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 Mighty Elk Slayer
Posts: 2428
  
Location: Lewisburg, Tennessee | I'm about to run out of ideas here - I'm working with a 7 year old cow-bred gelding that has apparently had some barrel training before. He's super light but if you put a ring snaffle bit on him, he gets nervous and slings his butt around working the pattern and gets chargy loping circles. If you put anything with a shank on it (even a mild Jr. Cowhorse), he over-reacts the minute you touch his face.
What seems to be working for him at the moment is a Carolina Hack with a rope noseband (yes, I know, not necessarily a training bit, lol). But at least when I work him on the pattern now, he keeps his butt underneath himself, doesn't get all nervous and chargy, and he's progressing. The problem is that the hack can sometimes make him stiff - when I cruised him to the first barrel recently and went to shape him for the turn, he stuck his nose up in the air.
Has anybody dealt with a horse like this? What bit(s) did you use?
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Durango CO | If the hack seems to be working for the majority of what you want to achieve then try the Clampitt hackamore. It is a chain nose and is pretty light. You don't get the stiffness from the Clampitt. You can talk to him and have him suggest a good shank size for you and customize it to the horse. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| maybe a draw gag with a chain mouth piece. give you the flex and encourage him to tuck his nose, you can also determine the severity with how light or strong you are with your hands. The chain mouth piece is one of the least severe so he might like it. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| My gelding had the same issue. A snaffle was ok to ride around in but it wasnt enough to run barrels. I had my gelding in a Jr. Cow all last year. He did ok but would pull his head up if I touched him too much around the barrels. I switched over to a carol goostree double gag bit. Love this bit. It gives him the chance to move or react to the bit before I fully ask for the cue. This bit sits in the mouth where is has slight contact constantly unlike a Jr. Cow. A Jr. Cow Bit is fixed. So there isnt any feel in the mouth till you ask for it. Make sense? I think any Carol Goosetress bits work great for light mouths. |
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Mighty Elk Slayer
Posts: 2428
Location: Lewisburg, Tennessee | Thanks for the replies - yes I was thinking about trying a Goosetree Simplicity bit on him, but maybe I'll try the double gag. Do you use a curb chain/strap with yours? |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | What about something with more breaks in the mouth piece. I had a mare that hated a plan snaffle mouth. I ended up running her in a Lynn Combo with the Mylar mouthpiece that had like 4 or 5 little barrels. I think she liked how it layed nice and smooth across her tonge. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 602
| wyodrumrunner - 2014-03-11 6:25 AM
Thanks for the replies - yes I was thinking about trying a Goosetree Simplicity bit on him, but maybe I'll try the double gag. Do you use a curb chain/strap with yours?
Yes I do. I use a single chain. |
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