bits for cobs??

[alfie]

:confused: can anyone tell me what they ride their cobs in? i have a strong and quite green cob and i have tried a rubber snaffle and also a french link and a kimblewick with curb chain. I have very little knowledge of bits and any advice would be grateful:) when you ride him he does not like the contact with the bit and reins and throws his head around while riding him, i have ridden him with a running martingale because of how high he throws his head up towards mine? he also pulls me out of the saddle when he tries to put his head down to the ground and if i hold on tight then the head tossing starts and his head comes back towards mine. someone said i should tie the reins to his saddle and walk him out in hand??

[Imp]

No advice, sorry, but my cob girlie is the same in behaviour and greeness.

She is currently ridden in a snaffle but I have approached a new RI who I'm going to ask about trying a different bit, either stronger or not depending on her opinion. Megan came to me in a Martingale but it was too small so I binned it; I'm thinking of getting another one though as she had a complete tantrum last time I rode her in the school and I feel it may be safer... again, I'm going to ask RI what she thinks.

I will let you know the outcome of my experience if it helps but I'm not able to see her until May Day Bank Holiday.

Good luck :D

[Pink's lady]

Most cobs are happiest in a french link mouth piece, since they often have low palates and thick tounges. Straight-bars squish the tounge and single jointed hit the roof of their mouth.

For a young, green cob, schooling is the most important think. NOTHING you can put in their mouth can make them do what you want, if they've decided against it :rolleyes:

Throwing the head around is often a sign of discomfort, either in the mouth (wolf teeth etc) or more commonly, the back, often casued by the saddle pinching (too narrow). However, sometimes they learn to use it as a method of evasion, usually of too harsh/inconsistant hands. Something like a flexi-rein would help with that.

if they putting their head down is a serious problem, a daisy rein and crupper would be a short-term solution. And there's no harm in having a martingale on, as long as it only comes into effect when the head really is too high.

However, he sounds like he need to learn to accept a contact. Once you're 100% sure it's not discomfort related, schoolings the answer.

[chapman2006]

i have a 8yr cob and he is currently in a gag snaffle bit (or could by just a gag bit, not sure) and he is very responsive with this

[alfie]

thanks for that i had his teeth checked in february and the saddle last november both are fine. some good advice though and i will go and try then. must go back to the schooling because we went out for a hack a week ago and we started to have a little trot and then a canter and all of a sudden he took off!!!!!! into full gallop i could not stop him so i tried to circle him to the right and that just made him turn right down hill as he came to a stop i went to get off and before i new what was happening he took off again, so again i tried to circle him and he stopped so before he did anything else i lept off and walked him home. that was riding him in a rubber snaffle?:(

[bexj]

I used to have Molly in a Full Cheek snaffle, which was ok, for some schooling, but we would have terrible problems with her out on hacks, pushing to get to the front, thinking everything was a race, and, sometimes unstoppable. That was just plain dangerous, as the bridleways round here tend to be very very busy with other riders, walkers and cyclists - many of whom don't expect to see a horse:confused: Then, we started some canter work in the school and she would yank her head down hard, and it was only a matter of time before she had me out of the saddle.

We had tried schooling on hacks and in the school to overcome her strength, I was taught the "bridge" to use your body weight more effectively, and whilst these had some success, nothing was totally suitable.

On the recomendation of my instructor, I changed to a 3 ring Dutch gag. I didn't really want to change to a stronger bit as I am a huge believer in sorting the problem rather than masking it, but, as I said before, some of her behaviour was dangerous.

However, since we changed, she has become a different horse, she is happier and more relaxed both in and out of the school, I am happier and more relaxed. We have brakes now, and I don't have to haul on her mouth to get a response, a little half-halt does the job just fine. She hardly ever yanks her head down which means that we can now do some meaningful canter work. I'm not sure whether we will stay with this bit or not - its early days yet - but it was definitely worth a try:D

Sorry this is a bit long!! :o

[alfie]

:) thanks bexj i think i might try that i have.nt ridden him since that happened it scared me!!! dont want to give up as i love him and love owning him although sometimes i wonder why!!!!!??????;)

[Supercali]

I ride my cob in a loose-ring snaffle. I did try a french-link but he went better in the snaffle.

