I have an 8-year old OTTB. When I first got him I started him in a loose ring snaffle and he went fine doing very basic things (walk, stop, trot, stop). When I started asking him to do more (i.e. circles, different paces) he started hanging badly or throwing his head in my face. I switched him to a loose ring French link, which he likes better, but each ride ends with him hanging very badly, even when we are just going straight and I’m not asking anything of him. And he doesn’t want to trot - he either does this little prancing thing or he wants to canter. His teeth are fine, he’s sound, saddle fit fine. I used to have him at the track when he was racing and he would always jog around the track like a prince so I’m not sure what’s going on. When we are out galavanting in the open field he is fine and when he is jumping he is fine; in other words, distracted and/or having his way and this goes away. But when I warm up or do flat work he starts ok and then slowly turns into this monster. So now I am starting the dumping money into bits thing, and wondered if anyone has any suggestions where to start? I was thinking of the Myler comfort snaffle, level 1, or a happy mouth French link. His mouth is small and I’m skeptical he’s going to like a fat bit, not sure if the happy mouths are as fat as the black rubber ones or not. In general, he is a pretty busy guy with his mouth and gets a lot of saliva flying around. He goes in a regular noseband, he doesn’t like figure 8’s or drops (though, again, he raced in one and regularly trained in one, but he seems to hate them now). He’s super fussy about his face and gets lit up pretty easily. He prefers a loose ring to an eggbut…
My mare went beautifully in a waterford. Nothing for her to grab onto to hang, and not a harsh bit either.
If he has that fat TB tongue, would he maybe like a bit with a slight port to it? I think Mylers come with a small port or what they call tongue relief.
Myler comfort snaffle, level 1, is my go to bit. Horses love them, I’d try one and see how he goes. I have the D-ring, but it comes loose ring as well.
Two suggestions after my experiences with my VERY heavy on the forehand OTTB and plenty of other horses that pull. Keep in mind that ultimately this is a communication/training issue and not a bit issue. I tried about 10 different bits on my OTTB and here is what I’ve learned through the school of hard knocks:
Suggestion #1: Train your horse to stretch and relax down into a very light contact. DO NOT PULL BACK. Trust me, sooo much harder in concept at first than it sounds, but it really does take 2 to pull. Find yourself an excellent dressage trainer who has already mastered this and take a few lessons to work specifically on this. Don’t try to force a frame with a pulling horse or this will make matters worse. The key to getting a puller out of the habit is thinking RHYTHYM, FORWARD and RELAX the entire ride with as light a rein feel as possible. Rather than reinvent the wheel, here are two videos that illustrate this technique brilliantly:
https://youtu.be/O2pYvteO3P8
https://youtu.be/qiAdx3V_uPs
I wish I had learned this concept when my OTTB was still around, but it’s working wonders with a variety of horses I work with now, from the heavy-on-forehand guys, fussy mares, and giraffe necked greenies I ride.
Suggestion #2: English Hackamore or bitless bridle
This is what made a world of difference with my OTTB after trying 10 different bits without significant improvement. Riding in a hackamore brought joy back to my riding as I could be light with my rein and he was so much more responsive to my seat and leg. When jumping in a hack, my horse listened better. He was less spooky in the hack both in the arena and out on the trail. I think giving him one less component to listen to (and be annoyed by) helped him focus on his job and my other aids. Funny how my concept of “control” with horses was thrown out the window when I traded a bit for the hack. Control of the horse is an illusion, it’s really all about responsiveness and whether the horse is willing to work with you or not.
When trying the hackamore/bitless bridle option, I recommend putting in at least 5-6 rides before calling it a success or failure. It took that many rides for my OTTB to figure out he had to carry himself. At the canter, he felt lame the first few rides because he didn’t quite understand his balance without leaning on the bit. Please remember to be very light handed with the hack. The two downsides to the hack are most horse sports won’t let you compete in one and it would be really difficult to teach advanced collection in one.
As far as bits go, harsher bits make horses harder in the mouth and I never feel good about working in them unless it’s for short term situations. I think a waterford has it’s short term uses, but my horse figured out how to lean on it within a week. I really dislike the communication in a waterford. It always feels disconnected to me. If you are going to keep up your search for the elusive perfect bit, I highly recommend borrowing, buying super cheap used, or buying from a retailer that lets you return if it doesn’t work out.
Wishing the best of luck to you and your OTTB!
This is not a bit issue.
Are you SURE he’s sound? It sound to me that he might be sore somewhere. Even if he’s not favoring a leg/hoof and his gait is not altered, he could be sore. Sometimes they hang when there hocks are hurting. Have you had a FULL really good vet check?
