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Elite Veteran
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| I will admit I don't have much knowledge of bits..
My horse has a habit of in downward transitions, just throwing himself down into the bit. I don't believe it is a pain issue, as we just had the chiropractor come out, and an equine dentist from out of state.
My trainer believes it is a training issue. She thinks maybe he was a "hot" horse when he was younger, and maybe there was some training mistakes made..While we have been working diligently on tons and tons of transitions, roll backs, etc, it's still a big issue. We are doing better at the trot to walk, trot to halt, and walk to halt, but the lope to trot, lope to walk, and lope to halt is just not good at all.
The other day I was playing around with him on the poles, as he's a finished pole horse, and we high loped the set, and when it came to us stopping, he stops great, just throws his head down halfway to the ground!
I found on youtube the other day a video of him 5 years ago, and in his lope to trot, lope to walk he's doing the same thing. Throwing himself down on the bit.
My trainer has us doing lots of other exercises to help this, but I'm wondering if I need to change bits? I will post a picture of what I am riding him in now.
As much as I set myself up, and plan the downward transition from the lope, he just throws himself into the bit, and his head gets low, and there is not enough core strength to even make a difference, and I fly forward, every time. He's very responsive to my aids, but these downward lope transitions are terrible, and I'm frustrated.
Just so everyone knows, I'm not expecting any type of bit to be a fix all by any means, I'm just wondering if what I'm using is not helping him.
I've done a little research, and I was looking at the Sherry Cervi D Ring Square Snaffle. Maybe a twisted snaffle? Charmayne James Low Port Twisted Pretzel?
My horse plays with the bit, moves his mouth around a lot, and opens and closes it frequently. He chews on it a lot.
Any suggestions would be great!
Edited by emricmacy 2017-12-22 5:59 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | Can you post the video of him doing this? |
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 Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
 
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | my first thought is a chain mouth. Find a Shank that fits what he needs. I'd like to see a video as well. Eta- is he just lowering his head low , almost to the ground?? Does it seem like he's trying to get away from your hands, pressure from the bit?
Edited by Dash4KJ 2017-12-22 9:24 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| I will try to get some better videos soon.
Here is a video of him 5 years ago, it happens at 3:09-3:15. He's doing the same thing to me now, but 10xworse. This same behavior, but now his head is much lower and he takes the reins right out of my hand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv5smrjwFoA
He was in a chain mouth jr cowhorse when I tried him out.
Here is a video of me trying him out, sorry about the quality but it happens at 27-31. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oJ4sSdToX8 |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Dash4KJ - 2017-12-22 9:22 PM
my first thought is a chain mouth. Find a Shank that fits what he needs. I'd like to see a video as well. Eta- is he just lowering his head low , almost to the ground?? Does it seem like he's trying to get away from your hands, pressure from the bit?
Could you explain how I go about finding a shank that fits what he needs? What am I looking for, size, etc? |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| After seeing the video my first thoughts -
Soreness, he is not wanting to bring his butt under him and he’s dropping into the stop. I would look at hocks and based on past experience I’d do a back X-ray for kissing spine.
I don’t hate 2 piece bits, but I’m not a huge fan of daily work in them. He could also be pushing against the bar pressure. In the older video he gapes his mouth a bit, may as well in the second but too grainy to tell. I would try a dogbone snaffle or jr cowhorse. If he didn’t like the added tongue pressure then a pretzel would be my next choice.
Finally - how are you asking him to stop? It’s really easy to drop one in the stop if you don’t keep your leg in them and actively ride them up into the bridle. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2604
Location: Texas | I would get his back x-rayed to rule out kissing spine. His tail is quite "active" when loping and he does not want to round his back when stopping. This is the EXACT same thing my horse did that had kissing spine. I had surgery done on my horse and he is 100% sound now, but he will still stop like this sometimes (more out of bad habit) until I make him do it correctly. |
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Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6628
Location: Hill Country of TEXAS!! | emricmacy - 2017-12-23 2:38 AM Dash4KJ - 2017-12-22 9:22 PM my first thought is a chain mouth. Find a Shank that fits what he needs. I'd like to see a video as well. Eta- is he just lowering his head low , almost to the ground?? Does it seem like he's trying to get away from your hands, pressure from the bit? Could you explain how I go about finding a shank that fits what he needs? What am I looking for, size, etc?
Ill PM you. :) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Idaho | OhMax - 2017-12-24 5:43 AM
After seeing the video my first thoughts -
Soreness, he is not wanting to bring his butt under him and he’s dropping into the stop. I would look at hocks and based on past experience I’d do a back X-ray for kissing spine.
I don’t hate 2 piece bits, but I’m not a huge fan of daily work in them. He could also be pushing against the bar pressure. In the older video he gapes his mouth a bit, may as well in the second but too grainy to tell. I would try a dogbone snaffle or jr cowhorse. If he didn’t like the added tongue pressure then a pretzel would be my next choice.
