Bits for forward small pony

[TPF_Hunter]

Small pony previously used for barrel racing (but SO cute) is learning a new discipline. She is more on the forward side and would initially come out with head high and rushed at the trot. Once she drops her head and stretches down she is SO happy to go slow. She almost seems relieved and I truly think she is just having to unlearn the turn-and-burn high head barrel racing gallop. The issue I have is this isn’t really clicking with her at the canter. She is stiff in the mouth and will just rush along with a high head while cantering. We are working diligently on transitions, cavaletti exercises, and relaxing rides. Half halts help but it takes a lot of muscle. Some rides she evens out and will relax and currently goes in a plain D snaffle. I’m thinking a myler combo bit could help her grasp lowering her head and we can get out of her mouth. While she is stiff in the mouth she is also a sweetie and I can tell she doesn’t love mouth pressure.

Any other bits or suggestions for helping this sweet pony understand the lower head set at the canter? I’ve put a neck stretcher on and it does not help and unfortunately we don’t have any dressage type riders that are small enough to teach her to seek the bit.

[Mander]

Bit-wise, if you’re comfortable with two reins, you might try a pelham? I used one with an OTTB I had who would GO at the canter - snaffle rein was great for when he was being good, but the curb gave me another option for those moments he went into racehorse mode. Ideally, once you get the idea installed that going slow is ok and you’re using the curb less and less, you should be able to transition back to a plain ol’ snaffle without much fuss.

You’re probably already doing all this but training wise, I’d just do transition after transition after transition. Get the softest, most relaxed trot you can, then ask for canter, and right back to quiet trot or even a walk after one stride. If she rushes and gets quick before the canter depart, I wouldn’t even worry about getting it and just bring her back down to slow trot/walk immediately. Hopefully she’ll begin to anticipate immediately slowing down, and she may not get so quick in the first place.

You also said you’re doing cavalettis and, in a similar vein (if she’s started over Xs) setting up an X with very high sides (even though the actual height of the jump can be very low) helps with the “mouth-to-brain” connection

You also might try dropping your crop if you ride with one in case it’s adding to the barrel-racer mode. Some barrel riders turn-and-burn. Others crank-and-spank….

[Christa_P]

Have you tried a running martingale?

[TPF_Hunter]

Thank you for your reply! What you describe for transition work is consistent with what we do with her. And while it helps, the canter for the most part stays the same. Also she actually slows down while jumping! So we have incorporated x’s once a week to keep her thinking, but still not stretch down and relaxation in the canter for any period of time.

Also no crop in sight! I doubt she will ever see one of those!

I think you’re right, a pelham may be worth trying. Now to find one small enough!

And btw she lunges like a dream! No rushy canter so I know she has it in her. Just has to figure out the balance.

[TPF_Hunter]

I haven’t, but I’m not sure it would do much as added mouth pressure with neck stretcher doesn’t help at all. She just pulls against it instead of relaxing to relieve pressure. I think I need some leverage on the nose and pole to change the pressure points and relieve her mouth.

Have you had any major luck with a running martingale?

[Mander]

Does she drop her head when she’s lunging? If she does you might try lunging her with a rider and see if that helps bridge the gap? Or if she’s solid on the voice commands, just use the lunging cue and no leg and see what you get.

She sounds like a sweetie!

[2DogsFarm]

Agree w/ @Mander - longe w/rider.
Not a pony, but my ginormous (17’3) WB was a former GP Jumper & his canter depart was {ahem} alarming & explosive when I first got him.
Understandable. In his former career, when the whistle blew he was expected to GO!
If I held him it only got worse. No Giraffe-ish rushing, but he’d get really light in front.
What worked was - sounds counterproductive - letting go when I asked.
Ask, give rein & Voila.

[luvmyhackney]

When my hackney pony learned to canter I had to basically drop the reins and let him find his happy place before I could influence his canter. I let him go where ever in the ring but it had to be at a consistent tempo. If it sped up, we circled smaller and smaller till the steady tempo came back, then drop the steering and let him self manage. Rinse, repeat.

