no breaks!!!

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rach123

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my mum bought a conamara mare and we have no breaks she has been being ridden in a gag on bottom ring but i want to put her back into a snaffle however she has no breaks in the gag whn i was troting her yesterday i couldnt hold her back and she fly bucks
has anyone got any help on how to get some breaks on her without using a strong bit
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I tired gags, myler combos, and some pretty mean things in my boy. He leaned on, backed off and ignored all of these. I then took him into our arena and with help from instructor, worked on walk-halt transitions in a snaffle. Pulling gently on his mouth, and as soon as he listens give him his reins. Repeating until he stood stone still. I now hunt him in a pellham and school, jump etc in snaffle, by next season hoping to be in snaffle for hunting, which is proving that the strong ones arn't always best.
 
Yup don't fill the ponies mouth with stronger bit, it may just go faster and lean. try it in a snaffle in an enclosed school. What is the pony fed, you may want to consider cutting down its concentrates.....
 
Is it possible she's bucking because she's uncomfortable in the gag? I've my horse in a gag a few times but never again because he HATES it, puts his head between his knees, tanks off and bucks!! I have no brakes at all in a dutch gag (waterford mouthpiece), even on the bottom ring.

ATM he does fast work like hunting etc in a kimblewick which suits him really well. How about trying a waterford snaffle? Mine has one of those for XC and SJing because he tends to take hold a bit, but isn't excessively strong (just too strong for a snaffle). Personally I would take the horse out of the gag and try a waterford. They have lots of links so the horse can't take hold of the bit so easily, and assuming you don't already use a waterford mouthpiece it would have a totally different action which might be just what you need. I find that my brakes are good in a waterford, he can't lean on it, take hold of it, and the mouthpiece stays fluid in his mouth. I really rate them. Some horses object to the poll pressure from a dutch gag and you wouldn't have that problem with a waterford. They also aren't excessively strong bits like some.
 
I was going to say the same thing as chestnut cob, my boy HATES HATES the gag...he also puts his head between his knees and either rears, jogs or goes backwards in it. I found that the french link baucher was good as it is really isn't severe it just gives the extra poll pressure. The waterford is also good...my boy fiddles a bit too much in it though. I have been doing lots of schooling with my boy with transitions etc with a good instructor and am now just starting to jump in my normal french link...I never ever thought I'd get to that stage as he used to be a complete looney! Louis evidently didn't like the gag action and it may be the same for yours.
 
hanging cheek every time, its the be all and end all of the rest. Have one in the pony, and in the big un, they are super, but just now what my coloured liked!
 
i agre totaly, 9 times out of 10 horses are not strong, they are just mouthy as in at between your hand and your led, so when a horse is not going to listen to your hand why do people think that a diferent bt is going to work?? avoid the mouth totaly and try somthing diferent like a kineton noseban.
imo
 
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