One rein stops with a Kimberwicke?

Hi there,

I am riding a stallion with a strong mouth. He is becoming softer, but when he really gets going stopping him requires me to be firm with my reins.

I have a sweet iron Dee ring snaffle with a pretty thin mouthpiece on him right now. He loves the sweet iron, but the thin mouthpiece is causing small cuts on the corners of his mouth.

I am thinking of switching to a kimberwicke with a curb chain to still have that pressure I need to stop him but without hurting his mouth as much.

How well does a kimberwicke work for one rein stops and bending exercises?

Thanks.

The one time I really needed my mare to stop (she had taken off) I was riding her in a Kimberwicke, and could NOT get her head around. Couldn't even get her nose to the side at all with both hands on the left rein and feet bracing against the stirrups. My brother thought it was all very funny (he was behind me on another of my horses that I now know is *much* slower than my mare). I don't know if another bit would have worked any better, but I do know that that one didn't work at all.
Kathy

Means you need to fix something earlier in your training. If the horse won't one-rein at a canter, go back to the trot. Flex more, disengage the hindquarters more, and have feel with your hands - give and release. I'd get a full-cheek snaffle sweet iron. Kimberwickes are the english equivalent of a curb bit and will only solve the problem until he realizes he can take advantage of it again. Go back to basics, you're missing something in the foundations. The one-rein stop is not an end-game for stopping, stopping without the reins is. He should know by the movement of your body that you're going to ask for a stop, and the one-rein is reinforcement. If he doesn't, you need to back him up.

Rant.

If I pick up a rein, my horses flex - they don't stop. If I add my leg, then they will turn. If I keep on with one rein and one leg they circle.

How can there be a one rein stop if a horse is taught to flex when rein is picked up?

Because a flex and a stop are different. I can flex my horses while cantering, but they stop when I sit and pull that rein to my hip.

One-rein stop the rein goes to the thigh, and the rein is generally shorter. Sit back, say whoa, and if they don't, use the inside leg to disengage the hindquarters until they get tired.

Flex is much more open and requires you to move the horse forward with your seat. I flex my horses at the jog and lope, but I keep both my legs on and I don't bend their necks as far as I would to stop.

A pelham may be worth considering more so than a kimberwicke... it offers far more finesse in terms of when curb pressure is applied and how much.

One rein stops are meant to be done in a snaffle bit, not a curb. A kimberwick is a a curb bit. Curb bits are designed to increase collection, collection is the opposite of disengagement which is what you are trying to achieve with a one rein stop. Any sort of leverage bit will be less effective at teaching a one rein stop.

I have to agree with Oh vair oh, if your horse is bracing against the bit hard enough to cause cuts to his mouth, there is a big hole in his training. It might be worthwhile for you to spend time going back to a few basics rather than just changing bits.

If you *need* something stronger right now and have experience with a Pelham, I would choose that over a Kimberwick.

I had a mare I cross trained in dressage for endurance. I could have her nose on my knee and she would still be in full forward motion with the remainder of her body.

I do not believe in the one rein stop. Do not attempt to use it on my horses and do not teach it to anyone I work with.

I teach sit, whoa. Haven't had an issue in 20+ years.

I have to agree with mls.

I have never taught it and never will. I have ridden quite a few hot forward going strong horses and have never felt the need to even consider that the one rein stop would be a good idea.