Western Pleasure Bits?

So all my life I've been a barrel racer & a gamer. My horse is calm though, until she see's the barrel pattern. I am just learning western pleasure and I have to say it's a big change from what I'm used to!

I have been experimenting with my horse and bits to try and get her headset right and I just can't seem to find one that she is happy with. I use a Jr. Cowhorse bit with a short shank when I game her, but she doesn't like it when I try to collect her head in it. She will do it but then she pins her ears and gets grumpy and starts to buck if I try to collect her head on the shanks and lope her.

I am just trying to find a bit to help with her headset because she naturally holds her head up kind of high, and want to figure out what kind of bit or hackamore I can use to help her get her head down.

Any comments, or suggestions, are welcome :]

There is nothing you can put in that horse's mouth to get a headset. You need to get her hindquarters engaged, back rounded & gather up excess in your hands. Since she hasn't learned to do this yet, & come to your hand & round & lower, she needs a snaffle.
Posted via Mobile Device

You can't ride her off her head. You need to get her moving and using herself correctly.

Can you recommend a snaffle for this purpose? A link or two would be great. :)

Try both a double-jointed (french link) snaffle and a single-jointed snaffle to see what she prefers. I recommend eggbutt rings, but a full check, loose ring, or Dee will be fine as well.

Or an egg butt. She needs to soften & relax. WP & gaming are opposites in the horse world. One is all about speed, & the other is S...L..O..W. & low head carriage. Quite a change.