Do you lunge him. They are usually quite heavy in front but I found that he is better if I do some lunge work with him a couple of times a week and I use side reins (quite loose) to even him up as he drifts through his shoulder on the right rein. He is also much more responsive.

The main thing I was taught with my cob is not to get into an argument with them and not to nag him. I used to constantly use my legs all the time but he just ignored them so I use a sort of 'wip wop' rope or rein over his shoulders/withers to create forward movement. He also resented the whip. You have just got to be smarter than them :p

To stop my cob being so strong to stop you need to free up their shoulders so we do lots of tights turns and backwards steps - you can do this from the ground. If they can cross-over their legs then so much the better. Instead of pulling to get them to stop - ask them lightly and if they do not respond then pull them round in a tight circle (I mean nose to stirrup type bend) until they stop and then release the rein. Do this every time and soon they will listen to your first command!

Good luck and persevere :D

[NoviceNic]

I hack out in a dutch gag on the second ring and school in a snaffle. I have a cob who knows his strength as well. :rolleyes: He listens to me more in the gag. I dont tend to keep the gag in I just needed some extra security after he bolted with me last Summer.

[Casey76]

I have my boy in a Neue Schule tranz link (like a french link, but with a lozenge rather than a flat plate) Baucher, which he goes very well in.

[Mimi + Me]

On the advice of my yard manager I bought a single jointed 3 ring snaffle (well that's the nice word for it, it's also known as a dutch gag which doesn't sound so good) for my cob X mare as we've had a bit of a bolting problem occasionally over the years I've had her.

In the summer when the weather's calm I have it on the big ring and it acts just the same as an ordinary snaffle but if it's very windy I've just started putting it on the third ring. The other day she did try taking off with me a couple of times but wasn't successful so I definitely think it does help with brakes and control in my case.

Of course each horse is different and there are sooo many different types of bit, each with slightly different action. I have a horsey catalogue at home and it's literally got pages and pages full of different bits - quite mind boggling :eek: :eek: (for me anyway)!

[colettybetty]

my boy, a h/w traditional with shoulders and a neck that could pull a steam train (!) goes well in a french link, only way to put brakes on him has been by the boring old way of ground work- long reining, confidence building and schooling with lots of transitions. He's 7 now and beginning to grow into himself and the more work he does the better he becomes- gives him something to think about and keeps him out of trouble . He's a big softie really.

[eventerbabe]

my cob hates french links. He goes well in a hanging cheek snaffle but not as well as in his straight bar kimblewick. he's had to accept the hanging cheek because i need to be able to school/jump in a dressage legal bit and that is the one he works best in. the kimblewick is my hacking bit. hacking means excitement for my cob, and he gets very, very strong.

I think in your case its your horse just not accepting the contact, and schooling will help that.

[Little Dolphins]

I'm absolutely no expert as anyone on here will tell you- but here's my experience for what it's worth. My green, strong cob is in a Happy Mouth bit with full cheek, as recommended by the lady I bought her from. She is a young horse with a lovely soft mouth, so the non-metal bit, with "peanut" roller thingy, seems to work well, judging from the happy slobber! The full cheek is for extra help with steering. Recently, Harley has been throwing her head around somewhat. It turns out she needs her teeth rasping because there are some hooky bits of tooth which will be causing discomfort.
I'm trying not to use my strength against hers, ever, and find other ways to control her spooks, barges, whatever. So far, so good.
Good luck!:)

[HorseManiac]

sounds like mine. i ride him in a dutch gag on the middle loop. hes not VERY green tho

[Floob]

tarquin m/w 15.1hh cob, we ride him in a lozenged loose ring and he is fine, but we did spend ages just doing walk-halt transitions in the school untill they were so light you just needed seat and a squeeze on the rein. We do the sam thing on hacks. Also we try to canter and trot in different places.

He can get very strong though, but doing a few circles usually calms him down, and if not letting the rein go very loose sometimes works and actually brings him down to walk from a trot.