Your favourite bits for keeping tank-y ponies under control?

[tootsietoo]

I have a couple of lovely sweet kind ponies for my daughters (aged 6 and 7) but both can be a bit tanky at times. I hacked out the bigger pony the other day for the first time and at one point I had to put both hands on one rein to stop her carting me out of a gate onto a road - daughter wouldn't have stood a chance! She came with a continental gag (dutch gag? bubble bit? never sure of the proper name) which I am not that keen on. It has a thick mouthpiece, and pony is cobby with a big tongue, and the gag action doesn't seem to have much impact. At the moment I have the smaller pony in a pelham with curb and today I put the larger pony in a slotted kimblewick on bottom slot which seemed to work well. However, you hardly ever see people riding ponies in these "old fashioned" bits any more. It's all bubble bits and wilkies, the latter I have never tried. I am conscious that you don't want to have a child hanging on to the mouth with a harsh bit in (not that mine hang on to their mouths, reins are usually more like washing lines!) but at the same time you need to give them the chance to have some control.

What bits have you found have worked best for your children and ponies? Do you use different bits for different things?

 

[mandwhy]

I'd probably go for a kimblewick too, people do use them on these sort of ponies, quite a lot! You do see a lot of gags around but goodness me it would be a last resort for me to use one! My haflinger, although more of a large horse sized tanking pony, doesn't really like the standard mouthpiece of the kimblewick, she needs a french link type one so in a hanging cheek currently but I think I am going to try a Pelham with that mouthpiece for faster activities. Who cares what other people are using, use what works and is legal for whatever you are doing

A butterfly pelham is another good option, although I suppose children may struggle with two reins. If you used roundings you might as well just use a kimblewick.

 

[holeymoley]

It really depends how and what way they're doing it. Personally the dutch gag works for my boy as the poll pressure works for him. Anything with a fixed cheek he just sets against. Anything with a curb and he evades.
I used to ride a speedy wee pony when I was younger and she was in a Pelham. I don't have any experiences with a kimblewick as my intructor hated them so I guess I just didn't try them !

 

[Templebar]

A kimblewick for children on ponies i found works great, but not for strong people as i have found it doesn't have the same release as other bits.

Also pelhams on two reins have worked wonders, just knot the curb rein on the neck until they need it. Its what i have my cob hunter in. Interestingly contrary to popular opinion where cobby thick mouthed horses do not like thick mouth pieces, mine prefers them she didn't come with tack and didn't like my standard french link so tried a fat hollow mouth eggbutt snaffle which she likes and now the pelhams is a bit fat vulcanite which she really softens in and will salivate which is a good sign.

Edit; Also cheltenham gag + other elevators (including dutch gag) can be useful for tankers that put their head down and go as these help raise the head whereas pelhams low the head and can be set against (my other reason for saying kimblewicks should not be for strong riders as if pony takes off, can cause serious damage with the curb chain.

 

[OwnedbyJoe]

We have a heavy thickset Connemara in a Kimblewick for jumping and it works really well, but the rider does have light hands. She wears a plain eggbut for everything else. It's all psychology with her though - put her in the Kimbleiwck and she knows it's there, so doesn't choose to challenge it.
My other daughter's pony wears a sweet iron snaffle with a centre lozenge which in theory is a very mild bit, but the mouthpiece is thin. The rider in this case has quite unsteady hands: the lozenge protects her from getting jabbed in the roof of her mouth/any nutcracker action, but the thin mouthpiece allows her to get pony's attention when she needs to.

 

[Toffee44]

Toffee was a beast for bolting when the fancy took her.

Kimblewick solved it. Ported straight bar. It was made of nickle lol

Gags and Pelhams caused a rear reaction.

 

[tootsietoo]

fab thanks. just gotta get them off to school and will read properly!

 

[tootsietoo]

mandwhy, I did see on ebay last night one or two kimblewicks with lozenge mouthpieces. and yes I have never quite got pelhams which are always used with roundings - as you say, any other sort of bit with straight edges on the rings would have a similar effect.

templebar - of course, you have just given me a lightbulb moment! I always used a cheltenham gag on my head down tanky ID hunter, to raise his head. this pony we have goes around with her ears practically up your nose! so it makes no sense to use a gag on her. and explains why a few times last night the pony actually stretched her neck down a bit and tucked her nose in! I think the kimblewick can stay.

 

[DD265]

My boy came to me in a hanging cheek (french link if I recall correctly) but prior to that his previous owner had him in a kimblewick - they changed because they wanted to do a spot of showing with him. He actually hates a pelham (I've never tried him in a kimblewick myself) but will go in a double, or I just have him in a Sprenger KK Ultra these days.

From a training perspective, make sure your daughters and ponies know the one rein stop. Also it may not be the case with your ponies but my boy is easier to stop if I give him his head and then ask again. It goes against instinct to give him that rein if he's doing one but it's definitely better for us than having a pulling match.

 

[tootsietoo]

What do you mean by the one rein stop DD265?

Yes, I am trying to get them to get them to think "tweak, tweak, tweak" (or probably more like "pull, pull, pull" for them as they are that much lighter) to stop and steer when they're struggling as it is much more effective than one big pull, like a tug of war, which the ponies will always win!

 

[OwnedbyJoe]

Have a look here tootsietoo:
http://www.horseproblems.com.au/one_rein_stop_page.htm

 

[tootsietoo]

Thanks, that's really interesting! It's something I've done occasionally, including yesterday with the pony when I put both hands on one rein, but I didn't know it was a "thing". As the article said, it's not something that's taught by BHS/PC type trained people. I have several times told the children to do it, ie. put both hands on one rein, to get control, but it feels as if I am asking them to do something bad or wrong, probably because I am ingrained with the BHS style of doing things, so it's good to know it's not so bad and has a place!

 

[khalswitz]

I use a Waterford on my 'head down tank off' horse - made a huge difference.

 

[DD265]

The only difference in the one rein stop I would do to the link that OwnedbyJoe posted is I put one hand on the withers or pommel of the saddle for balance. Just a precaution as if we whip round suddenly I don't want to go out the side door!

You can start by teaching it in walk in the school then build up - eventually you only need to do a very slight ask because the horse is so accustomed to the aid to stop. In a full scale bolt or tank you'd need to do it quite sharply but there's a risk of bringing the horse down if travelling at high speed (probably less likely with ponies admittedly as they tend to be so sure footed!) so if I wasn't quick enough to stop the horse before they got going properly, I'd be reluctant to pull them round unless it was absolutely crucial that we stopped there and then, for example about to hit a car.