Stronger bits for jumping, horse running through snaffle

charleysummer

charleysummer

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Hello, my horse has come on great and schools brilliantly in a loose ring, lozenge snaffle. He was in a dutch gag but he came behind the bit and pulled whilst rushing; the loose ring snaffle was a success and transformed his way of going to correct and balanced.

However, I have been jumping him in a snaffle and really do have to haul him around and use a good pull to slow him up. (I like to keep contact as soft as possible at all times!) Everyone I know is telling me to just put him in something stronger to jump as their horses need something stronger- but everybody is reccomending different bits from pelhams (I think he'd hate this) to bitless e.g hackamore and dr cook! I thought i'd stick with the snaffle to see how it went, as he has not been impossible and I thought i'd just work on the schooling but i don't want to put either of us in danger by break neck speeds and miscommunication round a course (especially xc). Today it went very downhill and despite getting around a couple of rounds- he just decided to say no and ran through the snaffle to jump out of the ring :o I was mortified!

And yes, teeth, back, saddle all checked and done recently. He dislikes the constant contact I need in the snaffle so I think he'd much prefer a softer hand and stronger signals! Someone has told me that a bitless option may suit him as as he doesn't like the contact in the mouth whilst jumping and it would keep his mouth soft for flatwork whilst providing a strong signal.

Sorry I do waffle on :o !
 
He sounds a lovely horse and wants to give you his best but at the moment he cannot and the hard part for us is to understand why and to make amends.

How long have you owned him and what is his background ?

How long has be been jumping ?
 
texel said:
He sounds a lovely horse and wants to give you his best but at the moment he cannot and the hard part for us is to understand why and to make amends.

How long have you owned him and what is his background ?

How long has be been jumping ?
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I've almost owned him 3 months now, so not very long- Although I have spent pretty much all day every day with him so know him quite well in this time. He has always jumped since being broken as far as i know, but not in any refined manner- he often gets too close to the jumps and takes out the poles by not having room to take off; once he gets his stride he has a fantastic jump. I do not know much about his background apart from that he is from ireland.

I have been introducing jumps very slowly in to his schooling- i wanted to get him balanced first as he was all over the place, once he had 3 balanced paces and was hacking out well I introduced a small course. He has been jumping at around 2'9"-3' which suits him better as he gets some power in his back legs! Considering how long i've had him, he's doing well as I couldn't ride him to start with- he just leapt of his back legs and reared!

He's always been quite anti-bit, he would tuck behind the bit and grind his teeth, cross his jaw (still does this odd times in canter but not much), open his mouth- but he wears a flash now so this is restricted.. and rubs his bit on his legs after working, even with light contact- but obviously if jumping the contact is far from light :(
 
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