They seem nice horses but i thought you were selling soldier as you couldnt afford to get the training needed for a young horse?

An english hackamore is actually as harsh or more harsh than a snaffle bit due to the leverage on the shanks it just puts the pressure on the poll and nose and chin instead of the mouth which is great for a horse with old mouth problems but doesnt really make it much kinder than a snaffle bit with good hands. it should be used with a very light contact. a doctor cooks bridle is supposed to be a kind bitless any normal thickness double jointed loose ring snaffle is a good place to start from when

I use a Gp saddle dont have any choice on brands as my horse is a nightmare to fit but if you get a seat saver then any saddle is comfortable on trails!

english saddles are a pretty precise fit otherwise they can do damage so you need to get a saddler out before you use it. bridle wise shouldnt be that different but id definately get someone to check the fit for your horse, otherwise as an english rider literally id say go for it

having seen your previous post where you state you cant afford a trainer it seems a bit mad to go out and buy another horse. most people particularly with new horses are going to need to pay for some help at some point in time so id definately wait until your financially more stable plus if youve got new puppies coming you wont have as much time to spare for extra horses, id wait till srping at the least.

I think its important that you still walk at the beginning of the session, its to warm up your horse and it should encourage him to chill. you dont want to fiddle too much with your horses natural walk, at the beginning just give him his head and let him power along if he wants just incorporate a lot of circles , serpentines and lateral work on a long rein. what is he being fed at the moment because it sounds like hes very fizzy, turnout wise he needs to be out for most of the day if hes that forward

We use one on ours. the poll pressure is minimal and their main benefit is that they lift the pressure off the tongue which is great for larger tongued horses. if thats what she goes in then id say dont change for the sake of it. its a conventional bit in the uk but dont know about the usa. the cheek piece attaches the upper ring and the rein to the sticky out one. hope that helps and doesnt ramble!

you can retrain her whilst carrying the whip. ask first with your legs then if you get no response immediately follow up with the whip. she needs to learn your legs are to be respected. you dont want to worry about headset at this stage jus get her shifting. spend a whole session doin halt to trot trot to canter, as many upwards transitions as possible using your legs first every time. then just put the whip down at the fence and pick it up if you need it. pulling her head to the side or circling

i think it should be about half an inch, a little bit more with a jointed bit. you should pull the bit straight in their mouth and then measure

I have hair half way down my back and so i twist it into a really tight bun then put the hair net over and put a hair elastic over it around the bun and then use hair grips for any whispy bits