snatching at bit how to stop

[helbe]

Any ideas/ways of stopping this would be appreciatted,my arms are being pulled out!!

 

[Cortez]

It takes two to pull......I'd suggest getting some elastic in your contact!

 

[NeverSayNever]

do you really mean a snatch or pulling/leaning? If the latter then I agree with Cortez but if its a snatch then I would push on with your legs and seat into the contact and keep it steady. Presuming their is no issue with teeth or discomfort its an evasion.

 

[helbe]

Yes I do mean Snatch! suddenly putting head down and forward,I know its an evasion just need to have some Ideas what to do about it.
If my arms were elastic cortez they would be 10ft long by now and not wrenched out of their sockets.

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes I do mean Snatch! suddenly putting head down and forward,I know its an evasion just need to have some Ideas what to do about it.
If my arms were elastic cortez they would be 10ft long by now and not wrenched out of their sockets.

My ex driving horse does this when he's stressed and with him it nothing about contact he will do it standing on a completly loose rien .
Its a training issue from his past , I feel your pain, with mine I have just started him hunting and he does it at the hounds he had stopped all together up till then.
I don't have a neat answer put I feel your pain.

 

[Shysmum]

get the teeth checked, just in case, and then try bitless for a while - might just help to break the habit ?

 

[Brimmers]

back / tack / teeth check first off

then play around with his bit? whats he currently in? my warmblood with a hugeeeee tongue hates tongue pressure and will snatch all day long in something with a lozenge in

does he do it anywhen in particular? liike for example when hes tired or out hacking and he doesn't want to wait at a juncture?

 

[gwniver]

You have my sympathy my horse use to do that!!
I had his back ,teeth, saddle checked ad all was ok ,but he still snatched the bit the only thing that worked for me was riding bitless with really loose rein and just going on hacks for a week the slowly bringing him back into schooling now he's riding round like a gentleman in fact when it comes to a jump its always ladys first

 

[Littlelegs]

You need to figure out why he's doing it first. Either:
Physical issue, back, teeth, saddle etc.
Rider issue, you're causing it either through your style of training or heavy hands.
Or habit, from any of the above done in a previous home.
Once you know why, you can go about solving it. Ime its heavy hands that are the usual culprit, either with past or present rider, so I'd investigate that first.

 

[Cortez]

I have a new horse (had him 2 weeks) who came with the habit of snatching at the reins, really badly. After two weeks of riding him properly on a contact with plenty of properly timed leg to back up the rein aids he no longer does this. He was very poorly ridden by previous rider and made to go around hollow, stiff, rushed and with rider swinging out of his mouth. Now turning back into a very polite, soft and responsive chap (he's an 11 year old PRE stallion). It's a rider problem.

 

[Wagtail]

Yes I do mean Snatch! suddenly putting head down and forward,I know its an evasion just need to have some Ideas what to do about it.
If my arms were elastic cortez they would be 10ft long by now and not wrenched out of their sockets.

Your horse does not like its bit. You need to find one he is happy with.

 

[shadowboy]

Mine does it if I let him drop behind my leg or put hacking on the way home it's very annoying but if going forward correctly into a conact it stops

 

[NeverSayNever]

its not always a bit problem. Mine used to do it because with her previous owner, one snatch meant she was given the reins to the buckle to stretch, on her terms. She used to do it with me to get out of working but as I said in my reply, keeping the contact steady and really pushing her forward with seat and legs has solved it.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Your horse does not like its bit. You need to find one he is happy with.

That is exactly what I would say.

Until you find the right bit, and it might take while to find the right style in the right material, as there are so many to choose from, ride him on a very llose rein, so that he can't snatch.

 

[Cortez]

Bits are only the machinery; it is the operators that cause the problems. Letting the horse always go on a loose rein means you are never going to address the problem (or use the bit). A well trained horse should go in any bit, unless there is a physical problem with the horse's mouth.

 

[shadowboy]

Mine will do it no matter the bit! It's not always a bit issue it's an evasion he never does it when working properly from behind and will do it on the lunge in a Pessoa too if he's not tracking through properly. Once pushed forwards it stops

 

[Wagtail]

Of course you can FORCE a horse with a strong leg into a strong contact and it will no longer snatch, but it is not addressing the root of the problem. If it was, your horse would also jerk its head at liberty when not working through from behind. Believe me, if you find the right bit or go bitless the problem disappears.

 

[Goldenstar]

Your horse does not like its bit. You need to find one he is happy with.

