Bit for a snatcher

Hi Natascha,

First off, have you had his teeth, neck and back checked? Just to ensure that there isn't anything else that could be bothering him.

Was he any better at all in the Ported Barrel?

The Ported Barrel will give tongue relief, but it is one of the stronger tongue relief bits, and it may just be that little bit too much for him still.

I suggest trying him in a Happy Tongue, this will give him plenty of tongue relief, and it is the softest of the tongue relief bits, which should then stop his wanting to snatch.

I wouldn't want to add more than a 2½ Rings pressures to the bit. He seems to be quite sensitive, and adding in lots of poll pressure and leverage on the mouth piece is only going to upset him more. The 2½ should give you just enough to help bring his head up, without adding so much pressure that it starts to upset him.

Regards,
Claire@Bombers

Hi Claire

I have had him checked by a physio, he gets regular dental and saddle checks, the physio, denstis and saddle fitter says he is fine, which makes me thinks that he is actually just playing, he does have a distinct cheeky streak. He once nearly kicked someone who was walking past in the head because he happened to decide to impersonate a lippizaner at that moment out of pure excitement. He is a little bit better in the ported barrel than he was in the eliptical. However he still snatches. I have tried him in a happy tongue loose ring, but he snatches in that as well. I think whichever mouth piece it is I will definitely need the 2 and a half ring as on Saturday he nearly pulled me over his head twice when he porpoise bucked and one of those times he nearly went head first into the arena fence as I cannot get his head back up and that leaves me with no control turn him away from the arena fence.