Bit advice

ForestGump

ForestGump

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Apr 9, 2008
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Hampshire
Right, my new loan horse is currently ridden in an eggbutt snaffle. But I was riding her today and she is so strong its unbelievable.

I don't like hauling horses around, but I really found I was having to use so much force to pull her up. :eek:
Shes an ex racer, has been re-broken and I'm starting to school her now.:)

I took her for a little hack round the block today aswell to cool off, at the first junction I needed her to stand. I gave a little half halt and said 'stand' (shes very good of the voice), but she carried on going, although did slow down. As there was a car coming I had to really pull her again to get her to stop.
Now I really can't be doing that on the road, just in case anything happens.

I am ok to keep her in the snaffle for the school, and school her to listen more to voice and seat. I started on that today, and she was very quick on the up take, so I wouldn't of thought it would take long with her.

However, she really does enjoy going for hacks and I need something that can stop her. I don't want to go to harsh, because I don't want to harden her mouth.

I was also wondering if a change of mouth piece might help? She has a typical TB mouth.

I have a range of bits but wouldn't of thought they would be suitable, Forest has:
A dutch gag
A cheltenham gag
A pelham
A hackamore

I might try her in the hackamore and see what she is like, but what do people think?
What bit would you try her in? :confused: (not necessarily from the ones above, in general)

Thanks in advance, and cookies all round.;)
 
change noseband perhaps?

when she doesnt stop, does she lean, or is it powering straight through the bit?

taking hold,crossing jaw or anything?
 
xloopylozzax said:
change noseband perhaps?

when she doesnt stop, does she lean, or is it powering straight through the bit?

taking hold,crossing jaw or anything?
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She just powers through, she isn't opening her mouth at all or anything like that.
The only time she opens her mouth is when I have to 'haul' her, which I don't like doing.
:)
 
perhaps get her to back off the bit a bit- a waterford mouthpiece?

hackamore might work, if she respects that pressure compared to pressure on her tongue.
 
xloopylozzax said:
perhaps get her to back off the bit a bit- a waterford mouthpiece?

hackamore might work, if she respects that pressure compared to pressure on her tongue.
Click to expand...

I was wondering about the hackamore, but feel slightly negative about it. Only because Forest was really responsive in it, and then suddenly decided he hated it and went flat out round the school with his head between his knees :rolleyes:

I was wondering if something with more poll pressure would help, but I can see what you mean about the waterford.
The only thing I would wonder about that is, I'm planning on starting to teach her to work into a contact so the waterford wouldn't be good for that. :)
 
no it isnt any good for getting a contact but like you say, your only changing for when you hack her out...

bad forest- he shouldnt do things like that to his mummy, i hope you told him he was bad :p

dr bristol? like a french link, but the link is angled so it will have more pressure on the tongue (stop her running through it)

when they run through the aids, i dont find poll pressure (or indeed curb bits) much use- they just do what the bit says (tuck in/come down etc) but carry on running regardless.
 
xloopylozzax said:
no it isnt any good for getting a contact but like you say, your only changing for when you hack her out...

bad forest- he shouldnt do things like that to his mummy, i hope you told him he was bad :p

dr bristol? like a french link, but the link is angled so it will have more pressure on the tongue (stop her running through it)

when they run through the aids, i dont find poll pressure (or indeed curb bits) much use- they just do what the bit says (tuck in/come down etc) but carry on running regardless.
Click to expand...

I did tell him he was bad, once he slowed down enough for me to bail out, and then he stopped :mad: He got a stern talking to, and hes not done it since (mainly because he hasn't worn the hackamore since;))

I see what your saying though, I was wondering if changing to a straight mouth might help, but would she run through that as well? :confused:
 
I bunged Joy in a waterford for a while as a remedial bit. I found I didn't need it any longer than a few weeks and then I swapped back again. I've never needed it again since although I suspect things could get a bit hairly when I bring her back into work again in early September and I might have to drag it out again :rolleyes:

I personally wouldn't see the waterford as being anything other than a temporary remedial bit and then move on from there :)
 
Joyscarer said:
I bunged Joy in a waterford for a while as a remedial bit. I found I didn't need it any longer than a few weeks and then I swapped back again. I've never needed it again since although I suspect things could get a bit hairly when I bring her back into work again in early September and I might have to drag it out again :rolleyes:

I personally wouldn't see the waterford as being anything other than a temporary remedial bit and then move on from there :)
Click to expand...

So after using the waterford for a while should I change her back to her normal snaffle? Or would something like a hanging cheek be better as it has the extra little bit of poll pressure? :)

Of course JC it may be easier for you to tell me these things when you see her in person. You might HAVE to see her in person to be able to tell me ;)
(I get her this Friday! :D:D)
 
It really depends on what your hands are like. i would opt for a mullen pelham, drop the curb rein on the neck and if you need it pick it up! alot of people will cringe, but as long as you aren't hauling on his/her mouth then don't worry. better to have the respect than no brakes.
 
Friday :eek:

Right then we need to set up a mini geek meet before mini JC breaks up ;)

Does she do a llama impresion then to need the poll pressure? If so is it all the time or just when excited to evade the bit?

