Hi folks..... Wonder if someone could give me some advice please...... I have a 15.2hh Black TB x Irish Pacer..... who can jump and loves to jump..... He is being ridden more and more this summer and getting fitter as he is entered into all the local shows etc..... Because he is getting fitter he is also getting much stronger.... He is a very push button ride and his brakes do work extremely well..... but he is getting ver head strong.....He has been ridden in a snaffle until last year when I changed it to a french link snaffle and would love some advice as to what to go to next to have more control of him !!!! Any advice would be greatly appreciated as he is my first horse (although I am 46 !!!!) Better late than never eh ??
Thanks Pamx

Its pretty difficult to advise on a particular bit without seeing him in action and understanding his bigger picture, so lots of questions!

A bit of my background - point to pointed and evented until 2001 when I became an incomplete paraplegic in an RTA, BD to Intermediate since until Jan last year when I moved to Oman.

Is he strong all the time or just at shows? If its just at shows, taking him to as many shows as possible, whether you're competing him or not, is pretty useful. Getting him used to going to parties will help him become unfazed by them and less likely to be distracted from what you're asking him to do.

What are you feeding him? You obviously need something that'll keep his condition without hotting him up. If he's in hard work and needs to keep the weight on, Calm and Condition may be an option. Allen and Page would be happy to talk to you about it and advise what may suit him better.

Was your original snaffle jointed or straight bar? Why did you change to a French link? The nutcracker action of a jointed snaffle and the similar action of a French link can be too much for some horses and pain can make a horse headstrong. So if you were riding him in a straight bar and changed to a French link, could that have made the matter worse?

Have you tried a drop noseband or a grackle - is he opening his mouth or crossing his jaw? Do you use a martingale?

And finally, how much flat work do you do? It seems sometimes the more the better for getting the horse to listen to you.

He sounds great fun and I'm sure you'll get him on track again. Good luck!

Edit: Had a bit more of a think about this. When schooling over jumps, have you tried halting and asking for a few steps back inbetween each jump? He'll start anticipating it and it may make him a little less strong. What sort of schooling over fences do you do? Bounces? Poles? They may all help.

I've always been reluctant to immediately up the strength of bit when a horse becomes strong. It seems to be counter-productive at times with schooling, feed and minor alterations to tack working well.

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I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. ~Bill Dana

Hi, not a big expert on tack (at all!) but I recently changed my horses bit as she was getting too strong. She is a 16.3hh tbx mare and she was like yours, the fitter she got the more head strong! It got to the point that taking her out into open spaces I had no brakes! She was in a straight snaffle and she had started threatening to bick, bolt etc when I pulled ont he reins so I put it down to, as Fluffed said, the nut cracker action.
I didnt want to put her in a strong bit because she is a well enough behaved horse majority of the time and the last thing I wanted was to touchen her mouth up more and more but I just couldnt risk having no brakes for much longer.
I done some research and found a great bit, its a loose ring snaffle with a losinge in the middle which is split down the centre meaning the two seperate sides turn 360degrees from eachother (if this makes sense) It was designed so that the horse could not lean on it, something else my horse was very eager to do on a hack, and also encourages them onto the bit without using forse. It also gives a bit more brakes when needed.
I used a bit bank and had a 30 day trial and it has worked wonders! She can still get slightly strong out but not as bad as before and she isnt threatening any bad behaviour anymore. She also foams each time its in her mouth, a sure sign that it is comfortable!
I used a company call "The horse bit shop" Which are a website and have a selection of bits you can have a 30 day trial with.

Hope this helped

Forgive me Melx, but a straight bar won't have the nutcracker action. Did I misunderstand you?

And yes, great idea about the bit bank.

__________________
I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. ~Bill Dana

Sorry I meant jointed!! Miles away! lol

If I'd never done it myself...........

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I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. ~Bill Dana

Hi.... Thanks for your answers........ There is a woman a mile up the road who I am going to talk to as she offers and helps out with bits...... Hopefully, she can have a ride on him and be able to see what he is like as I dont have the experience..... Will let you know what happens.... Pamx