You can rent the Mylers at several places. I rented some Mylers from Horse Rider Etc. The woman was very nice and had the best prices at that time.
I have been through a lot of bits for my guy… he is of the get low up front and pull variety. Tried a few different pelhams and they didn’t do much good. For us the 2 or 3 ring elevator with TWO reins did the trick. I have the Dr Bristol mouth piece and ride mostly on the snaffle rein but have the back up “brakes” when needed.
[QUOTE=butiwantedapony;7496501]
I am not a fan of bitting up, and even with some VERY strong horses over the years, have rarely gone beyond a basic snaffle for control (I think a waterford is probably the “harshest” bit I have used regularly on a strong puller).
I currently have a little mare with an ENORMOUS gallop and she just gets SUPER SUPER strong when I let her out at all. This is an EXTREMELY forward thinking horse and I need to bit up a little as yanking on her french link is getting old for both of us.
What have your had success with? I imagine something with leverage on either the nose/poll as opposed to just action on her bars would be preferable.
I really don’t want “harsh” - instead I want something that will provide a bit more reaction with less, but not something that will just hurt more if she bears down on it (ie I don’t foresee a twist being a solution). She is EXTREMELY light in the bridle until we get out to the field and gallop a bit - then she becomes strong. She does not pull down and forward, rather she just doesn’t react when I ask her to come back a bit.
Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]
A stronger bit is not necessary – go with a Kinneton noseband. Incredible for strong pullers.
My stallion, who can bear down and get a little yeeahawww on xc, responds well to a Myler combo bit with Sealtex on the mouthpiece. He is very sensitive and the ‘warning system’ of the combo bit helps keep him from getting offended!
My mare, who is just a very confident headstrong redhead, and ALSO very sensitive! finds anything even remotely coercive extremely unpalatable, but she went really well in a Nathe cartwheel bit (~$250) at a clinic, so I’ve done my best to replicate it by wrapping a Stubben EZ Control bit ($75) with Sealtex. Not quite as good but pretty good.
Both flat and showjump in a straight bar Nathe loose ring, so they ARE broke 
Jennifer
I used a kineton on my hunt pony that felt he should be hunting the hounds, not following in the field.
It worked really well, but after a 4-5 hours of hunting he would eventually get pinched. I rigged it with some leather pieces so that the kineton wouldn’t get pulled snug to his lips when the reins engaged. This helped alot, but what I finally went with that worked the best was the micklem bridle with clips. This works the same way and he seemed to really appreciate the feel.
The nice thing about a kineton or micklem is that you can change the mouth piece, but still have the nose action.
My hunt pony was such a stinker he would evade my being above the bit or by rooting to the ground depending on which mouthpiece I used. The kineton and the micklem made it so that no matter where he tried to evade he still had the nose pressure to deal with.
My go-to is usually some kind of pelham, my favorite being my straight bar Happy Mouth. But it does depend on the horse and how they gallop and how they get “strong.” I usually end up in a pelham because I have a lot of options with it (I typically use two reins), so I can loop the curb and ride 98% of the time on the snaffle if I am so inclined.
Toby went in a gag for awhile, again with two reins, because he was galloping low and baring down on me. He is VERY sensitive, so the two reins were a must, so I could throw the gag rein away if he over reacted.
My old horse went well in a wonder bit with a Nathe mouth. He was strong, but didn’t love metal bits and wasn’t SO strong that he needed a ton of leverage…just a little bump. FWIW, Toby HATED that bit (and any other form of wonder bit or ring bit).
I’m not a fan of sharp bits, though I will use them if that’s what we need. And I just don’t like kimberwickes…I just find most horses get really stiff in them and there is no fine tuning in it…I actually think a kimberwicke is what turned a pony I used to ride into such a hard mouthed little punk. And, before I ever go up in bits, I go up in noseband.
[QUOTE=butiwantedapony;7496501]
I am not a fan of bitting up, and even with some VERY strong horses over the years, have rarely gone beyond a basic snaffle for control (I think a waterford is probably the “harshest” bit I have used regularly on a strong puller).
I currently have a little mare with an ENORMOUS gallop and she just gets SUPER SUPER strong when I let her out at all. This is an EXTREMELY forward thinking horse and I need to bit up a little as yanking on her french link is getting old for both of us.
What have your had success with? I imagine something with leverage on either the nose/poll as opposed to just action on her bars would be preferable.
I really don’t want “harsh” - instead I want something that will provide a bit more reaction with less, but not something that will just hurt more if she bears down on it (ie I don’t foresee a twist being a solution). She is EXTREMELY light in the bridle until we get out to the field and gallop a bit - then she becomes strong. She does not pull down and forward, rather she just doesn’t react when I ask her to come back a bit.
Any suggestions?[/QUOTE]
Have you tried moving your dressage training out to your gallop field? Do your regular dressage work in canter then go a bit more forward, then come back. Do whatever you do that works in dressage–just throw in gallop/canter/trot transitions or circles or changes of direction. In the long run this may be more successful than a different bit. I have done this with success several times.
[QUOTE=Lord Helpus;7497629]
A stronger bit is not necessary – go with a Kinneton noseband. Incredible for strong pullers.[/QUOTE]
I would like to try one of these, I will have to see if I can find someone who will loan me one to try, I can’t buy anything for, oh, 50 years, LOL!
