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boon
Posts: 1
| I currently run my mare in a shanked bit with a chain mouthpiece. Thinking this bit might be too much for her, any suggestions on what I could try? Looking for more speed, pattern is solid, she stops good. She is 10. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Tx | I was running my 9 year old gelding in a chain mouth sweet 6. went to a clinic and the clinician suggested moving him to a hack to get him freed up and running harder and it worked like a charm! I tried a little S, a Jim Warner and a beetle and have had the best luck with his style in the beetle. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1631
 
Location: Somewhere around here | I agree with the hackamore idea. I switched to a hack recently, just because I don't want to put a cold bit in my horses' mouth during the cold months, and I was pleasantly surprised at how my horse has changed because of it. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 966
Location: Loco,Ok | Clampitt HackamoreQuit pulling on their head. That helps.
Edited by clampitt 2017-11-29 9:33 AM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I used a chain mouth on mine for a long time and then tried a couple hacks, so so - still hack out in one from time to time. Chris Martin had me put a CM44 with a smooth 2 piece on him.
Turns out his tongue is quite sensitive.
I’ve also found with him it is super super important to not just think about how sensitive his face is, but to make sure he is staying sensitive to my leg. If I let him get dull and behind my leg, his face feels 10x’s more sensitive. If I keep him in front of my leg I have a lot more to work with between my hands. |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | If you want to free one up, either shorten your shank, make the mouthpiece milder (which you really can't do when you're already using a chain mouth), or switch to a hackamore.
If a horse is solid on the pattern but needs freed up, my go-to move is a hackamore. I personally love the Jim Warner because you can still stop one in it but they don't feel you in their mouth so most horses will run a little harder in a hack.
I have 4 finished horses and all 4 of them can run in the Jim Warner. It's a little too much for 2 of them though, so I have a Coronet Trap Hack or Sir Walter Hack (I've seen it called both) that is almost a JW/Beetle combination. Super light......they can run off in it if they really want, but boy will it free a horse up. |
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 Off the Wall Wacky
Posts: 2981
Location: Louisiana | Just do like I do and play eeny meeny miney mo when it's time to get on. 
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Bit advice to free up a horse