What bit? Help please!

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear

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Just after some butting advise. Pony was previously owned & driven by travellers, we've had him a year. He's currently in a snaffle on a basic bridle no extras/gadgets. He seeks the contact in walk & is getting quite good in canter but we struggle with trot. His head will come up & he has struggled with it..but this week he has just started trying to drop down in trot, he can't hold it did long but he's trying. I'm looking to try another bit that may help him out a bit, perhaps make him more comfortable. He is almost so soft in the mouth that you feel like you have nothing in your hands even with short reins. Any advise appreciated.
 
Have a look at the NS bits. Expensive but they do what it says on the tin. Something like the Transangled lozenge might be suitable. It really helped my drama-queen welsh cob x to feel confident about taking a contact.
 
I love Sprenger bits, RS Dynamics are fab! I have the Eggbutt RS Dynamic and my horse goes great in it and he has a lovely soft mouth. I wouldn't use anything else. They have a good website too explaining the features.
 
Ginger Bear said:
Just after some butting advise. Pony was previously owned & driven by travellers, we've had him a year. He's currently in a snaffle on a basic bridle no extras/gadgets. He seeks the contact in walk & is getting quite good in canter but we struggle with trot. His head will come up & he has struggled with it..but this week he has just started trying to drop down in trot, he can't hold it did long but he's trying. I'm looking to try another bit that may help him out a bit, perhaps make him more comfortable. He is almost so soft in the mouth that you feel like you have nothing in your hands even with short reins. Any advise appreciated.
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GB, what you're describing is a clever pony, working out some new stuff. He's taking a little longer with trot because he is established in a behaviour from a previous job, but he's getting there. It sounds like you have good hands, and he's enjoying the process. I wouldn't make any changes - why confuse him? Keep up what you're doing, and give him a little more time. Try trotting him on a loose rein, so that when his head comes up initially he doesn't feel any resistance - he should relax and starts feeling for your hand.
 
I wouldn't change the bit, he's showing that he can work, and once he builds up muscle and you continue schooling him he will learn to hold himself :) It will come with time, no bit is gonna cause a horse to work perfectly, all about the schooling!
 
You could try a Fulmer with keepers, it's whole design/purpose is to encourage confidence in the contact and the horse to stretch long and low. This might help a great deal with his work in trot.
 
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