Tbh I'm not sure how effective poll pressure is having gone through varrying shanks with Joy. The biggest thing I have found is working on relaxation and rythm to encourage her head down.

I did have her in the harbridge for a while but having chatted with clava about it I took the decision to remove that too - although I might well bung her back in it when we start work again in september until I can remember how to ride and Joy remembers that hacking is what we do and it will be regular again.



So many options :rolleyes:
 
Joyscarer said:
Friday :eek:

Right then we need to set up a mini geek meet before mini JC breaks up ;)

Does she do a llama impresion then to need the poll pressure? If so is it all the time or just when excited to evade the bit?

Tbh I'm not sure how effective poll pressure is having gone through varrying shanks with Joy. The biggest thing I have found is working on relaxation and rythm to encourage her head down.

I did have her in the harbridge for a while but having chatted with clava about it I took the decision to remove that too - although I might well bung her back in it when we start work again in september until I can remember how to ride and Joy remembers that hacking is what we do and it will be regular again.



So many options :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

She doesn't raise her head at all (her topline is appauling at the moment but I suspect when she is more muscled she will be even stronger)
She just tends to ignore the bit until I'm hauling her to stop, then she tends to reluctently stop. I obviously don't want to be hauling her around so I want to find a bit that I can have a slight pressure with and she will come back, but also a bit that she can take up a contact in (she won't be able to in a waterford).
At the moment her topline means she can't work into an outline, but I am working on this slowly (bare in mind she came out of racing last year, and has spent a winter with no hard feed etc so lost all her muscles)

I was thinking about getting her a harbridge for lunging in (as I prefer them to side reins and always found Forest went better on the lunge for that rather then the side reins, so hoping the same will be for her).

Of course we can set up a meet, I will PM Clava and see when she is free and if she wants to come and see her at the same time she is mor then welcome to :)
 
I had Tally in a Waterford for a while and then he bolted in it with Tallyrider, I think because it caused him pain. With calm riding he has gone from a gag to a straight bar happy mouth and I can even canter him almost on a loose rein (before he was cantering up the road with excitement). A lot of it is down to the rider and with schooling even a snaffle might be fine for hacking. Tally's straight bar has a second lower ring (a pessoa but a gag really) which I can use but don't need to now. Finding the right bit is tricky as you know but Tally is so much happy in this one than any other so you just have to try a variety and sometimes return to a few. I'm happy to come to a geek meet too, but this week is a bit tricky.
 
montys helper said:
just remember the stronger the bit will n can make her mouth stronger
Click to expand...

The problem is, I need to get a stronger bit (not loads stronger) as in the snaffle I am really having to pull her around as she just isn't listening. Pulling her harder in the snaffle is going to make her mouth harder then giving slight pressure on a slightly stronger bit.
I am not being big headed, but I am very light with my hands, so feel completely able to ride her in a stronger bit without causing damage to her mouth. :)

neveragain said:
It really depends on what your hands are like. i would opt for a mullen pelham, drop the curb rein on the neck and if you need it pick it up! alot of people will cringe, but as long as you aren't hauling on his/her mouth then don't worry. better to have the respect than no brakes.
Click to expand...

I was thinking about trying her in the pelham.
When I started using one for Forest, I used a mullen mouth butterfly pelham first, and then got him a normal pelham.
Which would be best? I've always thought a butterfly pelham was milder? (I may well be wrong!) :p
 
Clava said:
I had Tally in a Waterford for a while and then he bolted in it with Tallyrider, I think because it caused him pain. With calm riding he has gone from a gag to a straight bar happy mouth and I can even canter him almost on a loose rein (before he was cantering up the road with excitement). A lot of it is down to the rider and with schooling even a snaffle might be fine for hacking. Tally's straight bar has a second lower ring (a pessoa but a gag really) which I can use but don't need to now. Finding the right bit is tricky as you know but Tally is so much happy in this one than any other so you just have to try a variety and sometimes return to a few. I'm happy to come to a geek meet too, but this week is a bit tricky.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this is the thing, I curious as to whether its the mouth piece she doesn't like, and simply changing that would be enough for her?

I get her on the 3rd of July, so anytime after that and before the mini's break up from school is fine for me.
I only say before the mini's break up as Forest can be a bit funny with children (Diamonds a saint with them), and obviously it gives us more time to chat ;)
 
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ForestGump said:
The problem is, I need to get a stronger bit (not loads stronger) as in the snaffle I am really having to pull her around as she just isn't listening. Pulling her harder in the snaffle is going to make her mouth harder then giving slight pressure on a slightly stronger bit.
I am not being big headed, but I am very light with my hands, so feel completely able to ride her in a stronger bit without causing damage to her mouth. :)
Click to expand...

You've hit the nail on the head, when you have a fast sport car with all round disc brakes you only have to touch them to stop! a m3 escort with little brakes you'll be standing on them all day to stop and wear them out in the process!
Go with the pelham, i have a loose ring pelham, and get alot of *** looks. i couldn't care less, i know that i can stop him if i need to. :D
I have the same though about spurs, although i don't use them on every ride, when i do i know my horse know what i want. i aliken it to playing a piano with boxing gloves! when i have spurs on my horse know when to move forward or sideways.
listen to what you think,not other people!
 
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