Waterford Snaffle

golddustsara

golddustsara

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Hi,

I've had my cob about three months and he came to me in a waterford loose ring snaffle. He is a very strong dressage type and tends to lean on the bit especially in canter. Henry takes some work to get into an outline some days and I am just worried that by encouraging him to work in an outline that I am hurting his mouth (in a sawing action). Having said that in the last week he has not been listening to me at all and I have given myself many a finger blister trying to stop him. I don't want to put him in a severe bit as I don't feel I'm an experienced enough rider to use one. Just wondering if anyone had any bit suggestions?

Sarah.
 
I ride my v. strong cob in a waterford gag but we dnt do dressage we event. I would honestly try to keep him in a water ford snaffle because once you start getting stronger in bits its v. hard to come back into weaker . when my mare started to lean in her water ford i stopped trying to make her stop, i released my contact and asked her to go faster, She did'nt like this because it ment more work, and then to stop he a gentally checked her untill she came back to trott. I does work but takes a week or so for them to relise it means more work. Good luck keep me updated
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I suggest a good dressage trainer who will help you get him more engaged & off his forehand, you need to change his hind legs not his head, he is leaning because he can't yet carry himself, so you are holding him up, sawing on his mouth won't really help, if anything at all he will just soften his neck, but this won't get him working from his hind legs to the bridle. Hope that helps.
 
Have you tried a 3 ring dutch gag. My chap can have a tendancy to lean and occasionally gets a bit strong. I don't really like having to haul him in the mouth so I bought him a happy mouth 3 ring. I do most of my schooling in a happy mouth loose ring and then when he gets a bit strong I ride him for a couple of days in the gag. It just gives him a reminder that he should have manners and respect me. With out me having to fight him. The gag is very mild if you use the top ring and then you just use the second rein when you feel he is trying to take off.

I agree about the dressage lessons too - schooling will help a lot. Good luck
 
Before you try a stronger bit, try a weaker one. A waterford is infact quite a severe bit. My horse leans more in a stronger bit. I school in a loose ring losenge bit and he goes lovely, although for jumping I have to put a dutch gag in to keep his pace constant but there is no way he would school flat in it as he goes terribly and works in a false outline.

Persoanlly I would perhaps try something like a sweet iron losenge bit with loose rings first. As like said above once you go stronger you wont really be able to revert back and as you are using him for dressage you are quite limited on how severe you go.

The problem with leaning and getting him in an outline is more likely due to what is going on with the back end of your horse than the front end. Sawing on the mouth is not really the way, you need to work on getting the horse working from behing, engage the quarters and push it into the bridle. Loads of lateral work should help.
 
What does sawing on the horses mouth do? I have posted before about someone I have seen do this and it is awful to watch. Her entier body is rigid and pulling from side to side on the horse's mouth, I feel so sorry for the horse.
 
I agree about the sawing thing, I have seen many people at my yard including the instructors sawing on a horses mouth. Henry is kept at a riding school yard, so I have had many dressage lessons on him, but perhaps the instructors are not qualified enough as they have been telling me to take harsh feels down each rein. One got on him and socked him in the mouth which I thought was really cruel.
I think I am going to try and get some better tuition for him and try and get his back end working more rather than simply sawing him in the mouth.
Also someone suggested a pelham to me? But I'm really not sure if that would be suitable?

Thanks,
Sarah
 
I had a waterford, and a 3 ring and my boy would alternate between leaning and being very light, he could be strong and on the forehand. We now use a Lose ring sweet Iron snaffle and he doesn't lean or pull at the bit as much, he also doesnt try and hide when you tack him up!

I have found that the stronger the bit, the greater the resistance to it, and do again I would up the strength of the bit cos I though he was needing it. It took a lot of guts on my part to try the snaffle, but now he can be pulled up easily from a gallop, and he listens more.

Oh and on the sawing thing................don't. He will just resist, I sied to do that and 1 rear later changed my ways! Ride from the leg to the mouth (lol, I cant even do that properly but I'm learning!).
 
I have a waterford snaffle, but for hacking I needed something a little stronger to be him a bit more together so he couldnt run off. I bought a Waterford 3 ring Dutch Gag works really well

I would try a few bits www.shop4bits.com do 2 week trials probably the best option
 
People have just got carried away with 'talking' through the reins to encourage softness and now just saw. I often open my hand and squeeze the reins (talk) to encourage him to soften. Unfortunately people think as long as the head is in, that's an outline, have seen many horses with sore mouths from it!
 
Totally. There is such a difference in a squeeze and release to sawing! But you'd be amazed how people start doing it! I teach and quite often I'll teach squeeze and release and I'll come back a couple of weeks later and it's developed into sawing. I tell them to sit still and try to feel and encourage the horse to carry it's own head.

Sawing only creates a heavy contact (as it's a false outline and not working from behind)in my experience which is probably why your horse has been put in a waterford.

Sorry, that was rambling and not well put. Probably has come out all wrong!
 
I've just read in an advert on ebay that a Waterford needs to be a size bigger than your normal bit so it acts on the horses lips. Is this true? I've never used one but am thinking about getting one.
 
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