Besides sore hocks (which cannot be “seen” from outside the skin without x rays and don’t cause them to limp), if he’s built downhill, it can be very difficult for him to rock back and carry himself. Bits can help but if he’s got sore hocks or built downhill? They won’t do much to fix anything.
Mine starts hanging on the left rein when he needs his hocks done. It’s the right hock that’s worse. Only symptom.
Not wanting to trot kind of sounds like a saddle fit issue. I know you said fit is fine, but if he’s been muscling up, he might need an adjustment.
If you had him at the track, do you know what bit he was in there? My OTTB absolutely HATES a loose ring anything, it’s too unstable for her. If she goes in a snaffle, it’s either a full-cheek with keepers or a Baucher. He may be “hanging” because he’s looking for stability and not finding it.
^^^^^
How long OT?
How long have you had him?
How many races did he run?
Horses typically hang/lean when they are not strong enough to hold themselves up in the work being asked. They learn they can lean on the rider, and the rider obliges.
Horses can’t hang/lean on a rider who doesn’t hold them up.
Horses don’t decide to lean if they feel good, understand what they’re being asked to do, and are capable of doing what they are asked to do.
When I started asking him to do more (i.e. circles, different paces) he started hanging badly or throwing his head in my face.
VERY typical of the under-muscled horse when asked to do something that is more difficult. Every single horse (regardless of age) who has been asked to step up the work has done this for 1 or 100 strides, depending on the level of increase, and the clarity of communication by the rider.
If, during the easier work, you have little to no contact, and with this increase you took more, he either doesn’t understand the contact, or is bothered by it. My guess is the former.
I switched him to a loose ring French link, which he likes better, but each ride ends with him hanging very badly, even when we are just going straight and I’m not asking anything of him.
bold is mine - because he’s TIRED.
Increases in fitness are done by increasing the duration, or the intensity, but not both at the same time. It’s better to have short, productive rides, than longer rides where there are short periods of productiveness but long periods of struggling. The latter says you’re asking too much of the horse, and it’s going to cost you.
I’d start by shortening the rides to where when you ask him to do something he is comfortable doing, and he resists, you go back to something MUCH easier, even if just for 10 strides, and you stop there. Learn where his physical comfort zone is, push the edges of it for short periods, and stop.
Yes, it takes being tired and working a little longer to get more fit, but there’s a point at which they are tired but can still do the work, before it turns into too tired and they are mentally or physically done and things are unproductive from there on. It’s a different point for each horse. The less fit they are, the sooner they reach that point.
Part if increasing physical fitness is also increasing the mental ability to keep going a little longer and little longer when they are tired, to physical fitness can increase at a faster rate. They do get there, some sooner, some later. But if you push them mentally too far they will resent work.
Does he start the ride ok or not? It wasn’t clear. If it’s just toward the end of the ride, then I agree with JB 100%. He’s not strong enough to do what you are asking for as long as you want him to do it. And using himself in a different way is hard.
I agree this is a fitness/training issue. He’s resisting you because he’s tired. Some horses get lazier when they tire out but a lot of thoroughbreds get faster or have tantrums. Keep working at it. When you feel him tire out keep him working (circles, transitions, lateral work) but at the walk. This way you don’t over tire him (which can cause too much stress on the tendons and ligaments which over time can result in a tear) but it teaches him that he isn’t going to get away with his little antics.
Now for a bit! My thoroughbred used to be extremely heavy on his forehand and would completely drag me down with his head. He resisted stronger bits but I had no breaks with the lighter bits. Thats when I discovered the Neue Schule Verbindend bit. What an immediate game changer! I suddenly had a horse that I could stop and steer, that was holding himself up, and accepting the bit. About as close to a miracle bit as you could ask for!
https://www.argentoeq.com/collections/bit-trials/products/verbindend-loose-ring
I offer free trials so you don’t have to shell out a bunch of money before you know that it works 
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments. I ended up borrowing from a friend the only Myler i could find, a snaffle but not the comfort snaffle; it had the regular snaffle joint but very curved mouthpieces and was really lightweight. He was very happy in it initially but after about a week he blew through it and started doing the same thing again. But having noticed a difference with the curved mouthpiece, it was with more confidence that I purchased the Myler level 2 comfort snaffle with the slightly ported mouthpeice, and it works. He stopped hanging and when he gets cranked up he’s just a cranked up horse and we work through it, he doesn’t throw fits with his head in my face. The only bad news is that my brakes aren’t as good, lol, but I’m not as worried about that. I may just end up using a few different bits for different occasions, which is something I forget sometimes, that you can use different tools for different occasions.
One thing about him is that he has a really high holding, stretchy neck and he tucks his head way in (I’m not asking him to do this, its just how he goes), and perhaps because of this he was sort of gagging and this bit lets him have more tongue freedom so he’s not feeling gaggy. Whatever the reason, he is much better in this bit.
