I am looking for a appropriate driving bit for my Welsh Pony...?
We are just starting to train our Welsh pony to drive. We have been doing greatly of ground driving, practice shafts, and pulling a tire. So far I have been using a normal snaffle, but I call for to find a good driving bit. My son rides her in a snaffle (although I think we might switch to a snaffle kimberwick for riding). What would be a upright driving bit? She has always been worked contained by a snaffle, but when she puts her mind to it she can plow right through the snaffle. I would like to find a low or no port driving bit that will give me correct control and not freak her out.
What bits do you use with your ponies?
liverpool driving bit is popular, ive never driven but i know relatives who do and the swear by them
I use a copper mouth 1/2 cheek snaffle driving bit for my donkey. It comes in a mullen mouth too but I started him in the 1/2 cheek and it seems to work for him.
Answers: I breed and show Welsh ponies and have 1 little section A gelding that I show contained by pleasure driving with great success. He has a VERY wispy mouth and so I broke him and showed him for the first year or two in a plain snaffle. However, he's a little thick within the neck and so doesn't like to flex at the poll as much as he needs to for showing, so I switched him to a straight lump Liverpool. It is the traditional driving bit and is well accepted in the showring - whether you ever decide to go there. But whether your showing or purely driving for fun the nice thing about a Liverpool is that you can get doesn`t matter what degree of control you want by choosing either a straight bar or doesn`t matter what height of port you want(the higher, the harsher of course), tightening or loosening the curb chain( the tighter, the harsher), and attaching your reins higher or lower on the shank(the lower, the harsher). This bit give me enough leverage that my guy flexes beautifully at the poll, but since he's so light mouthed I dance 1 step further and wrap the bar in a layer of Sealtex so that it's soft and spongy. He loves it! You may find that basically a straight bar with relatively loose curb chain and the reins attached right at the bit is adequate to give you complete control with your pony, or you may want to gain a low port and put the reins down 1 hole or clear to the bottom of the shank. That's what's so great about a Liverpool - it is SO versatile. Good luck and enjoy fun!
