Sorry, another "which bit?" post

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lizziebell

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Sorry for another "which bit?" post, but your all such a helpful and knowledgable bunch
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I'm thinking of trying a stronger bit for hacking out in, but am not sure what to try first.

I have always ridden and jumped my mare in a loose ring lozenge (or sometimes a myler MB02 comfort snaffle). She's well schooled and goes well in these bits. Out hacking in company we have no issues, but she naps out hacking alone, and after riding out tonight I feel like both my arms have been ripped from their sockets
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When she naps she opens her mouth wide and leans on the bit. She's had a flash strap, but she just crosses her jaw instead, and now with the grackle she has a great trick of fixing her jaw whilst I buckle it, then half way up the road she relaxes it and all the straps are stupidly loose, enough for her to evade the bit later on in the ride.

This is not a new issue, but just tonight after a hard day at work it really got me fed-up, when all I wanted was a relaxing hack out, or at least one where I didn't feel like I was doing all the work (she didn't even break in to a sweat with all her napping - butter wouldn't melt look when we got home
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Any bit suggestions?
 
I don't think a bit would help here. Schooling would help.

Have you tried taking her out on her own, but just building everything up really slowly. Like first of all, just walking out the gate, standing all relaxed, then walking back in and taht's it? Then gradually building it up.
 
She's very well schooled, its just she acts like a t*t when she's hacked on her own. We hack on our own 99% so hacking alone is not something she rarely does. Its not napping in the sense of just leaving home either. Its sometimes when we are half way and she's decided she's done for the day and wants to go home, or when she's being impatient to wait for gates to be opened. This isn't a confidence thing, just being nappy. She'll not usually nap twice on a hack though, as soon as she realises she's not getting her way she'll calm down again. I just want to try a slightly stronger bit so when she does nap I feel I have some control
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Hi - only me

I would try a waterford, i have one you can try i think its a 5 1/2. I used to use when mine was really leaning. The waterford seems to stop them as they have lozenges (bad spelling i know..) so they can't lean on it.

Let me know if you want to have a try with it.

x
 
Hi

Newbie here, but this may help. My daughter's horse leans on her bit - waterford was no use whatsoever. Trainer suggested we purchased a specialist bit from Equiport, which is curb chain mouth loose ring snaffle. Horse absolutely loves it, as she likes to play with it - she doesn't lean on it - there is also a gag version which is a little stronger that she uses for jumping - she now has brakes. We also took off the flash strap and loosened the noseband right off and now have a different horse. Don't ask me why - this might not help you but worked for us so worth mentioning.
 
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