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Post by trojanwarrior on Jul 25, 2008 20:57:44 GMT
I'm in need of some brakes for my horse who suffers from selective deafness when out on fun rides & the PTV section of a TREC comp. Any other time, he listens & responds well to bodyweight & voice, but if he's doing anything remotely exciting, he forgets I'm there & carries on regardless. He likes to grab the bit, throw his head down & go!
He has a large tongue & dislikes weight on it & prefers a narrow mouthpiece. I normally ride him in a Myler hanging cheek comfort snaffle with a loose cavesson noseband. I've tried a combination bit but he just runs through this plus I have to smother him in vaseline because it rubs him & there's no way I could get bit guards on it!!
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what bit I can use that'll help him 'hear' me when I ask him to slow down on a fun ride?
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haffyfan
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 25, 2008 21:07:58 GMT
just a thought and may be complete madness but have you tried using a neck strap/breast plate and applying a little pressure via this if it's just a reminder your there he needs. The unusual form of resistance/pressure may just make him think possibly?
Bitless?
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Post by trojanwarrior on Jul 25, 2008 21:26:19 GMT
I don't normally have a breastplate on him, but we have one from his hunting days. It may help, as he's quite nice to ride with just a rope round his neck - when he's on his own!! I'd love to try him bitless. I ride him in a rope halter at home in the arena. I don't think I'd have the balls to do it in company in a wide open space  |
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arumanii
Apprentice Poo Picker
Posts: 360
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Post by arumanii on Jul 25, 2008 21:59:21 GMT
lol- I actually read this as though he was deaf n was thinking y doesn't she just use seat, reins, etc rather than voice?! I am sooo stupid sometimes!
Maybe u could have a friend ride near to slow him down by having the rest of the herd stop n go the other way until he's back under control on fun rides? Wave ur whip / holler / leap up n down 2 make him realise ur still on board?? Try other bits? Put on weight? Try a curb chain so that it's a different kind of pressure? Tie his legs together?
Let me kno if u figure it out-coz I've no clue!
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Post by fimacg on Jul 26, 2008 21:14:43 GMT
I used to have to ride Fig in a dutch gag/bubble bit when doing anything exciting in order to have brakes. I know it is a 'trendy' bit at the moment but it did give me the control I needed other wise we would just disappear into the next county before I could get him to stop.
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Post by brigadier on Jul 27, 2008 3:28:53 GMT
Blimey Fimacg- at least you were using it for the right reasons and not because it looks trandy!
Hi trojan- Haffy's suggestion is the one I would try first- it kind of takes the focus off the mouth which helps the horse realise youre still there and talking to him.
If that doesnt work let us know as Ive a couple of tricks up my sleeve you could also try but the neckstrap one is the easiest solution if it works.
brig
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Post by fimacg on Jul 28, 2008 8:31:48 GMT
Brig, the bit worked a lot better than crashing him into the arena wall which is what I had to do on occasion, to stop him before we changed bits. My instructor used to be in fits of laughter as we cantered around and around and around a 60 x 30m arena at least 3 times before we could stop. I always had steering but brakes used to regularly fail me and by god that horse was fit...
I used to say about him all you had to do to get him to go was to stop saying 'Stop!'
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Post by Becca on Jul 28, 2008 15:15:56 GMT
the neck strap sounds a good idea, wouldn't have thought of that!
also try ride out on your own as much as you can, do lots of work getting him listening to you lots of enphasis on downward transitions.
when bern used to bolt with me i started to push him on, confused the hell out of him so he tried to slow up but i pushed him on harder meaning more work for him which he didn't approve off. it did stop him doing it though. Not one to try in company though haha
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Post by brigadier on Jul 28, 2008 21:41:55 GMT
Brig, the bit worked a lot better than crashing him into the arena wall which is what I had to do on occasion, to stop him before we changed bits. My instructor used to be in fits of laughter as we cantered around and around and around a 60 x 30m arena at least 3 times before we could stop. I always had steering but brakes used to regularly fail me and by god that horse was fit... I used to say about him all you had to do to get him to go was to stop saying 'Stop!' I have a funny story along the same lines, the horse set off with me round the arena at a flat out gallop-my brakes failed- and I was wearing a microphone as I had been doing a demo! ha ha it became rather x rated! wish Id had a dutch gag- at least I would have stopped on the third circuit!Lol! |
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Post by racaille on Jul 29, 2008 8:16:21 GMT
Ermmm, this may be silly .... I don't know what you do in the UK to slow down/stop a strong horse but I'll offer our usual practice (if it's your usual practice too just ignore me  ) .... We use something called 'action discontinue' which means braking with your back and body, at the same time as applying pressure to the mouth .. and then let go ......on. ...off ...on ... off ... It prevents the horse leaning on the bit or grabbing it and going. ummm, am I a fool? |
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Post by fimacg on Jul 29, 2008 8:45:36 GMT
Your right Racaille, I learnt this technique with Fig too, when he was in a stomping mood it helped but not that much, when he was in a more chilled out mood it worked really well.
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Post by trojanwarrior on Jul 29, 2008 10:30:52 GMT
That works when we're on our own Racaille, most of the time anyway  . In his previous life, he used to hunt in a Dutch gag & only ever stopped when the field did. Still really strong, so they put a leather strap as a curb on it. He stopped alright in it, but he threw his head up really bad with it, so he wore a running martingale on his breastplate that was so tight he couldn't lift his head. He came back from hunting with a broken martingale, he'd snapped it! Poor horse has had all sorts of metal work in his mouth & has had his mouth strapped within an inch of his life to try and get him to be more controllable out in company. In my humble opinion, he was uncontrollable because he was running away from pain. Anyway, getting back to the topic......Our next fun ride is in August so will try the breastplate with him & see how we get on. I am curious as to what other tricks you have up your sleeve Brig  I shall also be following arumanii's advice of putting more weight on. Its the perfect excuse for that extra piece of chocolate cake ;D |
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zoon
Apprentice Poo Picker
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Post by zoon on Jul 29, 2008 16:33:19 GMT
Zoon can be strong when he finds something fun - xc, jumping, hacking etc and tends not to listen if he doesn't really want to. I'm small and he's big so using my body has limited effects and he tends to set his jaw against the bit. The best change I've ever made is to a happy mouth bit.
Sounds mad changing to a soft bit, but he really resented metal in his mouth and set his jaw against it. Now he schools and does dressage in a mullen mouth loose ring and for anything exciting we have the same mouth piece so the feel in his mouth is the same, but with dutch gag sides (only one extra ring tho as Id never use the bottom one so no point for it) and I also pop a leather curb strap on a la neue schule universal bit! Strap limits the poll pressure as those dutch gags have an awful amount of leverage on them and also adds a new pressure point. Works for me - no longer sets his jaw and now I have enough control that the risk of death is much lower!
Like lots of peeps on here I'm not a fan of changing to strong bits as I think schooling is the answer to a horse that doesn't listen, but if it makes the rider, the horse and people around you safe when you have a stronger bit then I'm all for it.
sorry for the rambling on..!
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for so much hard work we thank ye!!
)
Always saddle your own horse
) ....
I shall also be following arumanii's advice of putting more weight on. Its the perfect excuse for that extra piece of chocolate cake ;D