What bit do you ride your cob in?

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Patches

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Couldn't think of a decent title.....

I ride P in a Verbindend for schooling, hacking, farm rides and jumping (both SJ and XC) when either alone or in company she's familiar with. If we go out on farm rides with some very big horses, or strange horses, I sometimes put a waterford in her as occasionally she can take a hold.

My question relates to schooling.

I have terrible trouble getting P to flex at the poll. She will soften through her jaw laterally with the verbindend, but just won't drop her nose. I've been working on this now for the last four months and whilst she now instantly flexes left/right and softens that way, the moment she's asked to drop her nose slightly she just pokes her nose out and sets against me.

I realise more schooling (as in improving me) is key here, but I wondered if this is a common issue with cobs and whether there's an alternative I could try in the old bit department.

I used to ride her with a flash but that's long since been binned.
 
I ride Marnie (piebald in sig) in a loose ring french link for hacking and when doing pleasure rides use a tom thumb as it just gives me a bit more when cantering in company. She self carries though, and you can have her on no contact and just by riding from my seat, she will work from behind and in an outline, so probably not much help to you!
 
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I ride Marnie (piebald in sig) in a loose ring french link for hacking and when doing pleasure rides use a tom thumb as it just gives me a bit more when cantering in company. She self carries though, and you can have her on no contact and just by riding from my seat, she will work from behind and in an outline, so probably not much help to you!

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LOL...show off!!!!
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I tried mine in numerous snaffles but none of them provided brakes at all.The strongest bit I had him in was a happy mouth 3 ring gag which needed to be on the bottom ring when doing more exciting things plus I also used a flash on the advice of my instructor.I changed his bit as although I did have brakes he was quite fussy in his mouth and I wasn't convinced it was right for him. I now have him in a cambridge mouth kimblewick and he is like a different horse.He no longer needs the flash,is no longer fussy in his mouth and works quite happily in a novice outline which is great as he is still quite green.
 
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I don't ride her in a noseband either - she has some bald patches on her nose from where she must have had a poorly fitting headcollar at some point, and they rub. People are always amazed at how quick she is, how light she is on her feet and her huge trot - they think she is just a big fat cob until she starts moving!
 
I ride my heavy cob in a loose ring french link with no noseband most of the time. He goes well enough in this but if I go out for a fast hack with two others I need to change him to an english hackamore. Its just that he gets very forward and keen and I have no brakes or steering and can't be arsed to be pulled about and into ditches etc.

I also school him in the hackamore as it helps remind him to stay light in hand, every 2 or 3 months for about 5 weeks at a time. It helps build up his neck and trains him off the forehand.
It may not be the dressage/correct way, but it works for us!!
 
I had a similar problem before we realised she was prob preggers (which could have contributed) she went better in a Myler stage 2 snaffle with a cavesson than flash and egbutt snaffle it encouraged her to soften a little...
 
I always schooled chloe in a loose-ring waterford, and put her in a loose-ring snaffle for dressage comps. My RI said that I could spend half the lesson trying to get her to soften in the snaffle, resulting in sore shoulders for me, or we could use the waterford and get the same effect in 5 mins, freeing us up to work on other things. I occasionally used a pelham if she'd started leaning in the waterford just to remind her to carry herself. She was built on the forehand, with a heavy neck and head so found it hard to work in an outline until her neck muscles were developed and using a waterford helped us to do this.
 
HAnging chhek snaffle for schooling and BD, pelham for showing and 3 ring gag for anything remotley exciting - hunting, fun rides, swimming in the sea.
i use a grackle for normal stuff as cross jaw like you wouldnt believe, flash for BD and v thick caveson for showing- where oddly he doesnt cross jaw!!!! V strange pony- have heard other friends have success with myler tho xx
 
I ride my big irish cob in a straight bar metal snaffle when competing and any snaffle with a link in at home.
 
