No brakes?

[dwi]

Lil has really poor brakes, she's not strong, just rude and ignores you. She tends to stop or slow down when she feels like it and doesn't take a whole lot of notice.

Before anyone jumps on me I know that this is a schooling issue, I do have regular lessons with an excellent instructor but I've only had Lil a few months and I need to be safe in the meantime when out hacking.

Have so far tried her in a pelham and a dutch gag and she ignored both of those in much the same way as she ignores her snaffle.

Have wondered about trying a Kineton? Any other thoughts gratefully received.

 

[Brandy]

Its hard to work out what you mean - no brakes but not strong? How do you stop? I mean do you have to haul? Is her mouth open? Do you have brakes in trot? Or is the problem just canter? Does she just canter on or go hell for leather?

What noseband do you have now?

 

[dwi]

I tend to think of strong as a horse that leans on you or tanks off getting faster and faster. She doesn't particularly lean and doesn't get faster, just doesn't either see why she should change her speed when she's quite happy with how she's going. If you wanted to keep trotting all day that would be fine but it'd be nice for her to learn that she stops when i say and not when she feels like it.

She doesn't have good brakes in any speed, walk, trot or canter. You get what you want eventually but its more of a discussion that she eventually accepts rather than an immediate "Ok".

She's currently ridden in a flash which is what she came in. I did try her without it for a few days but that was a horrible idea, she opened her mouth to evade so the flash went back on and there was a noticeable improvement. I don't really like strapping her mouth shut but it is necessary for now.

 

[LMuirEDT]

Agree with Brandy, can u describe it more? With mine, I have brakes but he tends to try and get me to carry his head and just gets heavy. Out hacking he gets a bit stroppy and tends to bounce so I know if I bitted him up more all he would do it coil back at me and bounce higher. He's currently in a french link snaffle and my solution (advised by my instructor) was to try a drop noseband and it's worked a treat! Tried a flash and he chucked his head around a bit. Definitely try different nosebands.