I need a new bit...ideas?

[BCGirl]

My current bit just isn’t getting the job accomplished.

I have been using the Mikmar short shank on my horse for about a year now. When I got him it was what he was being hunted in because it kept him from rooting and it actually is not a harsh bit- and he likes the copper roller in the middle to play with. Fast forward a year- I think I need to rethink his bit.

He has been getting worse about being really strong - especially when I am rating him while galloping and before jumps. It is much worse on approaches to jumps. He HATES waiting in line to jump and dances and leaps and tries to run at the jump like an idiot. However, at home, he goes in a plain snaffle and doesn’t rush. Out hunting, if he is the only one jumping, or if he is first- zero rush. (I should mention he was a whip horse for a little bit before I got him and I think that is where this whole mentality of I don’t want to wait MOM! started). The Mikmar used to give me enough control to handle this, and I still have a fair amount, but not as much as I would like.

When I got him, I knew that he didn’t like to wait at jumps and using more seat communication to ask him to slow down was the better option as he gets cranky when you fuss with his mouth too much. I am sympathetic to this and try to avoid messing with his mouth, but I want to know I have enough control with my bit to stop if the rider in front of me comes off, etc.

His rooting and issue with being rated at the gallop is more of an annoyance I can basically deal with- except I have an old shoulder injury and I never know when it will crap out on me-so I don’t like having to push my shoulder if I don’t need to.

I like that the Mikmar short shank is a leverage bit, so I am open to similar ideas. I am considering trying a pelham for a little while, but it isn’t that different from what I have. I don’t have much experience with Kimberwickes, so don’t even know if one would help here. I am also open to adding a figure 8 if needed as the root of all this is likely a bit evasion issue.

Thanks in advance!!!

[Bogie]

My horse also loves the Mikmar mouthpiece. I hack him in a circle shank at home and he’s very light (it has less leverage than the short shank). When hunting I mostly use a Kimberwicke. I have one with a quarter moon mouthpiece which gives some tongue relief. In that bit he’s very polite but not so backed off the bit that he gets behind the bit. I also ride with a running martingale.

I have also hunted him in a Mikmar pelham and that works well too.

[Huntin_Pony]

I am assuming that your bit is two-rein so you don’t have to use the leverage unless you need it (as with my Mikmar pelham). In that case, how about a longer shank?

[Prime_Time_Rider]

I used to joke that my mare was a member of the “bit of them month club”. I finally discovered that she really likes a gag bit. It gives me the leverage I need without being a harsh bit.

[csaper58]

Move up to the All Around Bit? www.mikmar.com/products.html

[JSwan]

Another thought is to drop back to second; work on steadying your horse to fences and teaching him more patience, and then moving back up. Don’t get into a battle.

Otherwise you’re going to end up with a strong, fit horse and lots and lots of bits; one more harsher than the next. It’s not a bit problem, it’s a training problem. (I’m not criticizing your riding or your equitation - what I mean is that the horse may perform better if you can overcome the eagerness)

[Bogie]

You can also work on this at home. I spend a good amount of my time schooling my hunt horse to do galloping surges – canter to gallop to canter to trot. I use a verbal slow down cue (a trilling sound) to reinforce downward transitions. It works even out hunting – I get at least a bit of a half halt.

I used bribery to teach him to stand a the check. In my case, I used pieces of alfalfa cubes. He learned that really quickly.

I will also admit to giving my TB some time off during hunt season because he gets SO fit that he’s jumping out of his skin. When he’s that hyped it doesn’t matter what bit is in his mouth. He just bounces in place if he can’t go forward.

There are days when he’s too excited to jump safely. So we gap. At home I work on jumping slowly, on as loose a rein as possible, and make sure to keep my upper body back. I find a neck strap helps me a lot.

Good luck!

[jawa]

I guess I think that a little of both is a good way to look at it.

On the bit side: You need one your horse will respond to in the fray, but also one that he won’t be afraid of. The harsher bit can cause them to rush even more due to panicking.

On the training side: Make sure your horse has MANY different speeds within the canter and gallop. And make sure that he is able to move between them easily at home. Develop and uphill canter / gallop. If he doesn’t have it at home, you can’t expect him to have it in the hunt field. I would also advise hunting at the back of second. Only taking jumps that he doesn’t drag you to, or not jumping at all until the end of the day, or maybe even NOT jumping at all for a while. Gain control of the brain, then try jumping occasionally.

