how to stop and to respect the bit. If you ask for a stop or slow, and your horse doesnt respond, to me that sounds like a training issue, rather than a bitting issue.

Go back to basics, and do lots of transitions to halt, and when the horse stops, reward him by releasing the rein. The release of rein is the reward for doing then right thing, so the horse learns quicker than if you keep a constant contact and pull him to a stop.
Ideally you should be able to get your horse to halt from any pace, with a light ask so the horse never learns to pull against you. They only learn to pull if we pull on them.
If you want the horse to be light and responsive, you have to be also. Light hands, light horse. The bit isnt the brakes, the training is the brakes.

If you can teach the horse to be light in a simple bit, you will save lots of money on gadgets and bits because you wont need them.
 
it's definitely not training with the warmblood, he's always been a snaffle mouth and he's done parelli half his work is done in a headcollar. But he's tanking off with the 2 girls riding him and he's being plain rude.

He's fine when I get one, so I've got nothing to go on. I've put him in a hanging cheek snaffle, hoping that works!

As for the bolshy little mare, I tried her in an english gag for jumping, worked quite nicely. yet to try this random snaffle i've been lent for the flat tonight
 
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