As I'm sure you know, horses are individuals too, so you  never really know what will be best for your horse until you give things a go -- let us know how things work out!

 Well I called my trainer this morning and left her a message to see if she wanted me to try another bit. I'll let you know if we do and if it worked.

IrishRider:

 My concern is she IS being disrespectful and without a little aid to correct that, at least at first, then everything else will be useless. I beieve this was one of AsthonGal's points.

Yup it was me!

The clinic I went to was with a trainer who trained horses for a living and even made it to the QH Congress ect, ect. He was mostly WP but had done some English. I knew my issue was a training one, so that's why I went. I was the lone English rider amongs many western ones! Although Bennett's little bolting issue had manifested not that long before the clinic, it came from a long time of her getting away with being heavy and not giving. I didn't know she wasn't giving as she should since I'd never trained a horse. I also mostly ride alone, have no trainer or regular lessons, and no ones around to help me out so you get into bad habits real quick. He was the one to suggest the smaller twist by saying "If I had this mare, I'd ride her 3 times in that bit, get her attention and respect, and then switch it." When we were doing an excersise in flexion, I asked him when I should give her a release as a reward for giving and he was like "Right now, I wouldn't be too quick in giving this mare a release."

Bennett was being obstinate and a lot of people were like "I can't believe you kept at it. I would have given up." We fought, and we fought hard until she gave. That shows you how far along she was in her direspect of me, and her complete disregard and avoidance of her giving to the bit.

What I thought was her giving and being good wasn't even close. By riding alone (and never training a horse before), you start to doubt yourself if you're asking the right way and when they resist you start wondering when (not if, but when) a battle of wills erupts, will you be able to handle it and come up on top as the winner. Since I didn't know, I'd always back off and so it taught her that if she'd give me half-a**ed responces and fussed a bit, she could outlast me and quickly figured out she could run through my hands quite easily. That's why she was such a spaz at the clinic. It took her a long time to get it in her head that this time, I wasn't giving up. So I can completely understand your fear of her starting to be a bit disrespectful and then having it escalate.

I do have to say that the clinic was one of the best things I could have done. It showed me how Bennett is in a fight and what would she do if I challanged her. It also taught me that I can outlast her and get after her and win. Since then, we've gotten in a few arguments, but I hold out and she gives in to ME. And her canter work (which I hadn't done much of, out of fear and frustration) is coming along very nicely.

IrishRider:

 I just need to correct this quickly because the idea of this happening in the show ring freaks me out. I'll already be a ball of nerves showing for the first time and then if she does this and I can't regain control I forsee disaster.

I know how you feel. Our issue really manifested itself back in September about a month away from a horse show and at the actual show, she ran away with me twice, once in the warm up ring and another time in the ring itself (didn't help that right in front of her at the canter was a horse kicking out and bucking at everything around it). But it sure shook my confidence in her since until then she'd been really good at shows and in the ring.

 Well I am certainly glad that you guys are working things out. We had a good lesson yesterday. We rode with a corkscrew bit. She was very well behaved so I'm not sure if it was the bit or if she was just being good. My guess is it was a little of both. We did a little jumping but my trainer wanted us to do more cantering to see how she would be. She was an angel. We had a nice smooth canter in both directions and no crazy head down, run away antics. It was lovely. So I'll probably ride her in that bit a couple more times to make sure yesterday wasn't a fluke but there was a huge difference in response and respect. My trainer also pointed out that when we start working that I need to make her march up and listen to me right away. I tend to let her plod along at first, mainly because I'm trying to warm myself up and ease into it. But she said that by doing that, I am not gaining her respect right off the bat like I should be. And then at that point she feels like she doesn't need to listen and it goes down hill as the workout progresses. I thought that was an interesting point. 

Glad to hear your lesson went better! I have no idea what a corkscrew bit looks like. 

IrishRider:

My trainer also pointed out that when we start working that I need to make her march up and listen to me right away. I tend to let her plod along at first, mainly because I'm trying to warm myself up and ease into it. But she said that by doing that, I am not gaining her respect right off the bat like I should be. And then at that point she feels like she doesn't need to listen and it goes down hill as the workout progresses. I thought that was an interesting point. 

Ben's funny that way. Some rides I have to start right off in a work mode with her and she's great, others she gets rattled and almost needs those quiet few minutes to really get into the groove of things. She'd a bit odd that way.

 They all have their odd little ways. I guess that's why we love them.

A corkscrew bit looks very similar to a slow twist.

IrishRider:

 They all have their odd little ways. I guess that's why we love them.

IrishRider:

 

A corkscrew bit looks very similar to a slow twist.

Ahhh, ok. I know what it is now.