Best bit for Cross Country?

Hmm personally having groomed in "professional SJ circles" I can safely say that pro riders are not in any way immune to using inappropriate combinations of tack ;) But that's by the by.

@HaloHoney I don't think you should get too caught up on what he has been ridden in before. You have no way of knowing if he actually "needed" it, or if the owner just chose to use it because they assumed it was necessary. Like Lissie I think you should invest in an XC lesson with a good instructor who understands bitting (preferably not one whose solution to everything is to bung a flash on :rolleyes:), see how Flash behaves and what she recommends. You could take different bits and nosebands to try out and see what suits him and what doesn't. You may find he is absolutely fine in what he's in now.
 
Well there’s a new development today- hacked out solo on a route we haven’t done since he was lame (so beginning of September was the last time). Roads, fine, woodland tracks, looks but reasonably chilled out, half-mile path between two cornfields? Turned into a fizzy nutcase.

Jogging, trot that wanted to turn into a gallop, really worked on getting him back to the pace I wanted him to be at, sat tight, reins short, walked him, halted, stood still, walked more, controlled trot, back to walk again, walk seemed to have been steady now for a while so I said with no leg aid whatsoever (didn’t need it!) “trot o....” at which point he bronked, and tanked off, wouldn’t come back to me (asked at least twice), so I used a one rein stop. Never properly done one of those before in an emergency, so: go me! It worked!

I remember thinking “you little <bleep>! I am NOT coming off today!”

Going to buy a Kimblewick with a low tongue port and see how that goes. At least I can road test it properly before we go out...
 
At least you didn't fall off :cool: I don't suppose he's had much exercise or turnout in this horrible weather!
 
At least you didn't fall off :cool: I don't suppose he's had much exercise or turnout in this horrible weather!

He went out yesterday after I’d flatted him for an hour. So he’s had an opportunity to walk it off before today’s escapade...
 
You can hire from the bit bank and after a chat with the lady, she sent the bit that the cob was more happy with. So we got it.

Slightly off topic.
The only thing to bear in mind, if you do plan to carry on with competitive dressage away from home, you need to stay with a dressage legal bit and noseband he goes well in.

What are you currently feeding him on? Perhaps he is getting that bit too much for the work done, or is he clipped and he's feeling a little fresh?
Has your riding school closed with the weather and he's not been booked? So excess energy
 
You can hire from the bit bank and after a chat with the lady, she sent the bit that the cob was more happy with. So we got it.

Slightly off topic.
The only thing to bear in mind, if you do plan to carry on with competitive dressage away from home, you need to stay with a dressage legal bit and noseband he goes well in.

What are you currently feeding him on? Perhaps he is getting that bit too much for the work done, or is he clipped and he's feeling a little fresh?
Has your riding school closed with the weather and he's not been booked? So excess energy

He was clipped (trace) back in Jan.
I have a list of all the Dressage legal kit. :D
Currently feeding him on calm & condition, Alfa a oil, micronised linseed and turmeric.
RS-wise, he’s had 1hr’s work a day whilst he has been in- either from me or the RS because they couldn’t get some of the others in so used him instead.

I think there are various factors at play here, and they are all temporary. So he should revert to his previous character :)
 
Hmm I'm going to be honest here and doesn't mean I'm right and I don't know the lovely Flash but if I'm riding a horse that is getting in a tizzy wanting to go forward I don't keep halting and makng them stand yes they need to learn to stand but I don't think that's the time or place I find it pees them off more and they are gagging to get on. I'll send them forward if that means trotting on a good pace for a little so be it then I'll get walk. How short are short reins? You need them long enough to keep your hands low. Short reins can equal tension as well. Relax with them they relax with you. If he's bronking to evade then go forwards whatever bit he's in he will be able to do that if anything bitting up can make them worse as they feel more contained. Send him my way sounds right up my street haha :p

Just seen what you feed him, that is high energy feed in my book. My hunter has hunted at least once a week all season on grass and hay, hard fast work 6 days a week. Think it could be a possible bit/noseband change and maybe changing a few other things, fast work lessons so someone can see what's happening not in the confined area of the school
 
Just a point from your post, you said you asked for trot "with no leg aid whatsoever" but on a fizzy full of himself horse this is a seriously bad idea because you want that leg aid there to ride him up to your hand & keep control. You can ride into a forward elastic contact but you always ride forward into it even though you're instinct might be to take your leg off in case you cause a reaction you don't want. Another thing to bear in mind, and I don't know Flash so it might not be the case with him, is that sometimes lots of transitions & making them stand & wait can fire them up even more & that maybe establishing a controlled active working trot would be a better option when hacking. Of course sometime shit just happens & you firefight!
 
