So y'all know Bandit, my 11 year old Quarter Horse gelding. I have been riding him for 8 months, and 4 months ago I was riding him inEnglish. I had him out on a trail ride for a few hours and came back and he was exhausted. I had been working up to cantering him, and I thought it was a good time to start (I had cantered him with a friend while trail riding previously). I start to canter him, we loop the paddock 4-5 times. I slow him down, change direction, canter him again. He was fine right up until he just starts tossing his head and speeding up and starts zig zagging and he is heading towards a big ditch with barbed wire on the other side. I just jump because I ain't got time for that. I fall, get the wind knocked out of me and am bruised for a month. 

Speed to now and he's in boot camp (he's been bad recently, but he's the best behaved he has ever been since I've started hard working him.) The other day I trotted him around the paddock in western for a little more than an hour. He tried to toss his head or speed up to the barn, I popped him with my over and under. I'm getting a round pen put up soon which might help.

I suffer from anxiety, and you can guess that the thought of making him canter just makes me sick, I want to get back to that. I'm thinking of asking him to canter and letting him go for a few strides and then pulling him in. 

In English, I ride in a snaffle. In western, a twisted wonder bit. The wonder bit is my favorite, he turns to putty with that bit. He tries to pul stuff in a snaffle. 

Tips on getting back to where I was and make my next canter more pleasant? 

My typical English tack with the snaffle bit, no martingale. 

My western bridle set up with my twisted wonder bit, but I usually ride in a barrel saddle and not a roping saddle. I have a tie down but rarely use it. Never mind the stud chain, it was his first ride after winter off of just pure bad behavior. 

Well, there's a lot of things. First of all, have you ruled out that he's in pain at the canter? That was my immediate thought with your description. And if not in pain, if it's making you nervous and you're pulling on his face and hanging on too tight with your legs or even bouncing around too much that could make him act out. Other that that, I don't ride English without a martingale on most horses, it keeps their head in check and reminds them that they're at work. And finally, if the snaffle isn't working, why are you using it? Time for an upgrade if you can keep your hands quiet with the english tack.

That was my first thought too... maybe he's hurting, or maybe he's just acting spoiled?  My gelding does this also... I find it helps if I take him and ride him out as opposed to working him in the arena.

His previous pasture mate has back problems, but he's not in pain at all. I think its a brat problem, he wanted to go up to the barn and feed. I make sure not to be tense on his face or flopping too much (I took lessons for..... 8 years?) 

I'm slow to run him out of the pasture because I don't have anyone to ride with anymore and if something happens, I'm out of luck. 

I'll look into buying a martingale, its been on my list for a while. Tips on another bit for English? I've got a host of stray bits so I'll check what I've got, but I'll take suggestions. Unless I just ride him in my wonder bit XD

I'm going to go ride today, I think I'll do a lot of walk trot and maybe some ground pole work. Or maybe even jump. Idk. Might canter for a few strides then rein him in and repeat

Went through my bits, I think I'll try a twisted snaffle I have. He does well with my twisted wonder, so I'll go off that

your wonder bit has a little bit more leverage than any snaffle due to having a chin strap/chain and shanks...does he toss his head with both bits?!

you can still use the wonder bit just move your reins to the big o ring and viola snaffle!!!

if you do think he is being a brat then i would work him at the barn and let him rest away from the barn.....get his feet moving forwards backwards left and right....it does really work!!!

also id try getting him to give to pressure...you can do this on the ground or in the saddle....also id recommend using a rope halter with the two knots on the nose....clinton andersons halters are the best....theyre better than regular halters with chains....

once you get your roundpen up groundwork will be super easy....

also a jr cowhorse bit is another good bit....kinda like a step up from a snaffle....might be a tad less harsh than a wonder bit...

as i was saying before about tossing his head with both bits then he is being unruly...but if its just with the wonder bit than maybe its too much bit for him....

i am partial to my twisted wire snaffle and is what i use on both my mares because they respond well to them...

my buckskin filly i have a feeling is going to be super easy because im doing a ton of groundwork with her and getting her use to stuff id eventually do on her back...again super easy with a roundpen!!! 

ohhh and maybe check your saddle fittings...sometimes that can make them uncomfortable too!!!

He's best behaved in the wonder bit and tosses in the snaffle, which is just odd! I'll let kids ride him in the wonder because he is naturally best behaved in it. I think I'll put my twisted wire snaffle on my English bridle, take the eggbutt snaffle off and see how he does. He was gelded late so he puts up a fight still, as well as him being penned with a mini gelding all the time with the mares separated. 

Yesterday we did a lot. Left circles, right circles, backing, weaving, etc. I'm already looking for a rope halter with the knots on the nose because he needs some brushing up on that.

I just got a new western saddle and it fits him and the English, back then, was new and it was the 4-5th time riding him. 

For bits, you could also try a French Link, it has two joints, instead of one like a snaffle. Some horses will respond better to that because instead of creasing in the middle and pulling back on the sides, it's a more gentle crease in the middle. That could be WHY he tosses with the snaffle and not with the wonderbit because something about the snaffle is making him uncomfortable (even though you never think of the gentle snaffle being anything BUT comfortable, but every horse is different) or pinching him thw wrong way. Waterfords are also really good.

I used a twisted wire snaffle (full cheek) on my jumper for years, but she also had a dead mouth from previous owners. Not knowing the history of your horse and just basing it off of what you've said, he doesn't have a dead mouth, he's just ignoring the bit? So you want to be careful moving up, because if a bit is TOO harsh then he will toss his head because he's mad about it. If he responds well to the wonderbit then I would try that, or look for the most similar english equivalent.

Also, out of pure curiousity... if that's him in the photos, may I ask why you refer to him as a Quarter Horse? :)

Do you think it would be possible to try him without a bit at all?

I'll have to try twisted wire, I've used French link on him before and he had a field day ignoring that. Its top wet to ride here for a while, but I'll definitely try. 

His parents were both registered AQH and the momma was double registered with APHA. He's a tiny qh though, I don't know where that's from!!

I ride him in a hack if I'm bareback or just messing around, but that has no stop for me. I wouldn't feel safe running him in a hack

We have a mare at the yard I work at, she ALWAYS used to throw her head around and go crazy. We had tried everything to stop it, then we finally removed her nose band and the head throwing stopped completely. So maybe give that a try when you're schooling him and see if that helps at all?

I agree with Sam 100% about the martingale, at least if he's throwing his around it will stop him from getting his head high enough to make the bit completely useless.

As for new bits I would give either a hanging cheek or a dutch gag a try. The hanging cheek will give you more leverage and apply slight poll pressure without being too harsh where as the gag has a bit more flexibilty, depending on which ring you attach your reins to you can have as much leverage as you desire (particularly handy if he's bolting or getting difficult when out).

I would also check your seat in the english saddle, from the image above it looked like you were sitting right on the back of the saddle which causes it to slam down on the horses back, this could be why he's misbehaving in canter. Try having a little more bend at the knee and tuck your bum underneath you a little more to encourage your seat forward. 

Hope this helps a little :)