EquiMaddie
Member
I've recently decided that I'd come here and post this question as I'm very intrigued to see what other people might have to say, as sometimes it's really helpful to get another person's perspective of things. I have a gorgeous, dramatic and sassy mare named Millie who has always been slightly on the strong side. Shes not a naughty or disrespectful horse in any way despite how she might seem on the ground (throwing tantrums if I leave her or don't give her attention!) and will honestly do everything she can to please me when I'm in the saddle, which is one of my favorite things about her. Shes a rescue horse and when I first got her, me and my dad would handle her everyday and take her riding on the roads just to get her familiar with everything and to build a bond between us, which definitely worked, however at this point Millie was only just broken in and completely untouched so she had some horrible habits. She was abnormally strong and used to love taking me for long runs across acres of land after she decided it was time to run off and it used to drive me mad, and at the time she was ridden in a snaffle as it was what the rescue had her in. It didn't take long to realize her bossy, bold personality and so we did a lot of work on the ground with her before I was allowed to focus on any proper riding (aside from hacking out) just to make sure she wasn't being disrespectful and I can honestly say shes perfect now. She is still a little bossy, over dramatic mare and loves to be center of attention, however she listens to every word I say and shes harmless. I obviously changed her bit from a snaffle after all her antics as it just wasn't safe to ride her in one because she had complete control over me, she would pig root and run off, all of it. Overtime I bought her a flash, a gag etc. and geared her up so that I had good control and we went that way for a long time. However, the lady who owns the livery we stay at once asked me if I truly needed to be so harsh on her anymore and that I needed to ask myself, does she really still need a flash or would she go well in a softer bit? I do agree with this to some extent, and so I put her in a snaffle for a bit and it was an absolute disaster. I had no control again and even ended up taking a gate down at a fun ride, not because she misbehaves but because shes genuinely such a strong, confident horse that when she sees an opportunity to jump or canter she really wants to go. I currently have her in a Kimblewick which she rides amazingly in; I'm able to hack her out and keep her underneath me without her excitement racing out from underneath me. However, I'm still not sure that this is the best choice as, despite her strong nature, she is still a very sensitive horse and will react to any pressure. This means that as soon as I pick up the reins she knows the chain will come in to action so she lifts her head, gets all tense and tries to trot. To me, this implies that maybe the kimblewick is a bit too much, because as soon as she thinks its going to function she kind of counteracts it, because if I have her in a gag for example, she doesn't do this. I'd much rather have more control than less, however I just feel that I really struggle to get the balance right between her sensitivity and her strength, even when schooling as soon as I pick up the reins she reacts, lifting her head and getting shorter etc which is really annoying as I can't get her to work smoothly. I was just wondering if maybe anyone had any suggestions or rode/has a horse of a similar nature? (Sorry for the essay! 
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