i need help with a bit, please help!!!!!!!!!!

[vikkig]

i am at my wits end trying to sort a bit out for my horse, i currently have him in a waterford fulmer with a grackle, the grackle is a must as he can cross his jaw and i was using a waterford as he puts his head down and leans on the bit. today when i was riding whilst i was cantering around he was over-bending and pulling his head down and leaning on my hands in his waterford , then when i took him over a jump he again got hold of the bit and ran off (at the jump of course).

my EDT said that bitless would not work on mac so that is out of the window.

i have an issue with what bit for hacking as i have the opposite issue, he puts his head in the air and tanks off in gallop then gets hold of the bit and when i ask him to come back to me he puts his head down locks his neck and is a tank!!!

i dont mind using different bits for different things i am just going out of my mind i thought waterfords were designed so that the horse could not lean?!?!?!

please please help

 

[star*]

Three ring gag/dutch gag with waterford mouthpiece?

 

[Snow_Pony]

Oh gosh - maybe you might want to think about a different instructor, as it seems that if you keep going this way your going to run out of bits to move on to.. Sounds like working on his schooling and teaching him not to lean rather than preventing him would work better IMO.

xxx

 

[vikkig]

i do encourage him to carry his own head whilst schooling however he will carry it but as soon as he wants to do something else he overbends and runs away. he has been very well schooled before i bought him.

i have a waterford dutch gag on order as dont like the bubble bit, too many people use them with only one rein, but this will give poll preasure and his head is too far down already i dont need it going any further.

when i first moved onto the waterford i knew it would only be a short term fix, i dont mind trying loads of bits to find the right one.

 

[BlueWicked]

i have a vaugely similar issue - although maybe not so bad as yours.

Blue has a high head carriage. When out hacking and when jumping he will poke his nose in the air if he gets fizzy and use this as a way to tank off. He too opens his gob and is in a grakle and running martingale. He has been going very well in a loosring snaffle with a lozenge. however, he is now fit and full of himself anf has added a new trick to his bag when we are out, the head goes down and he sets his neck to tank off

I use a dutch gag with a frenchlink mouthpiece. I dont like single jointed bits, and I believe a single jointed version will have even more of a head-raising action as it pokes the horse in the roof of the mouth. Many people say you shouldnt use a dutch gag in conjunction with a martingale as it is confusuing; the gag lifts the head, the martingale lowers it. However, I do, because I know my boy will try both tactics I do however make sure the martingale is loose, and only comes into play when he really goes for it - and I am very careful with my hands, keeping a soft light contact. The last thing you want is to be hauling on them and for them to be raising their heads into the action of the martingale which is forcing it down. If you look at the bit (when its on your horse) and play about from the ground with the position of the reins you will get to know what amount of contact alters the bit position etc. Ive found it really helpd, when the head goes down to tank I can lift my hands and lift his front end back up so he cant run.

Hope this helps, good luck

 

[vikkig]

i have a vaugely similar issue - although maybe not so bad as yours.

Hope this helps, good luck

was looking at that bit and was thinking about giving it a try, can they still lean on it? as if he can he gets hold and pushes his head right down and bucks. i must stress it is only with me he is a nightmare, i ride with a light contact and do lift my hands to lift his front end when needed but if he chucks in a leap for could measure it is too many things to think about.

do you use one rein? two reins or roundings with the bit? or an i thinking of the wrong bit?

 

[BlueWicked]

was looking at that bit and was thinking about giving it a try, can they still lean on it? as if he can he gets hold and pushes his head right down and bucks. i must stress it is only with me he is a nightmare, i ride with a light contact and do lift my hands to lift his front end when needed but if he chucks in a leap for could measure it is too many things to think about.

do you use one rein? two reins or roundings with the bit? or an i thinking of the wrong bit?

the bit pictured in one of the posts above is a dutch gag (waterford mouthpiece) you can get a few different mouthpeices. I use it with one set of reins and mine has a frenchlink mouthpiece, attached to the 2nd ring. the lower you attach the reins, the stronger it is. you can use 2 sets of reins or roundings as well.

My guess is if he leans on a waterford he'll lean on just about anything, but the action of the gag is different and should help you stop him getting his head down.

 

[vikkig]

the bit pictured in one of the posts above is a dutch gag (waterford mouthpiece) you can get a few different mouthpeices. I use it with one set of reins and mine has a frenchlink mouthpiece, attached to the 2nd ring. the lower you attach the reins, the stronger it is. you can use 2 sets of reins or roundings as well.

My guess is if he leans on a waterford he'll lean on just about anything, but the action of the gag is different and should help you stop him getting his head down.

cheers i will give one a go tomorrow