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 Veteran
Posts: 262
 
| My horse is a finished and seasoned barrel horse. He is a free runner. I just bought him and my first couple races used a bobby stivers hackamore bit combo. No shanks. He trail rides fine in and he bends, flexes, and has all the buttons so not a training issue. Teeth floated end of February so no issues there. Problem is during a run he is so fast and so powerful I have nothing there when I try to pull him up and it takes some work to pull him up after. He stops on a dime doing slow work so again not training issue. So I tried another hack/snaffle type combo with shanks (some call a pole bending bit?) And we have a bit more control but the other day seemed to be flinging his head a lot like it wasn't comfortable on a trail ride. Previous owner ran him in a Jim Warner hack. I've never run in a hack so not comfortable with it. But if that will be best I'll learn. Any opinions out there on what you use for the horse I described? Any experience with Jim Warner hacks? Thanks! |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
 
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Canchsr5 - 2015-04-30 8:48 PM My horse is a finished and seasoned barrel horse. He is a free runner. I just bought him and my first couple races used a bobby stivers hackamore bit combo. No shanks. He trail rides fine in and he bends, flexes, and has all the buttons so not a training issue. Teeth floated end of February so no issues there. Problem is during a run he is so fast and so powerful I have nothing there when I try to pull him up and it takes some work to pull him up after. He stops on a dime doing slow work so again not training issue. So I tried another hack/snaffle type combo with shanks (some call a pole bending bit?) And we have a bit more control but the other day seemed to be flinging his head a lot like it wasn't comfortable on a trail ride. Previous owner ran him in a Jim Warner hack. I've never run in a hack so not comfortable with it. But if that will be best I'll learn. Any opinions out there on what you use for the horse I described? Any experience with Jim Warner hacks? Thanks!
If your horse was ran in a Jim Warner hack and he worked well then I would be putting the Jim Warner back on him. I like the JW hack. Kinda sounds like maybe you may have been in his face to much and that was why he was flinging his head while trail riding in the other bit. Or he just flat out didnt like that bit, LOL... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1395
Location: Missouri | I used to run my mare in a Jim Werner hack....loved it! I wish I wouldn't have sold it, it's a nice 'staple' but to have in the tack room, IMO. I've since learned not to sell bits ;)
But I agree with the above poster ...if he ran well in a certain bit with his previous owner, I'd definitely try that.good luck! |
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Veteran
Posts: 262
| Thanks! As I was writing the post I was thinking to myself that I answered my own question! Yes, I guess I need to buy the JW hack. I probably was in his face on the trail but in my defense he was leaping out from under me! He did much better on my trail ride today with the Stivers.Thanks for your advice. ;) |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Good luck  and hope that it works out for you  |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 396
Location: Iowa | I love my Jim Warner Hack so much, it was a great investment! For a free runner...make sure you as a rider are sitting deep in your seat and keeping low hands! |
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A BIT of a problem!