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What Bitless should I use to Jump in?

2K views 11 replies 5 participants last post by  AnrewPL 
#1 ·
What bitless bridle to you recommend jumping in?

I have a keen pony that is scared of his mouth. If i take a slight pull her freaks out and sometimes takes off with me. I am trying to fix the problem, but he needs milage so I want to keep competing him. I want to put him in a bitless so that he can be happy and less nervous when competing, what bitless to you suggest?

*I have just recently bought this pony, it is not my doing

He can also be strong sometimes when jumping.

Also, I you have any other suggestion they are more than welcome!
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't jump him until I made significant progress in his training issues. If he doesn't understand bit cues, I'd hire a trainer to do this sort of work with him:



If he knows but refuses to obey, I'd work him at a walk at stopping with 100% effort each time, then do the same at a trot. Bitless isn't the answer unless he has some serious mouth injuries.
 
#3 ·
He knows what the bit is and has been trained to obey it. He demonstrates this in his flat work. He goes on the bit and is working correctly through his back and everything.

He isa in secure horse and I realise that this comes down to trust, thats waht I'm hoping to do. I want to give him more confidence when jumping basically
 
#5 ·
He has been beaten up and ripped in the mouth. If he does something wrong, like try to go off track, and you try to pull him back on track he freaks out and takes off because he knows that he's in trouble. But if you just ride him at home and he stays on track he does as he is told. He also freaks out if I try to take a jersey or jacket off when I am on him (he tries to take off). He is very suspicious and in secure
 
#6 ·
I'm not a pro horse trainer, I don't compete, etc. But your last description sounds like a horse whose confidence is based on the arena walls, not you. I'd start by walking him on a lead rope out & about, getting him used to following you. Then I'd start making short trips out of the arena, preferably with another horse. I would then work up to short solo trips out & about. I would also make the arena the place of work.

I would not go bitless. Playing with the bit, or a bit with a roller, can help calm a nervous horse and remind him you are there.

If it was his mouth, he'd be like that all the time.
 
#7 ·
would try him in an English hackamore (one with short shanks) see how you get on at home on the flat then hacking about in the countryside would think if he goes good in the arena and out and if you feel comfortable jump him at home if he's comfortable and you are take him to a show and see what he's like American gags are more servere they have much longer shanks and cant see if yours can be abit funny would take to that.. might be wrong of course dont know your horse :wink:
 
#10 ·
what happens if you just keep in what you have keep your rein contact very soft? I did have a horse too hard a check she would nearly sit down with you! but actually very easy to jump kept your contact very soft dont half halt till the turn, concentrate on just keeping your rythem she was a selle francies very sensitive in the mouth but very easy to ride if you knew how to ride her.. rode her in a plain loose ring snaffle never a hackamore btw ;)
 
#11 ·
Steff I have another pony just like that, and this one is similar but not the same. If this pony finds a jump scary in any way he will look at it, think about it and then he will just race into it, I swear he does it with his eyes shut! Its horrible! I keep a light contact and have heaps of leg but it never seems to work!
 
#12 ·
The horse needs training not a change of equipment; that would be my first guess at least. However if it has been knocked about and had its mouth messed up with a bit it might be worth trying something different, (which would mean complete retraining from the ground up anyway) however I’m still leaning towards retraining with the existing setup.
It sounds to me like the horse needs to be taught respect, it shouldn’t be going off the track when you ride it at all, it should respect you and trust you, and the respect needs to come before the trust. If it is going OK when at home, then I’m guessing it’s in a familiar environment so feels relaxed and the lack of trust/respect issue probably isn’t arising much. If however you mean that when you ride out away from home the horse goes off track, but when you are riding towards home it stays on the track, then I’d have no doubt the horse is being disrespectful.
Bsms is giving you a few good ideas there, I’d be listening to that.
 
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