I have a similar horse, OP. He just gets excited about his job. The elevator that was magic for my downhill Appendix had the opposite effect on the uphill OTTB – he leaned down on it! Now I jump him in the Happy Mouth pelham, which is much better, even though I am a heretic cheater and use a converter. I did start him in it with two reins, but there is no way in anything I am riding XC with two reins, sorry, I am not that gifted.
But it’s not quiiite enough to get his attention. I just don’t believe in pulling matches and yes, of course we train, but I am not going to punish, nor should I, his go-to attitude, he takes his job very seriously and is never a runaway. I’ve pondered the combo, but certainly can’t buy it and have a feeling that string nose would not be a hit.
I like Mullen pelhams. It gives me a snaffle rein to use tjhe majority of the time, but I have that curb rein for backup if/when I need it.
[QUOTE=wildlifer;7502459]
I have a similar horse, OP. He just gets excited about his job. The elevator that was magic for my downhill Appendix had the opposite effect on the uphill OTTB – he leaned down on it! Now I jump him in the Happy Mouth pelham, which is much better, even though I am a heretic cheater and use a converter. I did start him in it with two reins,[B] but there is no way in anything I am riding XC with two reins, sorry, I am not that gifted.
[/B][/QUOTE]
It really isn’t that big of a deal to ride cross country with 2 reins. First find reins that are comfortable for you to hold. Go to a tack store (or dig through a bin of spare parts 
) and try holding different combinations to find ones that will work for you. Then just ride in them consistently - trail rides, gallops, etc. In no time using 2 reins will feel much more natural.
And when you drop th or slop them on xc, you just grab them anyway possible to
get you through to the next long gallop, then sort them out
I did drop my whip accidentally the first time I rose with two reins…before I left
the start box! Oops!
[QUOTE=Christa P;7504258]
It really isn’t that big of a deal to ride cross country with 2 reins. First find reins that are comfortable for you to hold. Go to a tack store (or dig through a bin of spare parts ) and try holding different combinations to find ones that will work for you. Then just ride in them consistently - trail rides, gallops, etc. In no time using 2 reins will feel much more natural.[/QUOTE]
Agreed. Everyone who hasn’t tried it (myself included) thinks riding with two reins is incredibly hard. It isn’t that bad. Ride with two reins regularly and your fingers will figure it out. I use two very different-feeling reins-- rubber for the snaffle, and web/rubber with stops for the curb. I like the stops so that I can set my curb length (relatively soft) and not have to fiddle with it. But use what works for you and feels comfortable.
I had a pony who was incredibly great out XC and trail riding. However she would out of the blue bolt off with me at times…as if something stung her in the ass! Short, thick neck=could grab the bit, pull me out of the saddle and keep trucking! I’m never a fan of bitting up but in this case I needed the help while I taught her not to bolt. I went the Pelham route and it was amazing! I rode on the snaffle rein and if she bolted I engaged the Pelham rein and say her on her ass. After a month she quit bolting and we went back to our French link. On the occasion she did bolt I could now stop her with a French link.
I just started using a Kineton noseband with my mare. She has a pretty light mouth too, but when we jump she gets stronger and a bit ignorant… It works amazingly with her. I use is with a plain loose ring snaffle and when i pull on the reins it uses nose pressure as well as bit pressure. It might be worth looking into for your mare as well.
I have a guy that prefers to curl and suck back as a means of evasion… and with his tendency to flip his palate when he gets BTV, that concerns me. 
I’ve run him in a gag but I think it’s too strong for him. (Before we moved up, he went fine in a Dr. Bristol slow twist, although the slow twist party was pretty mild.) Any suggestions?
[QUOTE=Christa P;7504258]
It really isn’t that big of a deal to ride cross country with 2 reins. [/QUOTE]
Oh, I am not saying I can’t do it – I have done, both on the trail, dressage, and over fences/XC and my set is made with a pair of old reins which got the buckles broken so they are both reins I like the feel of AND they are different colours. But the way I ride mentally and physically and the way my horse goes make it counterproductive for us personally. The plastic mouth by itself is a complete waste of time on him XC and the curb by itself ticks him off, but horses being horses, the combo with the converter makes Goldilocks happiest so far, hahaha!
I second the use of the mullen mouth pelham. Using double reins isn’t that hard and give you amazing flexibility, unlike a converter. You learn how to just flex your wrist for the curb when you need to: It becomes second nature fast.
I used the converter the most though (had a horse with a thick, strong neck as he wasn’t gelded until he was five; he was a goer).
The pelham can make a horse carry its head lower though.
I second the use of the mullen mouth pelham. Using double reins isn’t that hard and give you amazing flexibility, unlike a converter. Riding on the bit and activating the curb only when you need it becomes second nature fast.
I used the converter the most though (had a horse with a thick, strong neck maybe as he wasn’t gelded until he was five; he was a goer).
The pelham can make a horse carry its head lower though.
Sometimes a horse will cart you off no matter what you use and you might need to address other issues. You can put a gag on a horse and still be a passenger!
What is it with those courageous little hunt ponies who think they should be at the front all day?
Mine used to go out on a leading rein with a thoroughbred and the TB would tire first!
Yes, he needed a pelham!
I really like the Nathe butterfly keeps horses that get excited about galloping from pulling and you can keep your hands down and just use your upper body to slow them. Only place I have found to buy is bitworld in UK.
