Marshal Morgan. A few minutes in the RP wouldn't hurt for sure.  Definitely a good place to start.  If that doesn't help, you might watch our videos on speed control.  

Bryan Hooper aha!  There's your culprit.  Don't pull on the reins to stop him from grazing.  Swat him on the neck with the end of your rein or rope or something every time he goes for a snack.  If that doesn't get his attention, swat his ear.  If that doesn't fix the pawing, just ride him through it.  Every time he goes to paw, just speed those feet up.  He'll quit soon enough.  Good luck!

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.