Hmm I'm going to be honest here and doesn't mean I'm right and I don't know the lovely Flash but if I'm riding a horse that is getting in a tizzy wanting to go forward I don't keep halting and makng them stand yes they need to learn to stand but I don't think that's the time or place I find it pees them off more and they are gagging to get on. I'll send them forward if that means trotting on a good pace for a little so be it then I'll get walk. How short are short reins? You need them long enough to keep your hands low. Short reins can equal tension as well. Relax with them they relax with you. If he's bronking to evade then go forwards whatever bit he's in he will be able to do that if anything bitting up can make them worse as they feel more contained. Send him my way sounds right up my street haha :p

Just seen what you feed him, that is high energy feed in my book. My hunter has hunted at least once a week all season on grass and hay, hard fast work 6 days a week. Think it could be a possible bit/noseband change and maybe changing a few other things, fast work lessons so someone can see what's happening not in the confined area of the school

I had him trot to see if that would help, and I was constantly having to hold him back from tanking off. I needed to check periodically that he would still come back. I didn’t know whether it was something in the environment that was making him react that way- so wanted to give him the opportunity to stand and look (he’s never normally a tank-off kinda guy, much more of a stand and snort at it fella). I was on my own. 50-75 yards away there were 2 groups of people with dogs that were not on a lead. They were minding their own business, and ignoring us. I wasn’t confident in where they were (there is a thicket that obscures view and path has a right angle bend in it) and whether if I let him go whether I’d be mowing down their dogs...

I wasn’t hauling his face in, my hands were within reach of my balance strap. But short enough that if I needed to turn him tightly I had the means to do so. At the point where he took off and I couldn’t get him back via seat/core/half-halt/voice, I got him back by turning him. He then walked home. (About half a mile), half on the track between two fields and half on the road.

I think it is a case of: not had loads of exercise, not been on that route for 6 months, on our own, feeling a bit fresh, had his sheath cleaned, just excited to be out and about, I think he’d been used to galloping over a field like that at his previous home (they had a XC course on their land).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lissie
Now that IS a compliment Lissie!!! I think your girl looks stunning, how's she doing now?

Thank you, she's pretty much all healed up now :) got the go ahead to ride her but the bloody weather put a stop to that this week as soon as the roads are safe I'll be back on her. Plenty of walk and trot road work then bring on the fun rides :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: carthorse
how long have you had him again? sometimes there is no reason for a change like this - just embrace it, they are a living, breathing animal so will not always stay the same :D It sounds like you did well anyway and coped!

the one thing that niggles at me is that he seems to have done quite a lot at a reasonable level in his last home and now he is being ridden by lots of different novices; saintly as he is, there is only so long he will tolerate unbalanced riders, being caught in the mouth and the mundane nature of RS work. Could you get someone experienced to keep him schooled to a decent level for you?
 
It sounds it could just be a few factors all come together at once. Well done for sticking it out and finding a way to slow him down if you're not used to him being like that it can be daunting! We've all been there, well I know I have. I'd look into what you're feeding him though as it does seem a lot of higher energy feed.

Sorry had to laugh at the dog part, if Lottie sees a dog especially loose she thinks hound, hunting! Que eyes won't leave the dog goes into hunting mode. Can I get to the dog really fast, am I hunting mum? She's then massively dissapointed when she then goes past the dog haha. Makes me laugh every time!

You are doing a fab job with flash though, it's good to question when things don't go to plan and work out how to go forward or in this case not too forward :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: HaloHoney
how long have you had him again? sometimes there is no reason for a change like this - just embrace it, they are a living, breathing animal so will not always stay the same :D It sounds like you did well anyway and coped!

the one thing that niggles at me is that he seems to have done quite a lot at a reasonable level in his last home and now he is being ridden by lots of different novices; saintly as he is, there is only so long he will tolerate unbalanced riders, being caught in the mouth and the mundane nature of RS work. Could you get someone experienced to keep him schooled to a decent level for you?

He’s not really used by absolute beginners at the RS. 99% of the lessons he’s used on are: private lessons with dressage instructor, jump lessons with an instructor who has worked with him for 10 years, or university competitions, usually jumping over 2’6.

I am yet to find the right person to school him. Lots of willing teenagers at the yard, but nobody that will ride him correctly, and is fine flatting him as well as just banging him over a course of jumps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CharliesAngel
It sounds it could just be a few factors all come together at once. Well done for sticking it out and finding a way to slow him down if you're not used to him being like that it can be daunting! We've all been there, well I know I have. I'd look into what you're feeding him though as it does seem a lot of higher energy feed.

Sorry had to laugh at the dog part, if Lottie sees a dog especially loose she thinks hound, hunting! Que eyes won't leave the dog goes into hunting mode. Can I get to the dog really fast, am I hunting mum? She's then massively dissapointed when she then goes past the dog haha. Makes me laugh every time!

You are doing a fab job with flash though, it's good to question when things don't go to plan and work out how to go forward or in this case not too forward :p

She sounds good fun! Flash’s passion is jumping. This was a problem when competing this summer - flatting around an arena with a full course of working hunter jumps.

“Am I jumping this one?” <locks onto jump>
No!
“What about this one?” <locks on>
Not that one!
“This one?” <locks on>
Not any of them!
“But surely this one?” <locks on>
Me: FFS.
Him: “I am a giraffe and I am no longer listening to you.”

http://glamorouseventphotography.zenfolio.com/p814925517/h9480d41a
 
  • Like
Reactions: Lissie
Sorry what is flatting, do you mean flatwork?

My other thought.
If I took mine out to a dressage competiton and she was so strong and excitable that it made me think of changing her bit for these situations, I actually wouldn't fancy a fun ride in eight weeks if I'm honest.

With the French link I find it a bit dead in terms of feedback. It could be a case of changing the mouthpiece for your away dressage, that you can see how it feels at home.
 
newrider.com