The bit lady at https://bitsnsuch.com/
There’s a FB page as well. The website is not terribly user friendly so I used the bomber website to find exactly what I wanted them found it on her page. There’s a polo place in Wellington that has some in stock, but not the size I needed.
Going quietly on a long rein is our current focus 
. Pony wouldn’t stand for mounting, would walk in front of you on the ground (keep walking when you stopped), you couldn’t take a contact at the walk without jigging and once trotting it was a game to see who would tire first - me or her (she wouldn’t go on a long rein/ stretch trot with out turning into a runaway train). We have MUCH improved since then! Trotting on a loose rein is there, though not consistent, and the ground manners are way better. It amazes me that the little things are ignored because she isn’t dangerous or “bad” and can still do the job - but imagine how much better she will be at her job (and how much easier it will be on her rider/ handler!) once those holes are addressed.
The dentist comes in two days to check her over and I found some sale Fager bits so will likely get a new bit for her soon too.
(Don’t judge me too much! We are still getting used to each other and I am very out of shape 
).
No judgment here!
Please don’t underestimate what an accomplishment that really, truly is.
It took me a long time before I could finally start having what I call a “nothing ride” on my horse. I’d never ridden a horse that was truly remedial in the contact before - ridable, sure, and not dangerous by any stretch, but definitely remedial in the contact so we were just perennially stuck below training level because I couldn’t get correct acceptance of the contact, much less a half-halt that went through.
A “nothing ride” to me is when you can get on and WTC around with a long neck while doing essentially nothing - the horse just does it. Everything is light, loose, and fluffy, and you’re not training on anything, just stretching the legs and loosening up the back. It was my standard warmup that I took completely for granted until I met my blessed remedial horse and had to do a loooooot of work with no access to help during a pandemic before I could even come close to a “nothing ride”. 
When it finally started to click for him I was like, “OMG! I can do nothing!! I can do nothing!!! I’ve missed this! 
…”
On horses who struggle with this, it’s a real accomplishment to be able to do nothing. It looks like you and your mare are absolutely on the right track!
I think this is where a blend of “western” and “english” training is really key. I’m using the quotes because of course the lines blur depending on who you train with.
But in general the western riders start out with allowing the horse to move around without much expectation in the mouth. The horse is responsible for keeping an even speed, or the rider will use figures or transitions (not pulling or faux contact) to allow the horse to figure it out that going faster isn’t worth it.
I think ^ that, which is to me a key building block of “when I let go of you, it’s not supposed to all crumble to pieces, nor is it an invitation to kick on the afterburners”, is a step that lots of english riders skip. Yes, it’s great to help a horse balance, help a horse shift the weight back, all the things - but first, the horse just needs to go around at a reasonable speed without being micromanaged.
It’s also known as the “hunt ride” - exactly how a hunter is supposed to hack. Forward and soft into a light contact and staying relaxed and the same on its own.
Perceptive students of dressage will also notice that Rhythm and Suppleness come before Connection on the training pyramid.
It’s literally the foundation of everything else.
The fact that many people - in Dressageland, too! - skip over it and think they are several levels ahead of where they actually are does not change the fact that it’s the absolute foundation you need to have in place before you can think about doing anything else.
There are a lot of lower level dressage horses who couldn’t do a forward, loose, and relaxed “hunt ride” if their life depended on it and I’m wondering why do their riders think the stretchy circle is in all the lower level tests with a coefficient score?
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