I had an OVER eager hunting pony. ESPECIALLY on gallops. I could stop him, but I couldn’t rate him, and he was VERY heavy on the forehand. I worked on some things at home, and changed up the bit I was using, and when he got a little too eager, I would pull up and walk him back to the trailer. After a 1/2 a season of working on homework, changing my bit, and taking him home from the party early if he wasn’t behaving, he was a much better pony.

[Vafoxhuntr]

Agree with getting him uphill at canter/gallop and gag.

[goeslikestink]

[QUOTE=BCGirl;7272356]
My current bit just isn’t getting the job accomplished.

I have been using the Mikmar short shank on my horse for about a year now. When I got him it was what he was being hunted in because it kept him from rooting and it actually is not a harsh bit- and he likes the copper roller in the middle to play with. Fast forward a year- I think I need to rethink his bit.

He has been getting worse about being really strong - especially when I am rating him while galloping and before jumps. It is much worse on approaches to jumps. He HATES waiting in line to jump and dances and leaps and tries to run at the jump like an idiot. However, at home, he goes in a plain snaffle and doesn’t rush. Out hunting, if he is the only one jumping, or if he is first- zero rush. (I should mention he was a whip horse for a little bit before I got him and I think that is where this whole mentality of I don’t want to wait MOM! started). The Mikmar used to give me enough control to handle this, and I still have a fair amount, but not as much as I would like.

When I got him, I knew that he didn’t like to wait at jumps and using more seat communication to ask him to slow down was the better option as he gets cranky when you fuss with his mouth too much. I am sympathetic to this and try to avoid messing with his mouth, but I want to know I have enough control with my bit to stop if the rider in front of me comes off, etc.

His rooting and issue with being rated at the gallop is more of an annoyance I can basically deal with- except I have an old shoulder injury and I never know when it will crap out on me-so I don’t like having to push my shoulder if I don’t need to.

I like that the Mikmar short shank is a leverage bit, so I am open to similar ideas. I am considering trying a pelham for a little while, but it isn’t that different from what I have. I don’t have much experience with Kimberwickes, so don’t even know if one would help here. I am also open to adding a figure 8 if needed as the root of all this is likely a bit evasion issue.

Thanks in advance!!![/QUOTE]

its kimblewick and i would use that as your horse is in a snaffle at home and the kimblewick is a tad stronger but not as strong as pelham

[Huntin_Pony]

GLS - Is it really “kimblewick” in the UK? It’s always been “kimberwick” in the US as far as I know (and I’m pretty old!).

A quick Google search turns up ads for “kimberwick” bits for sale in the UK.

[BCGirl]

Thanks for the suggestions! I think in the bit department I will play around with using a gag and a kimberwick/kimbelwick and in the training department work on the uphill gallop. I may go the Mikmar route again, but those bits are just so incredibly expensive! So if another bit works I would be happy!

Huntin’ Pony- I do use 2 reins on the Mikmar short shank. It can be used with 1 rein since it is still a leverage bit even on the upper slot, but I prefer the additional control that having 2 reins gives me. I just don’t know if a longer shank would help the situation.

JSwan and jawa- thank you for your suggestions. I can’t drop back to second flight and jump because our second flight doesn’t jump. However, if he gets to acting like a real idiot, then he has to drop back to second field. Where he pouts, like a little baby, but gets the idea. After he behaves himself better for a little while, he gets to move back up and is good for a while following that lesson. Then when he gets naughty again, lather, rinse, repeat.

On slow days, I am able to ride toward the back of the field if he is being a jerk and circle in front of the jump until he settles down and nicely approaches and jumps-unfortunately this isn’t always an option when riding with first flight. I am trying to instill the idea that acting like a total idiot=no jumping.

At home, he is fine and when jumping alone in the hunt field, perfect- it is just the waiting and watching others jump that makes him go wonky breeches.

He did have low-grade EPM earlier this year, from which he has entirely recovered, but as his back end feels a bit different now than it must have when he had EPM, I wonder if it has something to do with his hocks or back. The vet said everything looked amazing at another recheck last week, and since it is only jumping in specific circumstances it seems more likely to be training than pain- but I am keeping an eye out for any other signs of pain.

