What type of bit, or headstall should I use on my horse?

Question

Okay well I'm a western rider and need a little help. My horse, a 9 year old Q.H. gelding is slightly green and has bad habits of bucking/rearing. I would like to use a bit that helps to incourage good behavor and stop him from doing things like this. I currently own a mechinical hackamore that my friend recomended to me but after reading up on it I decided I didn't like the fact it could break a horse's nose. So I was thinking about getting a bosal, but that just didn't seem right either. I already have my saddle, tie down, breast collar, nose band, and chin strap but I need a good bit. My horse's head size is 21 in. around the muzzle/chin, 23 in. long from the tip of his nose to about 1 in. behind his ear, and 8 1/2 in. wide from a little above one side of his nose to the other. I don't know if this will help. I have a bad habit of pulling back when my horse rears, and pulling his head up when he bucks so I need a good bit, and headstall that won't hurt him but gives me control.

Answer 1

There is no bit on the planet which will solve that lot. What you need is a good trainer before someone gets hurt.

Answer 2

Talk to a local trainer. To me it doesn't sound like he needs to have more trainer just more guidance. Use more leg if you have to. Headstalls don't hert horses though, it's not the problem. Try getting different cheap bits from tack swaps to try out. Find the one that fits your horses attitude. Try each one for one week for a trial basis.

Answer 3

You need to hire a professional, but if you not going to the only advice I'm going to give you is this...

Stay away from anything with shank...that creates lift and you horse already under stands that, he is so light in the front end right now that you need to go back to the basics. Something double broken with a copper would probably make him a happy horse or a simple leather sidepull.

UPDATE: Don't use side-reins until your horse stops trying to lift and rear, in fact don't even mess with his head at ALL until he can walk, trot, and canter in a calm and working manner during ground work, because doing any of these things before he is ready will only make the rearing in-saddle that much worse!!! Remember tieing the horse's head down is only a crutch, it will have ZERO long term help and only confuse him that much more. Also DO NOT try random bits you find at a swap meet or tack store. Understand what the bit does and how it works before you go putting it in your horse's mouth. A great book for you to read would be, A Bit About Bitting.

Answer 4

Wow.  What does he do RIGHT??  I'll assume you've had a vet check him out for back soreness that might be precipitating the bucking and rearing.  That said,  I think you need to start  back at square one with this horse.  If you have access to a round pen, start with ground work.  It sounds like he needs to develop respect for you, and trust (and probably of and for all people).  If you don't understand round pen training (it's a lot more than asking a horse to run around you in circles) find an experienced, gentle person to show you what you need to do.

Before riding, start out on the ground, checking his response to the bit.  You can use a single or french link D or loose ring - I like Ds. If you know how to ground drive (ask for help, if you aren't really experience at this, too) start by driving him in the round pen. Get him going forward and stopping and turning with light aids.  When he's calm and quiet and responding really well (might take 1 day, days or weeks) , then you can get back on and work in the walk and trot to start. As for the bit when you're back on him, use a full cheek snaffle, and  you're best off starting riding in the round pen, treating him as if he knows nothing.  

You're right about pulling back being a bad habit when a horse rears.  You can easily pull him over on you.  You really have to be quick when a horse starts to rear - you actually have to pull him around when he THINKS of rearing. (this is why I like the full cheek).  Ideally you should send the horse forward when he starts to rear, but this is virtually impossible with some horses. So pulling him around off balance is the option, but you have to do it before he actually takes his front feet off the ground. Once he starts, it's too late, as you may pull him over sidways, as well.  And you really have to use one rein only.  It take some practice riding rearers, and even with experience, some are so fast and rear so high that all you (I) can do is grab mane and wait for their front legs to touch back down on earth before trying to get them going forward.

A stronger bit only exacerbates the rearing problem.  Rearing is basically the horse's (extreme!) method of refusing to go forward, for whatever reason he has in his head.  Bucking is another story.  You do have to get and keep his head up, which takes some strength.  Again, if you can pull him around hard, the moment he thinks the thought, before he actually starts the buck, you can avert the buck, usually.  He gets busy trying to keep his balance rather than bucking.  This is why the full cheek is good, it gives you extra turning power.  Hopefully you do have a good seat, and good leg position to stay on (feet on the dashboard for buckers, leaning forward and grabbing mane for rearing).

This may be more information than you asked for, but it kind of sounds like you may be in a little over your head.  You can go ahead and jump on without doing the groundwork, but you really better be tied on and quick with your reflexes, and in the long run, it's better and fairer to your horse to go the long route.  I've done it both ways, many, many times and somehow have survived!  Good luck.

PS  DO NOT use tie downs, side reins, or any other gadgets with a horse who rears.  Just a headstall and snaffle bit, and some kind of reins that give you a good grip (I uses rubber reins, which are used for show jumping or eventing or galloping race horses).You can put on a neck strap, if you want something to hook your fingers in in case he rears, but the mane is just as good, just takes a fraction of a second longer to grab.

PPS  If he's still bucking and rearing, whether at the beginning or  end of the ride, then you don't have him trained well, at all, and forgetting in the heat of the moment and pulling on the reins when he rears will end you up in the hospital with a fractured pelvis! A trainer won't cost you $1000.

Use a full cheek snaffle.  Good luck.

Answer 5

Debi is correct , you have more problems then just a bit issue. Your horse needs some serious ground work and correct riding. I dont care what your horse does for a discipline, he should know walk , trot, canter in a collected manner flexing at the poll, stop, back and stand quietly. Those are very basic commands. As for a bit, I would start him back in just a plain copper mouthed snaffle bit, do some round pen work getting your horse listening to you then do some bitting in side-reins to teach him to yield to pressure, while in a halter and on the ground do so bending, flexing exercises, using your fingers lightly poking in the side where your lower leg would be getting him to move away from pressure, you have alot of work ahead of you, there is never short cuts to good foundation training.