With my horse it's nothing to do with the bit he's wearing and everything to do with the treatment he remembers and the bits he's worn in stressful situations in the past .
It's a really thorny problem I think my only chance is it keep taking him hunting until he gets his brain round the fact that I have not changed because the situation has grown stressful .
On Wednesday he only had one moment when it was dangerous we where half way down a precipitous crag when we had to stop because the horses in front had I had him three horses length from the horse in front ( whose bum is not trustworthy) but he could see the horses a hundred yards below galloping on ,it was his first day became a bit excited I used my voice that worked to a point I took up the rien no choice we were in a tight spot on a very steep slope he stood I scratched his neck he then yanked with such force that it was a good I was ready he unbalanced himself it was only my contact and the fact I feared this what would happen that saved us the next steep slope he was worried ( good thing) and I managed to get him to stand calmly a few seconds.
Yanking is caused by bad Bitting bad training bad riders but it's not always caused by the riders that riding the horse at that moment .
OP your horse like mine needs to learn to be calm in all situations you need to think of want triggers the behaviour and work a plan to make it acceptable to both of you we have not seen this horse get someone experianced you trust who has seen him to advise.
When I started with mine it was a big issue one after three years of ridden work the first time he did it at the hounds I had forgotten completely it had been an issue so I was disappointed when it popped up again.

 

[Cortez]

"Yanking is caused by bad Bitting bad training bad riders but it's not always caused by the riders that riding the horse at that moment ."

Very well put; it is a solveable training issue, but is a result of previous learning.

 

[Brimmers]

Bits are only the machinery; it is the operators that cause the problems. Letting the horse always go on a loose rein means you are never going to address the problem (or use the bit). A well trained horse should go in any bit, unless there is a physical problem with the horse's mouth.

I disagree with this - some horses object strongly to the nutcracker action of a single joint, some horses hate tongue pressure etc.

 

[Clippy]

My horse snatches at the reins when we're hunting. For him, it's an excitement thing. He even does it when we're stood around quietly with other horses. I have his teeth/back/saddle checked twice a year. I do a lot of hacking and schoolwork at hiome and he NEVER snatches then so I know it's just when he's feeling giddy, even though he's otherwise pretty quiet

 

[Wagtail]

Snatching at the reins in exciting sitautions is completely different from snatching at the reins when schooling or hacking. If the latter then it is usually due to one of two things, the bit, or the rider's contact. With my mare it took me two years of trying different bits to find one in which she didn't snatch. For her, it was a matter of getting exactly the right shape and thickness for her mouth. Heather from the bit bank was spot on first time and it was her recommendation that solved the problem. Whilst I was trying to find the right bit I continued my mare's training in a hackamore which she never snatched at.

 

[helbe]

Thankyou for all your interesting replies,not been on here for a few days, she is in a straight bar happy mouth,I was advised to try a myler but she hated that and wouldnt even go forward,am wondering about a hackamore,she does it more on the way home from a hack.I dont do anything too exciting with her like hunting but she is quite a stressy mare,Her teeth have been checked recently,she is 6 yrs old and had the canine teeth which stallions have,could that have anythng todo with it?

 

[Clodagh]

My last mare did it no matter who was riding her, me, my novice son or my excellent instructor. Also didn't care what bit or even with a headcollar. It was evasion pure and simple with her. A market harborough at least made her easier to hold together, she did it less then.

 

[Cloud2020]

Id be interested to hear thoughts on this- we have a welsh pony who has previously been a ridden pony at the highest level, now being used for lead rein for our petite child. Jockey has always been very gentle with her hands, we have tried a change of bit, teeth are fine, saddle fine but continues to snatch terribly from said child jockey in both walk and halt. He wont snatch in trot but the moment you give him any less contact he goes like a donkey in the trot, so basically a case of he snatches with contact, loosen off the contact and he doesn't snatch but goes like a donkey nose poking, not engaged etc.

I am fairly certain he is being a little monkey knowing he can easily snatch from a small jockey as with an adult hand on the reins or an older child he may attempt once but thats his lot. If I work with no jockey and fix the reins to the handle in front of the saddle (at the exact length jockey would hold contact) he goes beautifully and although may attempt a snatch once, tends not to bother again..sits on the bridle and moves actively/correctly. The moment I put small jockey on bored he snatches and sticks his nose out (reins are the same length and jockey holding the handle to ensure consistency in what we were attempting without jockey on board).

Any suggestions gratefully considered.