The right bit for a very strong mare

[katieB]

I am taking my friends 6 year old ID mare into a working hunter class on sunday so I have been practising jumping her tonight, its the first time I have jumped her and boy is she strong! She is a big 16.2hh and has a a habit of hauling you out of the saddle if you pull her up when she wants to go. Its really unseating and I feel that theres no control there. Her owner has thought this before too, she was hunted in Ireland and is just used to galloping everywhere but trying to get her back inbetween fences is a nightmare, if not impossible. We have decided to try another bit as she is only in a french link snaffle but im not too sure what to suggest. Would a bit with more poll pressure be better for her with the hauling or one with more pressure on the bars of her mouth maybe? Im at a bit of a loss so any suggestions welcome :)

[Yann]

Pelham (with roundings)? Might be worth a try, seems quite a popular bit for jumping in, but it's probably a good idea to introduce it tactfully in case she objects to the curb. That said it sounds like a schooling issue really, not that you have time to do anything about it!:)

[welshcoblady1]

hello katieb, i hope that you dont mind me saying applying another bit will only work short term ,then you may be looking for the next stronger bit.
with this type of horse it would be kinder to go back to schooling and getting her hocks under hence making her lighter in front .
she knows that she can haul you any where as she is stronger than you , as she is pulling you ,she is running on her front end
and her back end is in the next county .
pop her into a snaffle and school her via changes if transitions and shortening and lengthening ,leg yeilding , shoulder in ,if she leans on you do not pull back ride her forward on to circles and she will raise her neck to rebalance her self then ride forward back on to a straight line and continue ..with lots of up and down transitions with your seat and leg and less hand .
if you are riding up right you can sit slightly behind the movement for a few strides to slow her down rather than pull .
see that you are sitting up right with your tummy leading if she starts to lean ride on to your circle or change direction every 3-8 strides and she will bring up her neck to balance then ride on .

pulling and leaning are 2 different evasions ,also you can try riding on just your outside rein for 1- 6 strides .
if at any time she is pulling hard and you feel worried bridge the reins on her lower neck ,that way she is pulling against her self and not pulling you out of the saddle. best wishes .

[Gemma16]

I think what welshcoblady has said is the best idea, but seen as you are going at the weekend to the show a change of bit just for now might be in order. I have found with a downward pulling horse a dutch gag was good, on the second ring. Also as Yann said possibly a pelham but not with roundings, as they tend to give very mixed signals. Try schooling in the pelham first to see how she is in it. And the same with the gag if you try either.

Good luck and let us know how you get on at the show.

[katieB]

Thanks for the suggestions. Welshcoblady, I will definitley try those schooling ideas, I see where you are coming from as I am doing exactly that with my own mare - getting her responding correctly on the flat.
Gemma, I was thinking about a dutch gag, do you mean 2nd ring up or 2nd ring down? Will suggest the pelham too, I will have a look at the layout of her mouth tonight and see what type of bit would be best. I thought last night that the link might have been hitting her palate and thats why she was throwing her head so maybe something more solid like a pelham would be better. Would it be ok to enter the class with these bits?

[Monty's Mum]

I was reading down the list of replies and as you say in the final sentence 'Would it be ok to enter the class with these bits?' I was thinking the same thing. Unfortunately the gag is definately out as is a pelham with roundings, martingales and other schooling aids are out too. You can use any snaffle, a double bridle (bridoon & curb) or a pelham with double reins. I agree with the others about the transition and schooling work but to get control before the weekend is very ambitious as is learning how to use two reins if you have never done it before. It also depends on the level of the class as well. At a novice show I would only expect to see a snaffle bridle at a county show then all you would see would be double bridles. You really need control when you get into the ring. Don't forget good hunters need to be able to stop when required but be foreward going over the jumps. You will also need to prepare a show for the judge if you are lucky enough to get a clear round. So you need a fairly well balance schooled horse, especially if you are having to do your show around the jumps and your horse is towing you into them.
Why don't you concentrate on the schooling side for a few months and just take the horse for a look about and maybe do a clear round if it is quiet enough. I would be thinking why is the owner not taking her on Sunday has she done it before and the horse has been a nightmare.
Just be careful.
Regards

[katieB]

It is only a riding club show and its a starters class, nothing that would take months of schooling to prepare for, the owner just uses the horse for hacking and fun rides and was thinking about entering the WH class but has decided he isnt confident enough yet and seeing as though my own horse is out of work at the mo thought it would be nice for me to take her for a bit of fun. If it were a bigger class I would have said no as that really would have taken months of schooling but I think its good to get out and do a few easier classes for practice and if nothing else a bit of fun :)
I do agree with all thats been said about the schooling as a long term fix though

[Yann]

Doh! Brain absorbed about the jumping but not the WH bit. Forget the roundings:D

[Gemma16]

I don't think it would matter to much about wearing the gag at a low level show. I have also seen horses in regional qualifier (winning) in bits such as the dutch gag, really it is whatever bit the horse jumps and schools best in. I agree a pelham or double is more 'correct' turnout but it shouldn't matter. I used to do WH in a gag on Rusty.

As for which ring. I ment the second ring down. So it goes, the ring you put the cheek piece through then the big ring, then the first little ring I put my rein on that.

[Rags]

Originally posted by welshcoblady1
with this type of horse it would be kinder to go back to schooling and getting her hocks under hence making her lighter in front .

Totally agree! My mare was exactly the same- she loved her jumping and would basically just tank off and lean on you like god knows what. Flatwork is the basis to jumping. Through re-schooling her she is now actually using her backend hense making the front end lighter. Went from riding her in a gag for jumping (with flash) when I first got her (as that was what she was use to) and a pelham for hacking (she hated jumping in a pelham for some reason and I didnt want to hack in the gag as she is prone to rearing).

Through lessons and schooling sessions we are now riding in a french-link loose ring snaffle, even for jumping.

However, on saying that you never know the horse may like going in a pelham or another stronger bit. It's good enough to say re-school your horse to solve the problem which is the ideal situation but a snaffle can just be as harsh as a pelham if used incorrectly. There is no point in riding in a snaffle if you are finding yourself constantly pulling on the horses mouth. It's much better to ride in a stronger bit that you have to use less often and a bit is only strong if you use it in a certain way. For now I would test a few bits and see if what she prefers.