Sorry, another "which bit?"!

[fuze]

As there's so many out there, I'm baffled as to what best to try.

Pone in question is a 7yo 14hh cob with a very tiny mouth. I've had him 6mths, and he had "always" been ridden in a happy mouth full cheek snaffle. Snaffle mouthed, yada yada. The bit he came with had been pretty much chewed through and felt like barbed wire, so after a bit of trial and error we ended up in a copper alloy hanging cheek with a lozenge. Happy days.

Now, we're starting to do more exciting stuff with pone (galloping open fields, jumping, xc, faster hacks, etc), and the brakes are failing more than I'd like. He's still relatively green on his schooling which will be worked on this year, but the snaffle just isn't cutting it for us when we're not plodding. Add to the fact he's a rig and can be a handful around other horses, and I'd really like some more control.

So... what am I best off trying? I don't want to whack him in something obscenely strong, but I do need to up the game. Dutch gag? Kimblewick? Pelham, maybe (but I suck at using double reins...)? Tom Thumb?

Suggestions would be appreciated, thanks

 

[Hoof_Prints]

When your brakes fail, is the horse tucking behind the bit and charging off, or sticking his head / nose up and zooming away ? how does he behave and react? what have you tried so far to steady him up?

 

[fuze]

Generally sticking his head up and zooming, more out of excitement / "razzing up" than anything else, I think. He's an opinionated git who hits grass and decides "I WANT to canter", and it's difficult to convince him otherwise. I usually end up pulling him round to stop him, as the bit does little to nothing once he gets it in his head that he wants to go. He doesn't bolt or go obscene speeds, he just ignores and canters off / won't pull up.

I'll be schooling him on once the ground dries up, as we don't have a school it hasn't been an option upto yet. Again, because he's a rig, it's important that he's under control. Majority of the time he is, but under exciting work it wavers. I'd rather have him in something slightly stronger than have to haul on him when we do need to stop.

 

[Maryann]

I love my Myler comfort snaffle. It has more stopping power than an ordinary snaffle but is not as fierce as a dutch gag

 

[-Rose-]

Just a quick point remember with a Pelham if you don't want to use double reins you can put bit roundings on- but the bit won't be quite as strong.( If you have quite soft hands I would really recommend a kimblewick having had a similar sounding pony! )