Using a flash ..... ?

[canteron]

For those of you who haven't seen my posts before, although I have been riding for ... well a lot of years, I have never had a youngster before and keep coming up against little things which catch me out!

My lastest one is that he continually plays with his bit when riding, especially if he gets a little bit tense - or possibly as an evasion. The teeth has been looked at and we are all happy with the bit (KK training bit).

I don't want to ride him in a flash but am worried this is becoming a habit. I am currently doing a lot of long reining around the farm and was considering putting a flash on for this to try and curb the habit.

Would this be a dredful sin - or has it worked for anyone else?

Any thoughts .... or other suggestions please!

 

[TiaPony]

Use a drop instead. Far better.

 

[MrsMozart]

You say that everyone is happy with the bit, but is the ned? Is the playing a sign of happiness, or a 'Blah, I don't really like this'?

If he's playing too much, then a Drop. If he needs a standing martingale, then a Flash. If he's crossing his jaw, then a Grackle.

 

[canteron]

Pretty comfortable with the bit, as he does settle down and go nicely when concentrating in the school. It is a gentle bit and seems very well shaped for his mouth. When I bought him he had been in a roller bit - maybe for a little too long and he seemed to have got him into the habit of playing with the bit in his mouth.

Looking at the above, it looks like a grackle may be the best bet .... I really don't like the idea of tying a horses mouth shut, but it does seem to be a little bit of a habit, so I thought if I used a flash/grackle initially when doing ground work I could evaluate the effect?

 

[MrsMozart]

Fair enuff on the bit

.

There is a dressage rider who starts her horses off in nosebands that tie the horses mouth shut, on the grounds that she doesn't then have a problem. Not my chosen route it has to be said, I'd rather see if one needed strapping down before adding more to its head.

In this case, it sounds like you have a need

. I'd use a drop or a grackle (unless you need the standing martingale, in which case a flash) - I like the Mexican grackle, but I don't know the difference in action of a Mexican to a normal grackle.

 

[canteron]

Thanks Mrs Mozart ..... I've always thought a Mexican grackle would look rather good on him ..... although I know that on its own isn't a good enough reason so I may just investigate the benefits!

 

[Tnavas]

Use a drop only if he has a cheeked bit - it shouldn't be used with an ordinary ring bit as it can move across the rings and cause a lot of discomfort.

I personally don't like the flash strap as it lies over the very sensitive soft part of the nostrils. Have found a few confirmed headshakers that have stopped once the flash strap was removed.

A grackle is probably the best noseband to use as the strap comes from a lot further up so doesn't affect the nostrils.

Playing with the bit is quite natural for a young horse so long as it's not accompanied by an opening mouth. Try using a Fulmer - it is a very quiet bit that gives the horse a lot of confidence in the contact. Use it with keepers and a drop, done up so that you can get at least two fingers between the bottom strap and the jaw.

This is what I use for all my youngsters and after a few months they move on to an eggbutt snaffle and cavesson noseband.

 

[checkmate1]

Hey, I went through this dilema with my youngster last year, in the end I realised (with instructors help!) that I was not riding her in such a way that she was picking up and accepting the contact, I've got very soft hands and 'give' too much. The same thing has just emerged again now shes 5- I've been working on canter so much trot has gone out of the window, shes playing, leaning, grabbing at bit opening mouth and sometimes tanking off slightly (teeth etc ok), so have popped drop on and hey presto. I will take it off in a week or two when I've worked on my hands and position more. Not sure if this helps! I like drops personally, as I think with a f lash they need to be really tight to be effective, which I don't like!