Thank you! He is pretty.
What we have done so far. owner said that he was nipping all his life (so it means at least past ten years). But we found when grooming that he does not like to bite on metal.
So we tried to find a crop with a metal handle. All awailable were with plastic only. So we went to the plumbing shop, got a bit of plumbing pipe and made our own crop. When he tries to nip, he can nip the metal pipe. He does not like it. So now (after 4 days) it is enough to keep the crop end in his sight, and he does not nip. Instead of 30 minute fight we were able to put the bridle on in less than 2 minutes. It is great. We did not needed to hit him at all, a bite by himself on metal was enough.
Now the work with him looks like this
No nipping - patting and praising, nipping - please, here is the crop end to bite in.
yesterday husband was trotting with him on the road. Lead was loose about 2 m, and he was trotting with husband not by pulling, but just by verbal invitation. And he kept the pace with husband - when he was trotting , horse did the same, when he slowed down, horse went into that strange half trot, nicely pointing the hoofs down. It was a great sight as they were partners and friends.
When we call, horse runs towards us, when we leave, he tries to call us back by pawing. And when we really leave, he calls us back by voice.
Husband walks him on horse's left side, so that we are doing right. When horse gets naughty or has gases, husband just press against its tummy and sends him forwards, so he circles outside with husband in the middle of the circle. Not reall running in circles so far as (by our opinion) after 6 months in box muscles must be build up gradually and he must loose so much fat. mainly we walk him around like a dog on lead - we started with half hour, now we do it 2 hours. But he is still not tired out.
We had not tried stud chain, but i presume that bite will do the thing until the respect and boundaries will be built. He is too difficult to handle just on halter at present moment. On bite he responds really quickly, i walked him with lead in my left hand and right hand on his withers with just two fingers on his rain and he was soo good.
The only really annoying thing is to keep the crop in his sight.