Bryan Hooper Chances are, he's more upset with your hands than he is about the saddle/blanket.  It sounds to me like you've done your due diligence concerning his back and withers so you can rule that out.  He's most likely trying to tell you to get better with your hands.  try riding him with drape in your reins and see if it doesn't help.  Richard

sheri ann adams Vince Donley, Bill Black, Nate Wald all custom makers.  Traditional Rawhide Braiders out of Ft. Worth is a good source for imported rawhide stuff.  

Phil Mandelbaum I gotcha.  Well, you can always get it and work your horse into it.🤠

Phil Mandelbaum beautiful Balding bit!!

Phil Mandelbaum I don't think you're overthinking it.  Just use common sense.  The more he can wear the bit, the more comfortable he'll be with it.  I try to time my bit transitions when I feel like my horse can't get any better with the one they're in.  In other words, if I come out one day and my pony feels amazing in the hackamore, better than he's ever felt, I change the next day.  The reasoning is that horses don't stay static.  They're either getting better or going backwards.  So if I continue in a piece of headgear past the point where he feels the best, he'll start to go backwards on me, so I swap.  Does that make sense?

Phil Mandelbaum, personally I wouldn't go from a snaffle or hackamore into that bit.  That's a lot of bit!  I'd go to a shanked snaffle or a short shanked correction, then up to a longer shanked correction, then to the bit pictured.  I'd say that one is for a finished horse.

Stephen Gowling its been great having you here!  I hope you made it home safe and sound an I look forward to your next trip when you AND Marsha come😉!  Until then my friend.

Hunter Green sorry for the late response!  I do like to teach my horses to stop straight once I have their attention pretty good.  The reason is that I want to scaffold up to what I'll be expecting from the saddle. My logic is that if I teach them to turn in the stop from the ground, they'll turn in the stop from the saddle.  Hope this helps!  Richard