Stronger bit for strong cob

ellkez

ellkez

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Hiya,

I ride a 15.2hh 25 year old cob mare who is very strong, she is currently ridden in a French Link Pelham and I have limited control, when I ask her to stop or slow down especially in the canter she takes quite a bit to stop. I tried a Full Cheek Snaffle on her and had no breaks. She has been ridden in a Nylon Pelham, she accepted it well but I had minimal breaks.

I am looking for a stronger bit but one that she will accept well, any recommendations would be great :)

Many thanks!
 
I'd first be wondering if it's a schooling issue rather than a bitting one.
You mention she's particularly hard to pull up in canter - which quite often can be due to lack of balance. I'd maybe try lots of transitions and schooling to help her balance and responsiveness, instead of changing the bit around to a stronger one?
Sorry if it's not the case and she is just being strong, but a Pelham is quite strong already, and I always prefer to see if it's schooling rather than over-bitting with my horse.
Do you ride in roundings or double reins? In what way is she strong - Does she become heavy on the forehand and lean? Also what noseband have you got her in?
Sorry for 20 questions, but they're all things to consider in my experience!
 
VioletStripe said:
I'd first be wondering if it's a schooling issue rather than a bitting one.
You mention she's particularly hard to pull up in canter - which quite often can be due to lack of balance. I'd maybe try lots of transitions and schooling to help her balance and responsiveness, instead of changing the bit around to a stronger one?
Sorry if it's not the case and she is just being strong, but a Pelham is quite strong already, and I always prefer to see if it's schooling rather than over-bitting with my horse.
Do you ride in roundings or double reins? In what way is she strong - Does she become heavy on the forehand and lean? Also what noseband have you got her in?
Sorry for 20 questions, but they're all things to consider in my experience!
Click to expand...

Sound advice, but at 25 the op's horse will be stiff and set in its way of going. With the best will in the world changing a horse of that age would be a challenge.
 
I do regularly school her and even in the school she is strong but not as strong as out on a hack. When I canter her out on hacks its often on straits and she has been professionally backed and schooled in the past so I don't think it's from her being unbalanced; but I will focus on transitions and see if this helps :) I have ridden in double reins but it made little difference so I ride in roundings, she has no noseband on at the moment and no she doesn't lean or anything she is just difficult to stop and takes a good few tugs to do so
 
I'm not terribly keen on the idea of you having to tug to stop her - in any bit! If you tug at her using a waterford you may well cut her mouth - and possibly cause her such discomfort she might rear. Have you a good instructor who could advise based on what they see on the ground? Training her to respond to a neck strap or a whistle as a cue to stop might help?
 
Just because she's been professionally backed and schooled in the past doesn't mean she will be balanced today. Schooling is an ever necessary thing. Do you have lessons?

It will be hard to change the way of going of an older horse but perhaps you are getting into a tug of war with her (easily done) and some tips from a good instructor would help you.
 
I would be calling in an instructor to help with schooling and maybe teach you to halt/slow down from your seat rather than mouth contact. Trouble is with using harsh bits and still tugging to halt is your only going to harden the mouth more and eventually just run out of harsh bits that work. Have you tried bitless?
 
My cob is strong too and I also have to do a lot of hold and release to get a response. Best I've found so far is a Myler triple barrel Mullen mouth with hooks. The hooks give you some leverage but the mouthpiece collapses when you release.
 
I would be tempted to try a mullen mouth Kimblewick. Worked very well on a very strong Highland out hacking.
 
I put my Trad Cob in a French Link Rugby Pelham - and he immediately softened and went like silk in it.

You will need to get another headpiece which goes onto the spare ring (and ideally get someone who knows how this bit fits to help you fit it). This bit is supposed to have the same action as a double bridle, but with only one bit.

I tried a Waterford for mine, with the result that he started to try and evade it by poking his nose out, hollowing and going very flat and falling out of the hand in front; whereas with this bit he accepts the bit nicely and its possible to really drive him from behind and produce some very nice uphill movement.

The other thing you could try is a Hackamore/bitless: but it would help to have a professional give you a session with it as the way you ride with it is totally different, another world in fact, from the way you ride bitted. Some horses absolutely hate them - and you need to know how to use your seat more with these bitless bridles and decrease the use of the hand. Not everyone's cup of tea therefore.
 
I hate tugging her and that's why I am seeking for advice. I will be having lessons soon. I will give training with a neck strap or whistle cue a go.

Thanks
 
FfionWinnie said:
Just because she's been professionally backed and schooled in the past doesn't mean she will be balanced today. Schooling is an ever necessary thing. Do you have lessons?

It will be hard to change the way of going of an older horse but perhaps you are getting into a tug of war with her (easily done) and some tips from a good instructor would help you.
Click to expand...

I will be having lessons soon which will help loads, yeah its tug of war like you said I'm not just holding onto her mouth

Thanks :)
 
rowan666 said:
I would be calling in an instructor to help with schooling and maybe teach you to halt/slow down from your seat rather than mouth contact. Trouble is with using harsh bits and still tugging to halt is your only going to harden the mouth more and eventually just run out of harsh bits that work. Have you tried bitless?
Click to expand...
s
Yeah I will be having lessons soon. I do try and use my seat by sitting deep and upright which has some sort of effect. Yeah that what I do worry, I'm just looking for a bit to temporarily to use until Ii am able to get lessons. I havent tried bitless but I will take it into considerations.

Many thanks :)
 
saddlesore said:
My cob is strong too and I also have to do a lot of hold and release to get a response. Best I've found so far is a Myler triple barrel Mullen mouth with hooks. The hooks give you some leverage but the mouthpiece collapses when you release.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what I have to do, hold and release to get her to slow down and stop. Thank you I will give it a try :)
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I put my Trad Cob in a French Link Rugby Pelham - and he immediately softened and went like silk in it.

You will need to get another headpiece which goes onto the spare ring (and ideally get someone who knows how this bit fits to help you fit it). This bit is supposed to have the same action as a double bridle, but with only one bit.

I tried a Waterford for mine, with the result that he started to try and evade it by poking his nose out, hollowing and going very flat and falling out of the hand in front; whereas with this bit he accepts the bit nicely and its possible to really drive him from behind and produce some very nice uphill movement.

The other thing you could try is a Hackamore/bitless: but it would help to have a professional give you a session with it as the way you ride with it is totally different, another world in fact, from the way you ride bitted. Some horses absolutely hate them - and you need to know how to use your seat more with these bitless bridles and decrease the use of the hand. Not everyone's cup of tea therefore.
Click to expand...

Thank you I will give it a go :)
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I put my Trad Cob in a French Link Rugby Pelham - and he immediately softened and went like silk in it.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how much difference the OP will find changing from a French link Pelham to a French link Rugby Pelham. The difference in the snaffle action will be marginal and the curb should be unaffected.

Personally I'd ditch the roundings (I hate them) as they remove the option to utilise the curb effectively and independently.
 
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