bit problem

[Yorkshire_Lass]

My mare is currently ridden in a JP french link snaffle but she is constantly leaning on it and trying to pull me everywhere. she was originally ridden in a dutch gag as her previous owner said she was too strong to jump in anything else, but this is not at all true as i need spurs to keep her going forwards into anything over about 2ft and/or with fillers. I have tried a hanging cheek,a single link and what she has been best in her JP f.l. She has been going ok in this over the past few months but recently she has started to really lean on it and sets her jaw on it to pull wherever she wants, especially riding her out. I don't realy want anything stronger as i don't think this is realy what she needs, i just want something she will have a bit more respect for. Someone i know who has been having similar problems has had sucess with, and suggested a french link or mullen pelham; any thoughts on this or other suggestions? Please help!

[galadriel]

What do you do when she leans?

[Yorkshire_Lass]

I try to ride her forwards and give half halts down the reins to get her stop setting her jaw on the bit, doesn't often work though. Doing lots of transitions helps sometimes for a bit when i'm schooling but when riding out or at a show, i obviously don't have time for this, and it doesn't help anyway.

[charlotte+jill!]

my pony did that quite abit in her snaffle specially on hacks. i now have her in a sweet iron snaffle and it has noticeably almost stopped apart from if we r on a hack and behind a horse wit a slow canter (winds her up). i think sweet iron bit are great and my mare loves her bit now :)

[galadriel]

Have you tried dropping her when she starts to lean? She can't lean if you don't lean back. If you completely drop the contact long enough for her to feel it, then take the contact up, she shouldn't have time to take advantage of the loss of contact; just feel the effects briefly.

[Yorkshire_Lass]

I did try this a few times in the school, but she put her head down and p*ssed off with me so it's not realy something i'd like to try again, especially as she has a habit of bucking in canter if she's allowed or manages to set off, another habit we're trying to stop :rolleyes:

[galadriel]

Hmm...leaning and bucking in canter may suggest that her back isn't as strong as it needs to be for self carriage. She may simply not be able to hold herself up. I know leaning usually seems like an evasion, but it may not be. Self carriage requires a lot of energy and concentration, moreso if the horse's back isn't well-enough-muscled yet. Setting her jaw and leaning when she's excited or distracted may just be due to an inability to focus and put the required energy in.

You might already be doing this, but: This might be a good case for some judicious lunging with side reins, to encourage her to work on a contact and build back muscle (but without the additional work of carrying a rider). It does sound like you're trying all the right things, but it can help to know more about a situation, and to find out what you've already done, before moving on to a bit change suggestion.

[Yorkshire_Lass]

Thanks for all your replies galadriel. She hasn't always leaned on the bit and she can carry herself very nicely, and she did in the bit she wears now, until quite recently. She also has always ocasionally bucked in canter, especially when galloping or jumping, but i think this due to excitment. She is usually lunged every other day, in a snaffle(have always lunged in a snaffle) with side reins unless im using jumps, and she always seems to do a similar thing as she does when i ride her; leaning and trying to get her head down, but she gives up after a couple of minutes when she realises she can't and then goes in a very nice shape. I am quite reluctant to change her bit, as after i took her out of a gag i hoped i could keep her in a snaffle, which i managed for quite a while but she seems to have realised that her snaffle isn't a strong bit and she has no respect for it when i ride, and this is making our work a lot more difficult than it should be. Any ideas on what bits i could try?

[Volvic]

How about a Myler? They have independant side movement, so it is more difficult for a horse to lean on them. Sky used to lean really badly on her old single jointed eggbutt snaffle and since we've changed to a Myler she doesnt lean very often.

Also, regular lessons if you are not already having them.

Good luck :D

[Tootsie4U]

Just this weekend I switched my boy to a JP french link and he loves it so he leans like crazy! Turns are hell! :D

Its not a physical problem, its a training problem and all you have to do is train her to not lean on your hands. Essentially she's making you carry her, train her to carry herself and the problem will be fixed ;)