Your problem is to do with training, not equipment. Snaffles are NOT mild or gentle, but perhaps she braced against it because this is how she coped with the pain of the twisted bit. You don't need to buy an actual bitless bridle, there are a few options out there, including a rope halter.

You need to teach this horse to *yield* softly to pressure. Do this from the ground first, and make sure she understands to yield whatever part of her body you push on, so she'll have an idea about leg & seat aids, which you should use in preference to rein pressure as much as possible. Teach her to yield softly to the bit from the ground first too. Do it by starting with very gentle pressure, that *gradually* escalates if need be, to the point of mild discomfort. Don't hurt her or force her, but keep the pressure at this level until she responds to it, even in the smallest way. Then you instantly release the pressure & reward her.

As you don't go into detail about when, where, what she has problems with, I can only guess that it's when you're riding. Make certain there are no other painful or discomfort issues causing her grief, and that you're not inadvertantly unbalancing her, giving conflicting cues with your seat or body or otherwise causing her to have difficulty.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]