Hi
I have owned a 16.1 warmblood gelding for 7 years and am having a countinuous problem with him over bending.
He is a very strong horse so I'm currently riding him in an American Gag which really helps me to control him when he gets strong (which is quite often!) However I find that although he can't run away with me in this bit (instead we end up cantering on a stand still!) it causes him to over bend, some times to a stupid degree.
I tend to hack 3 days a week, school 1 day a week and jump/school 1 day a week.
I would like to add that he is a very obiedient and well schooled horse who I spend a lot of time working with, however due to a previous owner being very handy with a whip (or any thing else he had to hand 
) he is very easily upset ie if he's told off for doing some thing wrong, he gets very uptight, anious and sort of shakey and once he's upset there's not a lot I can do to settle him, I just have to sit quietly and wait for him to settle down in his own time (often not untill we're home and he's turned out)
I really want to have him in a softer bit but my worry is that even if he's quiet when we leave home, he could a turn when we're miles away from home and as I've found in the past, when in a snaffle I have NO CONTROL.
I'm so sorry to have gone on and on, but I feel that you need the full story to understand the problem.
Many many thanks.
Horse 'over bending' any advice?
