Bitting

Question
Hi,
Thank you for taking my question.  I will try to be concise.
I am a strong intermediate rider, with experience on the hunt field as well as with local law enforcement doing crowd control (shoulder in, side pass etc.). and jousting (yes! ...lances,etc).  Although, I'm sure my hands could be quieter, I DO NOT pull or balance myself on the reins and I give consistent leg cues
 I recently purchased a morgan percheron cross gelding, 7 yrs. old seems to have great potential and is great with his lateral movement.  He was pulling a buggy for the Amish and was also used as a riding horse, but when I got him he was about 200  lbs. underweight and had a serious case of worms.  Now that he is healthy,he is quite headstrong.  He respects my space, yields well in all 4 directions during ground work and to the leg.  But he pulls at the bit  I originally worked with him using a jointed eggbut pelham with 3" shanks.  In the arena, it was a struggle.  In the field: he completely pulled through it like it doesn't exist.  Due to availability,  I recently been working him in a solid shank cavalry bit with 7" shanks and cheek and a low port.  I am VERY careful with my hands on this one.  He seems to like it: his head carriage is perfectly on the bit, and he responds to a light touch signal making it no longer necessary to bang him in the mouth every 4th step to get his attention.
    My thinking is that it is better to have a bit he respects so that I do not HAVE to inflict pain to get him to respond to the signal.  I am however concerned that something is wrong because I cannot find ANY english bits with shank leverage that he seems to respect.  I have NO desire to beat up on my horse, I would like to use the gentlest bit possible, but for the things I do, I need POSITIVE control or someone gets hurt and this seems to be the only bit that he respects.  Am I expecting too much of the weymouth, or pelham?  Are draft crosses tougher in the mouth than most? On the hunt field, most show up with snaffles, if show up with a western cavalry bit, ill never hear the end of it!  Are there english bits with long shanks?...help  

Answer
Hello,
I can tell you really want to be soft with your horse. Here are some exercises I would do to teach him to be light. I would start with the ground work. How well does your guy bend his neck around when you ask. With the halter, using your lightest feel, ask him to move his head over. If he doesn't give to your pressure start taking and giving with the rope. Pressure no pressure, pressure no pressure, until he gives even an inch and then pause and pet him before you ask for more. Once that works well for you, using a snaffle bit as soon as you mount him ask for the same thing in the same way with your rein. The goal is to do this and keep the horse standing still- if he start to move bend him all the way with your hand on your thigh and wait for him to hold still and then give him his head back. Remember, every time you give to your horse you are saying to him "right answer!". Once you can bend him either direction while mounted ask him to walk in a circle. Now is the fun part! Every few feet you push with your inside leg and start taking and giving pressure on the inside rein. If he feels heavy to your leg and hand start bending him over, even if you have to go all the way with your hand on your leg and him stopped (just like what you just practiced). But as soon as he feel soft, like he bends for you give him his rein back. Soon this will feel like just checking in to make sure he is still soft. If he is you give back to him, if he is not you bend him all the way. Try this out for a week or so and let me know if you get stuck anywhere.
Best Wishes