Question
Hi I have a 6 year old 15hh TBxPaint blue/white coloured Gelding who I have owned for 5 years. We like to hack and take part in dressage up to Novice level as well as the occasional show jumping. He comes against the hand in transitions, struggles to stay consistent in the contact and can be a bit nappy at times and stubborn. I want to improve on his contact, the suppleness across his back and improve on our dressage scores. He is currently in a Team Up and has been for 2 years which for quite some time he has been happy in however as we have progressed I do need more help.
Suggestions
After reviewing your question and from the detailed information given we would
suggest that the most logical choice for you try would be the 16ml Verbindend loose ring for flat work and dressage asthis should help to promote a softer more consistent contact. You are obviously at a stage in your training where you are asking for more effort on his part hence this type of resistance is not uncommon. The Verbindend should help you to work through this and establish a better way of going. You haven’t said if you require anymore control for your jumping/hacking etc and it is never Neue Schule’s policy to over-bit, however it is usually beneficial to alternate your bits between flatwork training and faster work. You may wish to consider another design of snaffle that allows you to employ different contact points within the mouth. One to consider would be the 14ml Tranz Angled Lozenge loose ring.
Resources
The Recommendation Given Is As A Result Of Information Gained From The Completed Bitting Questionnaire And In Some Instances An In-Depth Telephone Conversation.