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Post by touchstone on Jan 2, 2007 18:41:18 GMT 1
Hi Sarah, I had a similar situation to yourself with a new pony my friend bought. He had a lovely nature, but had been abused previously and if anything spooked him he too would bolt. He also kept getting his tongue over the bit and the previous owners used a Dr. Bristol with a flash noseband and tongue tie. He turned out to be much more fearful than we anticipated, but we worked out that he had only been riden a handful of times and the other times he was driven, so it was all a bit much for him to cope with. We started of by going right back to basics, choosing routes carefully, and trying to ride out with another horse for confidence at first. We did change his bit to a Myler low port comfort combination - which was fantastic for him as it meant that when he did bolt we still had brakes, but they were much kinder than a harsh bit and didn't cause pain to make him run away even more (which was what was happening in an 'ordinary' bit) Re-schooling and confidence building worked for him, and he literally stops from your seat and a slight squeeze on the rein now, he is a much more pleasant ride, and safer too. Stay safe with that traffic though, might be better 'off roading' until you are both totally confident with each other - it can take time!
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sarah
Olympic Poster
Posts: 828
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Post by sarah on Jan 3, 2007 10:27:18 GMT 1
Thanks Touchstone, I know somebody who has a Myler combination bit for sale, but I would need some lessons on using it first.
Schooling is a problem for us because when Richard Maxwell came out to work on him and he tried to long rein him he nearly killed him. It's obvious he's been in an accident (driving) in the past as he cannot stand anything touching his hindlegs. After three years my farrier has only just managed to trim his hind hooves without ACP paste.
But I will never give up hope, he's a lovely horse and my best friend! (Until he kills me!!!)
I must admit, it's the traffic I am more scared of. Everybody seems to drive so fast these days, especially along country roads. They seem to think we shouldn't be on the roads. I would love not to ride on the road, but it's just not possible around where we are.
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Post by touchstone on Jan 3, 2007 18:10:03 GMT 1
Hi Sarah the combination bit is just the same as any other bit to use - in fact it is recommended for novices because it acts on the nose first before the bit comes into play, so theoretically it is kinder than just a bit alone.
I hope it helps your horse, we did find a big difference with it, good luck!
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