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 Expert
Posts: 1857
   
| My husband and I got into a discussion about changing a 2yr filly out of a smooth mouth O to a loomis. He thinks she should stay in the O ring and I want to put her in the loomis.
She works really well in an O ring, lots of control, light mouthed but... she hangs going to the right. stiff through her body. Left she gives nicely works well. I drop her a few times when working to the right thinking it'll get her to back off the bit, pick up the shoulder, and search for the contact but it doesn't. working at a trot she fights me for bend too. Now she'll plant her butt and follow her nose in roll backs but to get her to bend through her body to the right is difficult. I want to put her in a loomis and see if I can encourage her to pick her shoulder up, bend through her rib cage, and it's a bit that will give her confidence. My husband thinks it's too soon and I need to stay in the O ring until she's travel to the right better. What would you do? to loomis or not to loomis! | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would have the horse assessed by massage therapist, and chiropractor to ensure there is nothing physical impeding her.
I am not a fan of changing bits on horses especially in the beginning as once you start it can become a slippery slope and one can run out of bits the horse responds to.
I think long and hard about my bit choices, the questions I ask myself
What am I hoping to accomplish
The bit I am considering how does the bit work, what pressure points does it work on
Is there any other way I can achieve what I want without changing bits. Chiro, vet, bitting up, dry work, drills, time etc.
I can't make the decision for you, as I don't know the horse, but as the horse only being 2, I would be considering the above and trying a few things before I made the switch. | |
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  Queen Boobie 2
Posts: 7521
| FlyingJT - 2014-09-02 10:13 AM My husband and I got into a discussion about changing a 2yr filly out of a smooth mouth O to a loomis. He thinks she should stay in the O ring and I want to put her in the loomis. She works really well in an O ring, lots of control, light mouthed but... she hangs going to the right. stiff through her body. Left she gives nicely works well. I drop her a few times when working to the right thinking it'll get her to back off the bit, pick up the shoulder, and search for the contact but it doesn't. working at a trot she fights me for bend too. Now she'll plant her butt and follow her nose in roll backs but to get her to bend through her body to the right is difficult. I want to put her in a loomis and see if I can encourage her to pick her shoulder up, bend through her rib cage, and it's a bit that will give her confidence. My husband thinks it's too soon and I need to stay in the O ring until she's travel to the right better. What would you do? to loomis or not to loomis!
I would want to evaluate if there is a physical reason it is harder for her to the right...as mentioned Chiro, massage or even teeth.
But I differ in that, I don't mind changing up a bit on any horse, to "clean them up" a little.
When I feel I have got the horse going my way, I will often go back to the original bit, that I liked everything about, except the problem I just fixed. | |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Agree with others about Chiro. Have a 3 year old that was giving me similar problems and after I got her adjusted she is light both directions now. She was very tight and sore in lower vertebrae. | |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| this thread caught my eye because I have always been told you have to know how to use a Loomis/ draw gag ect so I have stayed away from it because I didn't want to do damage. Well I needed to step up in my 3yo because I felt we were as far and as good as we were going to get in an O ring. My mare was broke on both sides I just wanted a bit that would ask for a little bit of collection, have a quick release to it (very light mare- want to keep it that way) and maybe stand her up a bit. I can move her anywhere I want to and do pretty much anything walk, trot, lope but sometimes I feel she gets almost too low and dirty and it is hindering her quickness. The draw bit have her in has been perfect.
All of that being said I was not having "problems" when I switched. I want more efficiency but I could (and still can) get her to do anything in an o-ring. Personally, IMO from what I have read on your situation being her age, physical pain doesn't come to mind as much as lack of training/ riding/ use. At 2yo they can only have SO many physical problems lol. I know that sounds bad but what I mean is unless you have just ask WAY to much of this filly already or she has had an accident then I would look at training. My mare was bad on the right side for a long time. They will always have a "better" side and I think it is exaggerated when they are young. That's how its been with the 2 (I know so many lol) baby- babies I have raised. Anyways I would focus on her bad side for a while and get her doing what you need/ want a little better, then if you still feel the bit would help (not fix) then switch.
I'm all for bits helping us communicate with our horses more efficiently but IMO (flame suit on) every horse should be able to do the basics in an O-ring. | |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | bennie1 - 2014-09-02 10:59 AM FlyingJT - 2014-09-02 10:13 AM My husband and I got into a discussion about changing a 2yr filly out of a smooth mouth O to a loomis. He thinks she should stay in the O ring and I want to put her in the loomis. She works really well in an O ring, lots of control, light mouthed but... she hangs going to the right. stiff through her body. Left she gives nicely works well. I drop her a few times when working to the right thinking it'll get her to back off the bit, pick up the shoulder, and search for the contact but it doesn't. working at a trot she fights me for bend too. Now she'll plant her butt and follow her nose in roll backs but to get her to bend through her body to the right is difficult. I want to put her in a loomis and see if I can encourage her to pick her shoulder up, bend through her rib cage, and it's a bit that will give her confidence. My husband thinks it's too soon and I need to stay in the O ring until she's travel to the right better. What would you do? to loomis or not to loomis! I would want to evaluate if there is a physical reason it is harder for her to the right...as mentioned Chiro, massage or even teeth.
But I differ in that, I don't mind changing up a bit on any horse, to "clean them up" a little.
When I feel I have got the horse going my way, I will often go back to the original bit, that I liked everything about, except the problem I just fixed.
I do that as well, and I find it fairly helpful. But I only have about 4 or 5 different kinds of bits, but each has their purpose for me, then after I get the result I want I go back to what I was using. | |
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