SJ help - brakes related.. what do you think??

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Ok, so Badgers not like a mad crazy horse or anything, but he does get quite keen doing any kind of jumping/cantering.

I currently show jump him in a snaffle and he is normally ok-ish but can get too onward bound and once he's gone I struggle to get him back to a reasonable SJing pace, all this is not helped by the fact that I'm much more of a hunting person than a show jumping one!
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He seems to jump Discovery height well but he's a bit frustrating on smaller more strait forward courses (i.e. intro) because he just gets dead cocky. :P

Thing is, I've tried loads of bits and the only ones I've found that make any difference RE brakes (american gag and cheltenham gag) I really don't feel he jumps as well in. He feels like he has lost his spring which I'm thinking is confidence related.

Do you think I should continue the bit search (Myler combination is next on my list) OR just accept his way of going?? He does tend back himself off a bit more and pay attention when the fences go up a bit and he's not mega clumsy when they are smaller, just a bit careless.

Help?
 
Adrian's the same & he's better in a low port myler. I found that if I used something stronger eg kimblewick, he wouldn't jump *at all* cos he didn't feel confident going forward.

I also have more control if I check him back hard & then leave him alone rather than pulling at each other all the way round, if this makes sense?
 
Try a tom thumb gag? Smaller cheeks than a american gag so not as direct. Know alot of horses who can be a bit shy of stronger bits go very well in them
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They are double jointed too
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What's a low port myler do then??

I'm not sure if I feel like I'm trying to slow him a lot more than I actually am!
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but I don't seem a get a great deal of response whatever I do.

I haven't tried him in a kimblewick but once hacked him out in a pelham and I didn't like him in it at all. He had his head right up in my face as if he really didn't like it so I rules out curbed bits... He's really weird in how he reacts to different bits. In a 3 ring gag on the bottom he is just really strong, but in a hanging cheek snaffle he goes really odd and steering goes out of the window! He seems to be either really sensitive or just does his own thing!
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The low port is to help to stop him getting his tongue over the bit which he loves doing. I've only got it cos my instructor suggested it...I looked on the myler website recently & it's all sooooo complicated that I wouldn't dare to choose one myself.

And it's mild enough not to annoy him - with a stronger bit, he's fighting the bit as well as me, if you see what I mean. He is infuriated by curb chains & poll pressure, so I'm limited in what I can try.
 
I go xc in a long shank myler combination with mexican grackle and still have no brakes! Even in the field he is mental. I have just come to accept that I will have no brakes going down hill which is scary and stupid cause that's when I normally fall off.
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Don't think I have the same problem as you though cause he listens to me ok sj, just have him in a waterford snaffle only normally at the end it takes a while to stop! I'm not complaning though I think it's more fun when he's buzzed up
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Sorry I'm not much help.
 
Interesting, that sounds a bit like B. if he's not totally overwhelmed by a bit then he just gets even worse.

Maybe body building is the answer!
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lol, thanks for your reply! I do like him being like he is, but he does make things hard work for me!
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I have the same problem hunting and XC as well so if I could find something it would be useful!
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I posted this as a reply to a different post but I think it's worth saying again. My horse does this too and I have to fight to get him back which does dent his confidence. I recently purchased a Myler Mullen Triple Barrel with hooks which I've been using for the past 3 weeks. I jumped in a lesson on Saturday and found I could get him back when I wanted without a fight (particularly between related distances). Because we don't need to fight to get him to slow up and wait for me, his confidence is really good.

http://www.shop4bits.com/item--Eggbutt-with-Hooks-Mullen-Triple-Barrel--89-3031.html
 
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