[jokerslastdude]

I am not a good writer, i like bullets a lot more..

background:
new horse
QH
do most training on the trail or in a little ring around the pond
we don't have a good regular ring, cause we just finished building the barn and that is next on our list.
bought him at an auction so don't know too much about his training
gets in a frame really nicely
using a full cheak snaffle
when i saw him ridden before i bought him he was western, but i think he has had training in english

problem:
His mouth is to hard.
He pulls against the reins
if i loosen then he goes faster
it takes about 3 pull and release until he stops
he won't stop/slow with constant pressure
and you barely have to touch him to GO

solution?
I would like to soften his mouth up and not go for a stronger bit.
any suggestions how to do this or other solutions.

Thanks

[Shotgun93]

Try going back to some basic training. Teach him how to move off of pressure, do lots of bending and backing, do one rein stops and get him more flexable.

Before he gets rushy, use the one rein stop or ask him to stop and back up. The more he gets it into his head that he needs to listen to you, the less he'll speed up and get pushy.
Use the round pen to work with him on some of the basics.

Also, have you had his teeth done lately?

[jokerslastdude]

Originally Posted by Shotgun93

Try going back to some basic training. Teach him how to move off of pressure, do lots of bending and backing, do one rein stops and get him more flexable.

Before he gets rushy, use the one rein stop or ask him to stop and back up. The more he gets it into his head that he needs to listen to you, the less he'll speed up and get pushy.
Use the round pen to work with him on some of the basics.

Also, have you had his teeth done lately?

Thanks! i have been doing some of that but its good to know i'm going in the right direction. and def the one rein stops, i didn't think of that.
I think his teeth were done recently but the vet is coming out monday so i'll find out! cause i was def wondering that also

[Blistering Winds]

His mouth is to hard.
He pulls against the reins
if i loosen then he goes faster
it takes about 3 pull and release until he stops
he won't stop/slow with constant pressure
and you barely have to touch him to GO

Sounds like an OTTB/QH to me.

Many of the OTTB/QH's I've delt with have all the same symptoms. The horse may have been worked a bit in western, but you are describing most of the people's problems they have when they bring an OTTB home. Be it one that is right off the track or one that was never re-wired correctly.

Or an ex-gaming horse. Many of them are GO button horses too.

basically, with this horse, I would start at the beginning. Get the walk down to a T. No running, no loping for a while. When the horse is doing everything you want at the walk, move to the trot. Work transitions, leg cues, etc. Then eventually, get back to the lope.

By then, the horse should be listening to the bit and giving to the bit instead of grabbing it and bracing to go.

[SkeeterGirl]

I agree with Shotgun93 on the one-reined stops. yielding to pressure is key. and constant pressure to stop is not something a horse understands easily so go back to those one-reined stops and ease into it. when you loosen your reins and he goes faster, just tighten them until he slows to where you want him, then release(he's waiting for the release as a reward) if he goes faster again repeat the process until he gets the pictures. tiring, but i find very effective. when he pulls on your reins, don't pull back. keep your hands steady and anchored in one place(saddle horn, mane, anywhere) and just hold them there. if he knows yield to pressure then he'll understand pretty quickly. as soon as he stops pulling, release. personally i would love a horse that barely took anything to get him to go. That means less work for me! Just make sure that he only goes when you ask him to. hope i helped. good luck