If you have any ideas how I can continue with training without a second flight, I am open to trying anything!

Bogie- I love the alfalfa cubes for training standing at checks, I have one I will try that with! More transition work is also headed his way!

Thanks for all of the suggestions and ideas!

[Foxtrot_s]

I was just in Ferndale, Wa., watching the Hunt there. Two riders had the Myler combination bits and I asked them about them. They felt they had control without hanging on to the face all the time. They said they were worth every penny. But that you had to be “in the present” and listen to your horse every moment for a response.

They are expensive - if you go this route, I would try to borrow one from Myler
as they have a loaner program.

[otterhound]

It’s called a kimblewick here in New Zealand as well.

[otterhound]

[QUOTE=goeslikestink;7273262]
its kimblewick and i would use that as your horse is in a snaffle at home and the kimblewick is a tad stronger but not as strong as pelham[/QUOTE] It’s called a kimblewick here in New Zealand as well.

[BCGirl]

As an update- tried him in a medium port kimberwick/kimclewick yesterday and that certainly did not help. His leaping around was worse to the jumps, however, I certainly had more brakes and he was significantly better with not leaping as much when I rated him at the gallop- as long as I backed off immediately when he gave the slightest slow down, then asking again. I might try him in a hackamore at home to see how he does- maybe he just hates bits! I am also considering the mikmar or other company combination bits that have a string/rope over the nose. He is wonderful with everything else out hunting- great with checks, with gates, everything. It is just the issue with waiting and then the subsequent leaping at fences and when being rated that is the problem. I adore this horse and he is a handful, always has been and I just wish he wouldn’t leap around!!!

[Bogie]

Another bit to try is a Waterford. That gives me more control without causing my horse to back off.

However, my last horse hated the Waterford and wouldn’t take any contact in it. I ended up riding him bitless. Sometimes it’s just a matter of trial and error.

You can rent the Myler Combination bits from some retailers and that’s a good way to test the combo bits. Or, buy the Mickmar bit used. That’s what I’ve done. eBay is a good source but you can also find them on Craigs list and other online sources. There are a couple on eBay right now. You can always resell them and get your money out if it doesn’t work for your horse.

I did try the combo bits in the past and my horses didn’t like them.

[jawa]

You could also try a kineton noseband. For my balls to the walls pony it was what worked the best…and I went through a lot of different bits to try and find what he needed / liked.

He preferred a low ported mullen mouth bit with the kineton nose band. This took the pressure off his tongue and put some onto his nose.

[Ambitious_Kate]

OP, when you mention, and you did several times, the “Leaping around” part, I keep thinking of my horse who gets irritated and throws himself around to try to getaway from me trying to hold him back, and I put him in a running martgingale outside. At least he can’t “yank” me around as much. Saves my nose and my shoulders. Also, a pelham helped us. If he has a port for tongue relief, or if he as the same mouthpiece he has now, you might find he does well with it.

As for the running martingale, I find that he just doesn’t bother “leaping around” because he knows the martingale is there and it thwarts him, at least what my horse is doing. He doesn’t always act up, but when he does, he has broken my nose once, and whacked me around in the face a few times, and it just keeps him from dancing around doing that.

I also really liked the idea of schooling canter-gallop-canter transitions. Schooling the “bring back”.
Good luck.

[Foxtrot_s]

Jawa has a point - I had a Standardbred that ran through her bit, and the kineton gave me a much more comfortable time. It does not work as well on a horse that curls up, chin to chest, tho.

Often, bitting UP is not the answer. My TB mare just got enraged at a kimberwick, throwing her head around. Those thin TB jawbones just cannot take a bit and curb without being in pain.

The other bit that worked well for a 17.1 hh TB gelding was a gag - He did get a good reef on the reins at the beginning of the hunt, and then settled down sweetly.

Be quick to reward a forward going horse, that behaves. They can only go so fast, and if you are not always fighting them, when you do need brakes, you have a chance. At checks, make your horse work i.e. half pass, backing, turns on forehand, haunches, work, work, and stop as soon as it signals it will settle down. I kept mine near a tolerant buddy that was calm…picking my fights.