Do you think i should switch from a bit to a hack??

Question

my mare is slightly uncontrolable at shows.. she gets excited when i do and i know i need to calm down at shows but even when i am calm she just gets a rush of energy from everything around her... whereas at home she will be nice and calm and i try to ride in a halter and clip on reins most of the time and she is fine... i recently switched to a combination bit which seems to give me a bit more control over where she goes and how fast she is going there, but she throws her head ALOT more than when i was riding in a tom thumb.. i like both of these bits, but she doesnt seem to like either of them.. should i switch to a hack or will it be too risky trying to keep her under control?

Answer 1

It would be worth having her teeth checked as she may be in pain from the bit. If thats ok then by all means try a hackamore. It's very important to fit it properly - it should not interfere with the breathing in any way at, it should sit on the bone of the nose. It's important to have soft hands and not put constant pressure on the noseband.

The other thing is if you do switch to a hackamore then you need to do a lot of groundwork to make sure your horse understands what is being asked - it's very different for the horse and they need time to understand the hackamore. Try longreining in it as this will enable you to teach the horse to turn and stop in the hackamore.

The other thing to consider would be a bitless bridle (not the same thing as a hackamore). Something like the dr cook is good, although it doesn't suit every horse. It basically hugs the horses head and looks a lot more like a conventional bridle.

The other thing is you need to be riding, at home, in whatever you use at shows as the change may be the thing upsetting the mare. If you ride in a bit at shows then you should be riding a lot of the time in a bit at home - you can also ride in the halter but when schooling it is worth using the bit as this is the only way to have the horse comfortable in it. The same would apply to any bitless bridle or hackamore you try.

As for being risky to try a hackamore, you may find you have more control in it. Try it at home and see how she goes.

Answer 2

If she is tossing her head with the new bit I would first check that the bit fit right and was not pinching, you may also want to see if her teeth need to be floated or if she has wolf teeth that need to be pulled(not sure how old your horse is so she may or may not have them).

If she is getting hot at shows you may just want to take her along with you and not ride, just let her look around without you being excited so that she knows that she is ok at the show grounds.

If she is still running through your hands and being hard mouthed then you may want to go with a stronger bit. A dr.bristol works well and is jointed. You could also try a french link snaffle or a kimberwick (be careful of the curb chain), or an elevator bit. If you have soft hands then using a jointed curb bit but some soft mouthed horses will fight a curb  or even rear because of the pressure. Another control bit that works well with a soft handed rider is a twisted wire bit.

Before you go and buy a new bit see if you can barrow one and see if she works well with it. That will save you a lot of money.

As for the hack just try it out but bring a bit along with you just in case she gets to strong.

There are also several training aids that you can use out side of the ring and in some cases inside of the ring depending on what classes you go in. Standing and running martingales, german martingales, or draw reins may help also.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

i had a palomino mare fastest thing ever and when you put a bit in her mouth she would fling her head and rear and bolt this is what i put on her its a bosal/indian hackamore and it works greathttp://cgi.ebay.com/Samson-Rope-Indian-H...

Answer 4

well just keep in mind a hack cuts off their oxegyn and thts why they respond they way the do. cuz the cant breeath.

Answer 5

Hacks are quite severe if you don't use them right. The way they work is by applying pressure to the nose- which is also their only way to breathe.  If you have a firm hand then i wouldn't be riding in a hack in fear of always cutting off my horses breathing.

Why not try switching to a D-snaffle or curb bit? Thats what i used on my thoroughbred gelding when he'd get a bit too excited for me & my friends at shows : )

Answer 6

They do make specialty bits for different breeds of horses. I own a Tennessee Walker, at first he was use with a high port bit and a cavason. This worked wonderfully, then I moved him to a low port for less severity. We practiced bending at the pole and following comands. I think with your situation you should first check and see if your bit is too severe or not severe enough. I am not a fan of the hack, only because what happens if she does run and become uncontrollable, you will have to pull back and possibly hurt her badly.

Think about a cavason. Is she opening her mouth alot? This will make her keep her mouth closed and listen to the bit. I know my horse, when anxiety kicks in, he opens his mouth alot! Ignoring the bit and any comands. The cavason fixed that for me! He is a dream and works wonderfully!

Good Luck! and check on a specialty bit for her!

Answer 7

Are you a barrel racer? Firstly stay away from tom thumbs, they make good door stops but thats about it. The shanks are to straight making the amount of leverage pretty large and with the snaffle mouthpiece you still get the nutcracker action. Does she have latural flexion? This means when you pick up one rein and move it to your hip does she put her nose to your boot? If not you need to get her flexing softly to each side. Ask this by running your hand down the rein slightly then take a hold and move it towards your hip. Dont pull, if she starts to walk circles keep your hand there till she stops. Trust me she will. Let go of the rein. The best reward you can give a horse is to stop asking.

Then go ahead and ask again. If she stands still but it feels like you have to pull just hold until she dips her nose even a little bit. Then ask again. She will get it. Then do it all again to the other side. Soon you should be able to lightly pick up the rein and flex her to each side. This is also the foundation to a one rein stop. Something every horse should have. The one rein stop means you will never need to use a bigger bit.

Once that is done then you can sort out bits. Keep her in a loose ring snaffle till she is rounded and soft. If you barrel race you may be able to move her up to a combination bit, they help with lifting the shoulder. Normaly when a horse throws its head its because they arent ready for a certain bit or its a teeth problem. You could try a Jim Warner hack, they are soft and light, so long as your hands are also soft.

I could go on and on and on!!