Training aid to stop my naughty horse from removing my front teeth?!

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kanter

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I have a six year old mare that is very sharp and when it's windy (and sometimes when it's not!) will suddenly invert her neck and shoot off. Sometimes she does it when I try and half halt or make an adjustment with the rein.Its a very quick reaction - I've had her ear in my mouth before now! I had a standing martingale on her for a while which helped a bit, but am now experimenting with a drop noseband so obviously cant use the martingale. She's also very difficult in the contact and tends to work too deep, and drop the poll. I have had to resort to draw reins a few times as the arena I ride in is not enclosed and when she puts her head up I have no control at all. However I dont like using them as I am paranoid about her getting too short in the neck and I am trying to get her to go more uphill and take the contact forwards more. Aaargh. Have ridden / produced many young horses but really struggling. Any suggestions? All physical checks done.
 
She sounds unhappy in the mouth- has everything been checked and double checked?

I'd ride her in a nathe bit with a plain cavesson and a standing. You want her nose up and out in front of you
 
Yes, teeth done regulalry, really struggling to find a bit / noseband combination she is comfortable in. She is not happy in a flash, but with a plain cavesson will sometimes just cross her jaw, throw her head up and go. That's why I am trying a drop, but doesnt seem comfortable in that either. Currently in NS demi-anky, she doesnt seem to like a lozenge. Its driving me crazy, she is quite naughty / sharp, but even when calm never feels truly through into the bridle.Maybe will put her back in cavesson with standing martingale (loose)
 
I agree, standing martingale....
Save your teeth, you never know when you might need them
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Ok back to the standing martingale it is then.

Anyone know where I can get a see through one that I can use to warm up at BD competitions? At last outing no one saw our nice controlled trot work but everyone and his wife ribbed me about our mad dash down the long side
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agree with the above, or a loose running martingale that only comes into play when she really inverts. my mare does something similar and doesn't even try it when the running's on. lots of gentle slow work, lots of transitions, and she should slowly learn to relax and trust you and not do it any more... best of luck!
 
What about a Market Harborough? You can slacken if off when she's having a good day and tighten it up whilst on her in a couple of seconds if you need it.

Other than that a Standing.

I once rode a youngster who had a terrible 'head-throwing up' habit. He was ridden in the standing martingale for both hacking, schooling and jumping for a few months.

Then one day during a lesson the owner took it off, and hey presto, no more head chucking. Think it was just a bad habit he'd got into and had realised how much he could get away with if he chucked his head about!
 
If your mare goes well in the droped noseband then why not use a droped with a cavesson over the top of it so that you can still use the standing martingale.
 
my mare does a similar thing. we used a standing martingale and after a few months of that when she started to use it as a support mechanism have now moved to a harbridge which is now being phased out.
 
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