WHAT BIT ??

G

gwniver

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 September 2012
Messages
419
Location
devon
Visit site
hi - my 4 year old is currently ridden in a full cheek single jointed rubber snaffle but i find him chewing alot and it is very thick in his mouth ....so i was wondering if you could recomend me a bit
he is quite strong and try to throw his head in the air and turn the way he wants to go:rolleyes: ,he is generally quite quiet but needs some thing that is good for turning
THANKS :D
 
With youngsters i would keep a fulmer/full cheek and go with a french link/lozenge.
Look at his mouth confirmation to decide on thickness of bit required.
 
I too would keep full cheek and go for French link which has less nutcracker action, I use a sweet iron one as they like the taste and so play with it rather than taking hold so much.
 
I agree with Dianchi - My boy is in a french link / lozenge mouthpiece - a relatively fine one at that (I avoid anything too chunky)

If you need to teach him to respect the brakes I can reccomend a dutch gag as a temporary measure - under instruction but otherwise a fulmer / full cheek will help with the steering issues.
 
well when we are riding in a big field he try to pull away from the direction i am turning him and does take some time to slow down when excited and he does bronc sometimes ??i would Probably be riding of the snaffle rein most of the time
 
Last edited:
Well. He sounds a bit like my big lad. I currently school him on the second ring of the dutch gag and sometimes need to give him an extra sharp 'check' to remind him to listen to me... It's all very well for people to advise to keep them in a nice kind snaffle but if they have learnt to ignore it then it is doing beggar all to help you! As I said, I would try to use the DG as a temporary thing to get the respect there and then do back to a snaffle... My preference is always a french link mouthpiece which sits better across the tongue rather than single jointed bits which tend to pinch and hit the roof of their mouths (might account for the head shaking).

The sort of behavours you are discribing (excitibility in big open space) sounds pretty typical of most horses never mind a youngster, and only experience will teach him to behave. Stick to walk until he can behave himself, then after a few sessions in walk, add in a few short spurts of trot, with plenty of transitions back to walk, and halt and then eventually introduce canter :)

My boy is prone to a good old buck - especially out hacking so we're sticking to walk for now and I'm only trotting where I KNOW he is unlikely to do anything (he has a favourite bucking spot!) then I am better prepared for it :)
 
CBFan said:
Well. He sounds a bit like my big lad. I currently school him on the second ring of the dutch gag and sometimes need to give him an extra sharp 'check' to remind him to listen to me... It's all very well for people to advise to keep them in a nice kind snaffle but if they have learnt to ignore it then it is doing beggar all to help you! As I said, I would try to use the DG as a temporary thing to get the respect there and then do back to a snaffle... My preference is always a french link mouthpiece which sits better across the tongue rather than single jointed bits which tend to pinch and hit the roof of their mouths (might account for the head shaking).

The sort of behavours you are discribing (excitibility in big open space) sounds pretty typical of most horses never mind a youngster, and only experience will teach him to behave. Stick to walk until he can behave himself, then after a few sessions in walk, add in a few short spurts of trot, with plenty of transitions back to walk, and halt and then eventually introduce canter :)

My boy is prone to a good old buck - especially out hacking so we're sticking to walk for now and I'm only trotting where I KNOW he is unlikely to do anything (he has a favourite bucking spot!) then I am better prepared for it :)
Click to expand...

Tell me about it in a enclosed space he is fine i used to ride him in a hackamore but out on a hack he can get a bit spooky riding in big field he is ok but does evade the bit (e.g pulling hi head up and trying to spin the way he wants to go but is genrally ok )
is riding of the middle ring on a gag bit the same as a snaffle ??
 
No, I mean the second ring up from the bottom... not the big ring...

Sounds like he needs a lots of practice with transitions and just repeat, repeat, repeat.

Hacking, at first I always did with company and after a scary hack on my own I decided it was safest to lead him out in hand on his own (roller, bridle and side reins on him, hat and gloves on me) to build his confidence up. Did this for about 6 weeks and I can now safely hack him out on my own... even trying new routes now... it's as much about your confidence as it is about his.

Regular lessons have been a big help too :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top