I now ride in a loose ring Waterford and he goes really well in it - supposed to be quite sever I am told - but he needs it when in company as he gets extremely strong - when on his own he is fine - am thinking of changing to a loose ring french link (if I can find one 6.5"!!) for when he is on his own and schooling and will keep him in the Waterford for when in company. He used to be in a vulcanite pelham and also schooled very well in this but he tended to lean very heavily on it.
 
Genie's in a loose ring french link snaffle for schooling and hacking, but we use a jointed fulmer snaffle when jumping to help with the steering! Showing it's a pelham.
 
cloud 9- i got a 7 inche bit made at townfields saddlers and they have bigger bits or they used to. i got my 6.5 hanging cheek snaffle from their stock items

xxxx
 
pop (highland) is in a pelham again while i bring her back into work cause she can be such a madame an tank off and head home etc. once shes fully in work again tho i hope to be able to take her off the pelham
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I wonder if the lack of flexion through the poll is more to do with her conformation, rather than any sort of resistance.

Having seen loads of pictures of the lovely girl - I think it would be nigh on impossible for her to do it comfortably or comformationally........
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I wonder if the lack of flexion through the poll is more to do with her conformation, rather than any sort of resistance.

Having seen loads of pictures of the lovely girl - I think it would be nigh on impossible for her to do it comfortably or comformationally........
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YAY!!!!!

I am glad you said that AmyMay...I was hoping someone would.
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I just don't believe she will ever be able to work consistently in a traditional "outline", although she has got there with another rider.....so it's more likely me than her.
 
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No I quite agree.

She works up into the bridle, but just not down on to the bit....if that makes sense?

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Yep, perfect sense.
 
We had our very strong, easily het up welsh D in a lozenge loose ring snaffle. However, Alice warmed him up in either a copper roller or his cheltenham until she got big enough to control him becuase he was such a lunatic (his best moment has to be when he entered the arena as though there was a 3' jump in the way, cantered down the centre line and every time Alice put her leg on he went for a jolly!).
 
myler mullen, pony (16.3) with large tongue and she prefers mullen mouth to others tried all straight bars but they are the wrong shape for her mouth the slight curve works well
 
I ride my HW lad in a rugby pelham with spurs for the best results overall. However, can also work well (getting better) in a normal egg butt snaffle! But as i said best results come from the pelham!
 
I recon she probably could do it, although she won't do it naturally like some.
I'm not sure if Ginga counts as a cob, but he has a double jointed fulmer for in the arena which work well for quite work, although he does carry himself (in a on the forehand way) A mullen mouth eggbut works for Pip, and he needs regular reminders to flex at the poll.
 
Our boy is ridden in a 16mm Trans lozenge loose ring snaffle - Neue Schule (hope i got all that right!) with dropped noseband for schooling/stressage and a waterford and flash for anything else. Always has breast plate - that gets his attention too - a gentle tug! Has also been tried in an elasticated standing martingale for hacks but he thought it was good fun to see how far elastic stretched and is much better, IMO, without it. Previous owner used Tom Thumb bit on him. hope that helps
 

I've been through all manner of bits with my coblet, and we're back in a pelham which is what he had when I bought him! Apparently he was broken in in a pelham - which perhaps explains why he is not happy in any other bit. I can stop him in a snaffle, he's just not happy and won't relax, whereas he's now (for the first time ever
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) starting to go nicely in his pelham...no dressage for us then
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When I spoke to the EDT last time he came to see Murphy I asked him about the conformation of Murphy's mouth and bits etc, he said most cobs are happiest in mullen mouth mouthpieces due to the conformation of their mouths. Murphy will throw a major strop in any form of jointed or ported bit and refuse totally to cooperate.
 
ours was in a pelham when we bought him at 19 years old. we put him in a french link pessoa which he liked. Now we school, hack and jump on a snaffle and xc on a 3 ring gag.

TBH, none of them stop him if he wants to go so we just give the reins and he stops after a while.!! He is 22 now so wont change.

I retired from dressage on sunday as he tanked off in canter down the arena twice.. and my instructor was watching too.. opps...
 
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