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Glenfiddich_Lady
12 Apr 2010 19:39
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I own a 15hh coloured cob. In the school he is quiet light in the mouth, I ride him in a happy mouth jointed snaffle. Now out hacking is a different story, I hack him out in a Dutch Gag ( I know not every one's favourite bit, have had a fair amount of people have ago at me because I use this type of bit ) on the bottom ring! Hacking out alone he is fine not at all strong, riding with other horses his a night mare.
Sunday the 11th I took him to a sponsored ride. When we cantered if we where behind he just ripped the reins out my hands stuck his nose on the floor and run off. Every time I tried to pick up a contact he would snatch his head down to get the reins off me. I just had to sit there and let him stop when the other horses did!
This is not something I want as its not really safe. There where places that weren't suitable to canter and if someone went past he was trying to grab the reins and run off!!
Can anyone please either recommend a different bit I could try that would stop the above or anything else I could try?
I hold my hands up and say I don't know how to correct this and am asking for help. his quiet well school, his used to hacking out with loads of other horses, his been hunting/hunter trails etc its only since his got a lot fitter I'm having break problems!
Many Thanks
Emma
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Horse Hero Guru
12 Apr 2010 23:38
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It does not matter what bit you use, you will never have the physical strength to pull your horse up if he doesn’t want to listen. He can feel the bit, he knows what is being asked, he is just letting his excitement overcome his manners.
If you want to go down the route of putting more and more severe pieces of metal in his mouth and using more straps to try to hold him then there are many bits you can try. However, I think that to solve the problem you are going to have to look at his general schooling and sort out the cause of the problem. In any case, I am sure that you don’t want to build yourself a set of strongman shoulders and blistered hands through trying to use brute force, and I am certain that he doesn’t want a sore and bruised mouth from the tug of war!
You don’t say how old he is, but even if he is an old and experienced horse, there are several things you can do to improve his manners. Firstly I would ride him in the school with at least one other horse so that you are in a controlled environment and can get the other horse to canter past you or whatever, so that you and your cob can work out how to get him to listen to you at all times, not just when he wants to. Until you feel more in control with one horse cantering past you don’t put yourself in the position where he thinks he is in a race with other horses and that he has to win it even if you say no.
I would get his teeth checked to check that there is no physical cause for your problems (is this a new problem with him, or is he a relatively new horse to you?) and only then have a think about bits – as a cob he possibly has a largish tongue, which doesn’t leave to much room for a bit – try a loose ring jointed snaffle with a thin mouthpiece. The thin mouthpiece will leave more room for his tongue and will be a little sharper in his mouth. The loose rings will mean that even if he tries to clamps his mouth on the bit the reins still move and you still have control. If he opens his mouth to avoid the bit fit a drop noseband (not too low or too tight to hamper his breathing, just sufficient to stop him opening his mouth wide).
Now your riding – you must always ride with a light and steady contact. In normal situations the aids should come from little more than an opening and closing of the fingers. There should never be any slopping along on a loose rein – he should gain reassurance from the evenness of the reins – not enough for him to rely on you holding his head up for you. At the moment it appears that he is doing his best to rip the reins out of your hand so that he can do what he likes. If he tries to tank off then don’t try to pull both reins – pull just one so that he is being turned in a circle.
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Elaine at WREQ
13 Apr 2010 07:06
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Hi there,
Bits and the fitting of bridles and any accessories can now be given the same care and attention that we give to saddles, as our knowledge of the mouth and how it links to the rest of the horse's body has increased.
In the same way that we would not expect a horse or rider to perform at their best in a badly fitting saddle, the same can now be said of the piece of metal that we put in our horse's mouth and/or the noseband that we use to keep the horse's mouth shut.
I am constantly amazed at the transformations that I can get by simply getting the horse more comfortable in its mouth. To quote the great master Nuno Oliveira: "The mouth of the horse is one of the most sensitive parts of his body". A horse will not naturally open its mouth when moving, or run with its nose on the ground, so why should it when we put a bit in its mouth, if not because of discomfort.
I cannot change the stage a horse and rider are at in their schooling, but I can help remove the distraction of discomfort that slows down the learning curve of a lot of horses and riders.
I am passionate about the effect of bits and nosebands on the horse and hope this helps raise awareness that we can create a safer and happier horse without resorting to 'severe' gadgets. As our horse hero guru says, we can never be stronger than a horse, so lets work on the willing partnership with him.
Thanks for reading this.
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