Finally - how are you asking him to stop? It’s really easy to drop one in the stop if you don’t keep your leg in them and actively ride them up into the bridle.
Diddo. He looks sore on his hind end. I'd get some xrays done. |
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | Withers pain. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Your horse is rooting, I would not use a broken 2 piece, I would be trying a 3 piece dog bone are a chain mouth on this horse, I bet the bit is hitting the roof of your horses mouth and causing some pain, I have a gelding and hes got a shallow palate so I cant use a broken 2 piece bit on him they cause him to root..  |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Thank you for all of the advice! I found a picture that his previous owner had sent me, and it looks like in that picture she was riding him in a little s hack. Thoughts? |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | I personally would try a ported bit - perhaps a jointed ported bit - as it will encourage him to flex at the poll and elevate the shoulders which will help bring his butt up under him. Of course you will need to ride him up into the bit even as you ask for the stop. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| How about trying either one of these? Both are a 3 piece, but one is a chain and the other isn't. Thought on which one might be better?
I see online that Charmayne James makes a 3 piece dogbone, but with 9" cheeks. I'm wondering why 9in?
Edited by emricmacy 2017-12-24 12:38 PM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | emricmacy - 2017-12-24 6:32 AM Thank you for all of the advice! I found a picture that his previous owner had sent me, and it looks like in that picture she was riding him in a little s hack. Thoughts?
How did he do with the little S hack? If he didnt do any rooting I would go with the hack for awhile and see how he does.. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Heres a few pictures of the bits that you were asking me about that I like. Some of these you can get them in a long or short shank, just depends on what your horse needs.. The Molly Powell chain is my favorite bit..But all horses are different in how they carry bits, if the Little S hack was working for the other lady that use to own your horse I would go with that for a while and see how it gos from there. But I would also double check his teeth too and like others said rule out any lameness.. At least your trying and want to help your horse out and thats a good start.. Did your trainer have any suggestion's on what bit to try?
Edit to add: that you can find all these bits and ever more bits on The TackStop..Google TheTackStop and the page will come up for you.. 
Edited by Southtxponygirl 2017-12-24 5:10 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Southtxponygirl - 2017-12-24 4:52 PM
Heres a few pictures of the bits that you were asking me about that I like. Some of these you can get them in a long or short shank, just depends on what your horse needs.. The Molly Powell chain is my favorite bit..But all horses are different in how they carry bits, if the Little S hack was working for the other lady that use to own your horse I would go with that for a while and see how it gos from there. But I would also double check his teeth too and like others said rule out any lameness.. At least your trying and want to help your horse out and thats a good start.. Did your trainer have any suggestion's on what bit to try?
Edit to add: that you can find all these bits and ever more bits on The TackStop..Google TheTackStop and the page will come up for you..
The molly powell bit you mentioned, is that the money maker twisted dog bone one? |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | emricmacy - 2017-12-25 12:26 PM Southtxponygirl - 2017-12-24 4:52 PM Heres a few pictures of the bits that you were asking me about that I like. Some of these you can get them in a long or short shank, just depends on what your horse needs.. The Molly Powell chain is my favorite bit..But all horses are different in how they carry bits, if the Little S hack was working for the other lady that use to own your horse I would go with that for a while and see how it gos from there. But I would also double check his teeth too and like others said rule out any lameness.. At least your trying and want to help your horse out and thats a good start.. Did your trainer have any suggestion's on what bit to try?
Edit to add: that you can find all these bits and ever more bits on The TackStop..Google TheTackStop and the page will come up for you.. The molly powell bit you mentioned, is that the money maker twisted dog bone one?
The Molly Powell chain is this one..
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| Southtxponygirl - 2017-12-25 12:28 PM
emricmacy - 2017-12-25 12:26 PM Southtxponygirl - 2017-12-24 4:52 PM Heres a few pictures of the bits that you were asking me about that I like. Some of these you can get them in a long or short shank, just depends on what your horse needs.. The Molly Powell chain is my favorite bit..But all horses are different in how they carry bits, if the Little S hack was working for the other lady that use to own your horse I would go with that for a while and see how it gos from there. But I would also double check his teeth too and like others said rule out any lameness.. At least your trying and want to help your horse out and thats a good start.. Did your trainer have any suggestion's on what bit to try?
Edit to add: that you can find all these bits and ever more bits on The TackStop..Google TheTackStop and the page will come up for you.. The molly powell bit you mentioned, is that the money maker twisted dog bone one?
Thank you! So it's not a dog bone? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
| I called a tack shop about an hour from me, and they have a Martha josey prime time bit, which is a 3 piece twisted wire bit, and they also have a 3/4in reinsman ring combo 3 piece dogbone bit.
Here is the Martha josey one:
https://www.horsesaddleshop.com/circley-prime-time-bit.html
Thoughts on these, or just order one online? |
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