I have a 6 year old mare that rides like a gelding. We use her in the kids lessons and she rides english and western. We have been working on her bending and collecting in a sweet copper dee ring and she has been doing amazing! However when we get up into her faster speeds like a canter and gallop she completely ignores the bit, and is very hard to stop unless you really yank on her mouth. I was looking into a combo bit with a smooth dog bone but i am not sure if this is too harsh of a bit or not. I tried one like this but it was twisted and I felt it was too harsh for her. She has also been ridden in a waterford, tom thumb, french link, pelham and elevator bit. We have only gotten results with the sweet copper though. For the last nine months we have tried just about everything to get her to slow with the dee ring but she just ignored it. I know that her mouth is hard and she was raced. Her half halts are good and she is perfect for the walk-trot. Also does anyone have any other exercises for getting her to bend more? right now we’re doing a lot of circles, backing, massaging with the reins, and lifting with my legs to get her to drop her head. She’s mastered all of these even at the canter but its just very hard to get her to stop without yanking on the bit. She’s also very responsive to the rider and will pick up her trot when you inhale and walk when you exhale. I have tried the one-step method where you only allow them to get one step of trot and one step of canter but she then developed a bad habit where she would refuse the canter or trot because she thought it was not what you wanted and so my trainer told me not to do this. I’m unsure of what to do bit wise because I have tried so many and the only ones where we have seen results was the combo bit. We do small jumps, nothing over 2 feet, barrels, pole bending, trail riding, equitation, and just whatever we feel like that day. Thank you!
This is the bit I’m looking at
Please do not put that piece of crap bit on any horse. You have a training issue, not a bit issue. It’s possible a different bit might help, but the one above and several of the ones you mentioned in your other post are terrible bits. The Pelham recommended to you in that thread would be worth a try, or possibly a Kimberwicke if you need a little leverage.
The bit you linked above is a gag bit. It’s going to have conflicting signals for your horse and while it might have the bigger bite you need to stop your horse for awhile, but it’s not going to fix anything.
OP, there is a lot of conflicting and confusing details in your post. I suspect I am as confused as the horse is. 
I certainly wouldn’t say she is doing “amazing” if you have to yank on her mouth.
By the way, please don’t yank on her mouth.
Those are a lot of different bits with completely different actions.
You need to re-train her from scratch. Not yank on her or swap bits.
You will only contribute to her being hard-mouthed if you continue to YANK on her.
[QUOTE=Mion2010;8774430]
right now we’re doing a lot of circles, backing, massaging with the reins, and lifting with my legs to get her to drop her head. She’s mastered all of these even at the canter but its just very hard to get her to stop without yanking on the bit. She’s also very responsive to the rider and will pick up her trot when you inhale and walk when you exhale. [/QUOTE]
If she won’t stop without you yanking on the bit, then NO she is not responsive to the rider.
Something does not add up. It does not make sense to me that she listens to your seat and legs flawlessly except to stop. There are holes in that story and I suspect because there are holes in her training somewhere.
Well for starters, I would not use a horse for kid’s lessons that does not stop properly. Not only is it dangerous for the child, but having a kid ride the horse is only going to further engrain bad habits that the horse has.
There’s a hole somewhere in her training. Reteach her to be SOFT to the bit and stop at any gait.
Stopping is the #1 thing I teach a colt for the first time, or any horse that needs to learn it. I want to know that at any time and at any moment, my horse will stop if I ask. Simply go back and teach this horse to stop using seat and leg cues, and the reins will follow.
You have a training issue; not a bit issue.
What beau said. X 100.