[Texarkana]

I think a Mullen mouth with low port kimberwick without the rein slots works miracles for a lot of horses who flip the bird at snaffles.

I think the jointed mouth Kimberwicks in combination with the low rein slots can be nutcrackers, but the Mullen variety without the full curb action can be just enough to get their attention because the pressure isn’t all on the bars of their mouth. A lot of horses really like the tongue relief, too.

[IPEsq]

I do like a pelham for this type of problem. Sometimes getting that little bit of jaw flexion is enough to get the half halt and let go piece of it across to them. That gives you the starting point to work on the rest of it.

[TPF_Hunter]

We did try this and it works well with her trot but the canter she would basically continue her zoomies no matter how long we let the reins stay slack. We still attempt it in hopes she catches on and finds her balance herself.

[TPF_Hunter]

Yes, lunging she is great and her canter is lovely with level head set and no scooting or rushing. This is the reason I believe in her so much! That’s a good idea. And she listens extremely well to voice and vocal praise so will add this to the tool box, thank you!

[TPF_Hunter]

Found a jointed rubber pony Pelham in the barn today so going to give that a try

[TPF_Hunter]

Like this?

FES Ported Barrel Kimberwick | Schneiders Saddlery

[Texarkana]

@TPF_Hunter

Like this?

https://www.sstack.com/fes-ported-barrel-kimberwick/p/01270/sku/01270/?glCountry=us&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIze6ZzLOY-wIVhhXUAR01LgQHEAQYBSABEgK26_D_BwE

That port looks HUGE. A lot of horses wouldn’t tolerate that.

I prefer more like this:

FES Low Port Kimberwick Bit | Schneiders Saddlery

I just wouldn’t use the rein slots.

[Midge]

I would just not canter until she gets it at the walk and trot. As in, the turn and burn isn’t even showing up. Ever. And do the above recommended transitions at the walk and trot. Because unlearning is way harder than learning. It’s like she learned to count by tens. Now you have to go back and fill in one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.

So, don’t canter. Fill in the blanks at the walk and trot, because she also doesn’t sound like she has much lateral training, either. Make it possible for her to succeed without ramping up the pressure. Since she longes well at the canter and is smart through the cavaletti, you have a place to start cantering, once she is good at the walk and trot.

Don’t rush. It takes as long as it takes.

[VirginiaBred]

Honestly, her forward way of going is 100% from the genre she used to do. Work on hills. Barrel horses and ponies rely more on their front halves and don’t have hind-end strength. She will slow down when she gets stronger.

[findthedistance]

Do you have that lovely lunge-line canter transition on a rock-solid verbal cue? That’s one technique I used to calm down my mare’s canter transition. Once the cue was solid, I could give it from the saddle and get a very similar result.

Nitty-gritty: I trained this with a clicker, which the horse already understood in other contexts. I would ask for the upward in the round pen and then click before she had a chance to rush. The click, as she understood it, doubled as my cue for the downward transition. (Click = cookie coming to you!) Once the transition itself was solid and quiet, I could let her go a couple strides before clicking, building duration. Then I got on and did the same thing, being very careful to use only my verbal cue and not the aids she associated with scrambling into the canter. I eventually used my verbal cue to re-associate the improved transition with outside leg.

[cayuse]

If she has a small mouth maybe a bit that offers palate relief might help, she might be getting some discomfort and her “go to” is to get forward. BTDT with a driving mini. He was in a single jointed snaffle and very tense and forward, I switched to a french link and he is so much happier.

[Rackonteur]

What about a kimberwick? NOT an Uxeter? Uxeters have the slots. Kimberwicks don’t.

https://www.ikonicsaddlery.com/en/products/ikonic-kimblewick-bit-mullen-mouth

If OP wants something like a snaffle with a little more effect, they could try a jointed Uxeter with the reins in the top slot.
Or a mullen mouth Tom Thumb pony pelham, maybe?
I’d prefer the pelham over the Kimberwick or Uxeter because with the double reins you can bring the curb into play when you want/need to. Just be sure her rider/s know how to handle the curb rein.