Outline

[nikki]

Some days my pony drops down on the bit and makes a beautiful outline - other days won't co-operate for all the tea in china! The pony is ridden every day - schooled twice a week and the other days just hacked out or taken out to compete or just for fun rides. How can I introduce a level of consistency to her way of going? The pony does lunge but finds it very boring and doesn't put a lot of effort into it so I keep lunging to the minimum. Any advice would be appreciated.

[showing22]

hi i used to have a show pony that was very on the forehand and above the bit. Apart from changing the way i was schooling him, what i found most helped was changing his bit. I used to just use a plain eggbutt bit, but i changed him to a wilki snaffle and i think they are brilliant. couldn't recommend them enough

[bemused]

I like the sweet iron bit from Fylde- the one with the lozange in the middle - its black and gold (might be called a tom thumb?). Most ponies seem to like it. I have it in a Wilkie, a pelham, and a gag. I have also found that with some ponies you need to keep changing the bits around as they seem to become a bit blase if you use the same bit all of the time. I rarely use my show bit at home. Another bit to try is the waterford, this seems to work as well. When schooling we always do lots of circles of different sizes, as well as serpentines and half halts, and try to keep the pony guessing a bit. Sometimes long reining or lunging in a breaking bit with rings can help. Hope you get it sorted.

[nikki]

Thanks for your helpful advice. Pony has definitely been a bit more consistent over the past week or so. I do have about 3 bits which I swap around - she likes the the ones with the lozenges and also the apple-tasting happy mouths! Will seriously consider the bit you suggest Bemused but when I went on the Fylde Saddlery website couldn't see any sweet-iron bits with lozenge in the middle so will ring up and enquire.

I did consider buying a bungee for lunging (can you ride in them as well?) but have found that a 20 minute hack (incorporating a canter, ground allowing) before a schooling session/lesson helps to to engage her hindquarters and once they are engaged, she usually comes down onto the bit quite nicely. So I think the long-term answer is more sweat and leg on my part and a little playing around with bits.

Not sure about using a Waterford on her as doesn't lean and not strong at all.

Am I right in thinking Wilkie snaffles not legal in dressage?

[danniebmum]

you can only use the wilki in fledglings and the tom thumb is great for getting them to drop there nose and listen.

[HarryHaflinger]

Jul 17, 2008 21:58:46 GMT danniebmum said:

you can only use the wilki in fledglings and the tom thumb is great for getting them to drop there nose and listen.

The wilki can be used in anything?
It is used in alot of show ponies and my 7 yearold haflinger is ridden occasionally in it. He is now ridden in a Tom thumb copper roller sweet iron bit , which I bought from Shires
Was about £12.50 or something-a proper bargain!!
Hope this helps
x

[jennaclare]

Jul 7, 2008 20:08:58 GMT bemused said:

I like the sweet iron bit from Fylde- the one with the lozange in the middle - its black and gold (might be called a tom thumb?). Most ponies seem to like it. I have it in a Wilkie, a pelham, and a gag. I have also found that with some ponies you need to keep changing the bits around as they seem to become a bit blase if you use the same bit all of the time. I rarely use my show bit at home. Another bit to try is the waterford, this seems to work as well. When schooling we always do lots of circles of different sizes, as well as serpentines and half halts, and try to keep the pony guessing a bit. Sometimes long reining or lunging in a breaking bit with rings can help. Hope you get it sorted.

Copper roller tom thumb, highly recomended, there brill.