what bit can i use thats dressage legal for a strong horse that takes hold of the bit

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lisa_lou

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My mare gets over excited, very strong and doesnt listen. She chomps on the bit all the time she is in an outline and never seems to relax in the mouth and after canterwork she throws her head high, gets strong and tries 2 rush taking a real hold of the bit. I want a bit that i can school in and use 24/7 including dressages so must be dressage legal that she cannot get a hold of.
 
A shed load of schooling in a simple snaffle...?
Not into dressage myself- too much you can't have this or that for me ;)
A peanut snaffle won't be as easy to grab onto- I'd say waterford.. but the dressage thing.
Sorry- completely useless.
*I am thread wathcing* :p
 
This might sound counter intuitive, but have you tried a very mild snaffle? Something like a happy mouth loose ring snaffle with a roller? You may find that she is more comfortable in this so fights it less, and also harder for them to get a hold on a roller with loose rings. Mine is a nightmare in an eggbutt amd will grab hold and chomp, but is sweetness and light in a loose ring roller provided it is happy mouth or sweet iron type rather than standard metal
 
If she's doing all that I'd concentrate on schooling her in whatever bit she likes, dressage legal or otherwise. Then once the problems are solved swop to something dressage legal. At the moment she isn't ready for dressage so you might as well school her in whatever she prefers.
 
i ride her in a pee wee all the time at the moment in which she is very strong in it jumping but just about holdable and schooling in it she will work beautifully in walk and trot, working long and low and very soft and the canter work itself is very powerful in an outline and lovely pace but immediately after the canter she gets so over excited and takes a hold and fights to go faster again and it takes ages (often resulting in coming back to walk work for 10 mins) before she will begin 2 listen again. i will give the happy mouth a go tho, makes sense to try something very mild and see how she reacts.
 
It is dressage legal for BD, still not sure about BE as the rules are slightly different, I posted the same on CR last week and the jury was out, so am going to get in touch with BE for an answer.
 
Sounds like maybe she is stiff and/ or undeveloped through her back and neck so after working in your canter outline she is probably tired and therefore a bit tense and wants to release all the tension hence the chucking the head in the air and shooting forward.

I don't know if you are having lessons but it sounds like maybe you are holding her in an outline rather than her working relaxed into your elastic contact. If you aren't having lessons then I would invest in some from a good instructor. If you need more control you could try a hanging cheek snaffle with either a french link or single joint. This has a mild poll action that can help but then you need to watch out for her drawing in behind the bit.

I use this for my horse and he preferred it to my very expensive KK Ultra with loose rings and lozenge.

Best of luck :)
 
I would try a myler snaffle they are very thin there fore difficult to lean on and the simple ones are dressage legal ( check you get a legal one ).
 
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