Bit questions for my Thoroughbred?

I ride all my older horses in french link snaffles- loose ring usually, but I have no problems with eggbuts or D rings.

The french link is a GREAT bit. Still very mild, but I find it gives me more control over each side of the horse's mouth. All my horse have gone well in it- even the leaners!

Another D ring snaffle with rollers would be fine if she is happy in it. The rollers will encourage her to mouth the bit and she will not be able to tighten her jaw against it, but keep the jaw more relaxed.

It is not true that ALL OTTBS are trained to lean on the bit! They are just not taught to go otherwise. The reason why she is heavy on her forehand is because she does not have the required muscles behind the saddle - in the hindquarters - to use her hind correctly.

It is not too late to deal with this, though it will take some time. Walking her up the steepest hills you can find, and back down again, will help build her back muscles and improve her balance as to get up and down she will have to get her hind legs underneath her. Of course this is going to be hard work to begin with, everything is when you start something new and she has not got the muscle for it, but the long boring walks will pay dividends in the long run, and you should, combining it with trotting pole work and rails that are correctly placed but slightly raised, get a lighter horse in the end. Hill walking is also a very good way of exercising the heart and lungs and increasing fitness without hammering the legs and straining them!

Also aim to carry your hands higher than you feel is necessary. If your hands are low and set then the horse will find it easier to lean on them.

I tend to like a full cheek copper mouth snaffle. It does not need guards and it is still a 1 to 1 ratio. I have never had one that squeeks. The hinge must be pinched at some point.

Will she walk on a totally slack rein? Probably not : )

Fret not. Throw the reins away and ask her to walk, no contact at all.

She will probably go long and low to find that contact.

Allow her to walk as long as she does not speed up or break gait.

At some point she is going to speed up or trot.

Bring her around sharply and put her to work.

Trot serpentines or circles, go shoulders in or side pass a few steps then back up and trot out to the right or left.

Then stop her rub her let her rest.

And...throw the reins away and ask for a walk.

You should probably have her in an arena or some other controlled environment. OTTBs will sometimes revert to earlier training when they are trying to "Get it".

It is not good if this happens on a road side or some other uncontrolled area.

Clinton Anderson did an excellent series on retraining the OTTB. I think it may have been featured on RFD TV.

You might check into renting or borrowing his DVDs to get a visual perspective.

Libraries often have these to loan and some feed stores rent them.

He is a great believer in allowing a horse to make a mistake in order to fix it. I have found that this works. It works a lot faster for him but it will work for you too.

I would keep her in a copper d-ring if that's what she's comfortable in. No reason to change what's working!