(no subject)
Situation x-posted
I know I'm probably repeating myself, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out what bit to go with for River. I'll just skim the bit-history quickly so you all know where we're coming from.
My two main concerns at the moment are his very high head carraige (even with a tie-down), and his spooking. Along with spooking goes the lack-of-control issue when he gets worked up. He's a quick mover and it can take an hour of riding before he calms down enough to lower his head and pay attention to ME, not everything around him. I'm starting at Square One with all of his tack, experimenting since nobody knows for sure what he's been used to in the past. We've got almost everything down except the bit. Of course ;P This is where I could really REALLY use some input.
When I was riding him on the trails, walking up and down the mountain, a variation on THIS rolling snaffle did well. However, since the exact one he was using is at least a $50 bit (and was being used since "that's what was free"), I'd like to find something simpler.
Now, his last few days at work, I used THIS C curb bit and it seemed to do the job just fine. But I got him to our new place and really start putting him through his paces, and I have very little control when he gets going. I'm not interested at all, of course, in muscling him around. Also when he spooks (at just about anything new), he's ready to spin and run. I've controlled him thusfar but I'm getting the feeling it's only out of his respect for me and that given time, I'll be going for quite the ride if I can't get him under control fast enough. Needless to say, it's not making me feel very safe, lol.
SO anyhow, any help you guys can provide on what type of bit I should try next would be greatly, amazingly, wonderfully appreciated. I really don't want to have to run around buying a million bits that don't work, you know?
Thanks!!!
I know I'm probably repeating myself, but I'm having a really hard time figuring out what bit to go with for River. I'll just skim the bit-history quickly so you all know where we're coming from.
My two main concerns at the moment are his very high head carraige (even with a tie-down), and his spooking. Along with spooking goes the lack-of-control issue when he gets worked up. He's a quick mover and it can take an hour of riding before he calms down enough to lower his head and pay attention to ME, not everything around him. I'm starting at Square One with all of his tack, experimenting since nobody knows for sure what he's been used to in the past. We've got almost everything down except the bit. Of course ;P This is where I could really REALLY use some input.
When I was riding him on the trails, walking up and down the mountain, a variation on THIS rolling snaffle did well. However, since the exact one he was using is at least a $50 bit (and was being used since "that's what was free"), I'd like to find something simpler.
Now, his last few days at work, I used THIS C curb bit and it seemed to do the job just fine. But I got him to our new place and really start putting him through his paces, and I have very little control when he gets going. I'm not interested at all, of course, in muscling him around. Also when he spooks (at just about anything new), he's ready to spin and run. I've controlled him thusfar but I'm getting the feeling it's only out of his respect for me and that given time, I'll be going for quite the ride if I can't get him under control fast enough. Needless to say, it's not making me feel very safe, lol.
SO anyhow, any help you guys can provide on what type of bit I should try next would be greatly, amazingly, wonderfully appreciated. I really don't want to have to run around buying a million bits that don't work, you know?
Thanks!!!