Wilkie snaffles - your thoughts please

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I have a big strong 5 year old heavy cob. He is, in true cob style, on his forehand and tends to lean on my hands, particularly the left rein. I can get him to go forward with lots of leg but I have a lot of trouble getting him to soften. He is currently in a loose ring French link, which he quite likes. I changed it from a Myler which he hated.
I was thinking of trying a wilkie snaffle with the same french link lozenge mouth piece as he is in now. I just need a bit of help to get him to lift his shoulder and soften.
Any thoughts?
 
I know quite a lot of people who really don't like this bit, but I have my rising 6 connemara in one after trying many others and he is so light, doesn't hang anymore whereas in the French link and other bits I used he used to hang like mad and was totally on his forehand.
 
Thanks :)

That was why I posted, some people seem to love 'em and some not! The action of it seems to be what I am after, not a schooling substitute just a bit of help!

I don't have a brakes problem generally, he doesn't believe in wasting energy so don't need anything more severe really. :)

Think I might get one on trial from the bit bank...
 
Think mine was about £40 Including postage from Fylde saddlery as its an "official Wilkie". Loop ring snaffles are the cheaper version however are slightly different, the loop the cheek piece attaches to is on top on the official Wilkie whereas it is underneath on the loop ring. Not sure what the difference is between the actions/severity or anything though
 
I had a Wilkie in my boy Alfie who was very strong. He had a Waterford when I first got him and I wanted to do abit of showing so tried a Pelham and just hated it so tried a Wilkie snaffle and was ace!!! Gave me some brakes aswell haha!!!
 
I was thinking of trying the Neue Schule version. It has the loop that the cheekpieces attach to inside rather than on the top of the main bit ring. I guess this makes it a Beval bit rather than a true Wilkie. I can't see the action being hugely different though, and I like the trans angled lozenge mouthpiece as that is pretty similar to what I have now.
 
Vile nasty pieces of @#***@!

They are, in effect a gag and so so many horses and ponies become very resistant of the bit and so fix themselves into a position where the bit will not need to be used - avoidance!

Personally I would damn them all the pits of fiery hell!

I have had to reschool so many ponies to teach them to go forwards into their bridles again and not be scared of them because they don't want the action of the bit to take effect - its a slow process as they remembed!
 
As with any bit its a good as the rider!

Saying that i dressage in a drop snaffle and play horseball in a wilkie/bevel whatever you want to call it.
Just find that it gives me enough brakes without going full on gag which she hates.
 
Found a wilkie invaluable when going XC or fast hacks in company. This was on a strong "Adults" New Forest ie bred to compete & lived to jump.

Schooled or stressaged in loose ring french link, just made life much easier when doing the exciting things we both loved - gave me finger tip control & brakes, didn't hurt his mouth so we were both happy. :(:(:( Sadly pts due to navicular aged just 10. Still so sadly missed.
 
annagain said:
He sounds a lot like my ID x cob who goes well in a hanging cheek, might be worth a try?
Click to expand...

I did consider this, but he likes the loose rings on his current bit and he is slightly softer and carries is own head (rather than me have to carry it around!!) more in this than in his Myler which was a more fixed/stable mouthpiece.
 
I can see that, mine has ENORMOUS squidgy lips which means a loose ring pinches them, rubbers make it worse as thet ooze between the holes in the rubber so get pinched by the rubbers AND the bit rings!
 
For a starters it's not a real "snaffle" due to it's action. It's certainly not dressage legal.

It you want something to help lighten the forehand why don't you try and NS Verbindend?
 
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