Acavallo sensitive bit

MissTyc

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Is anyone familiar with this bit? https://www.oldmillsaddlery.com/en/gb/Acavallo-Mullen-D-Sensitive-Bit/m-49419.aspx

Background: I have a youngster who is very playful with his mouth. Always has been been, but he loves to twist things, turn things, put his tongue in places it shouldn't be. We've recently bitted him, which is thinks is a great new game that requires as much interaction as possible. I don't want to close his mouth with a noseband as I'd rather find something he genuinely is comfortable with at this stage. He's a super relaxed sports horse who has been slowly grown up at home, now 4.5 years old and ready to start a little bit of conventional work. We recently had some success with a plastic mullen mouth D-ring (after a couple of super fails with the bits I normally use for young horses e.g. NS soft lozenge designs), and he was super quiet on it until he realised he could slide it about on D rings and get his tongue over. I secured the bit in place with baling twine (don't ask!!) and that settled him for a few days until he realised he could still get his tongue over. The potential for pinching is a bit high too!

He's not yet ridden so this is for aid introduction, long reining, etc. I have no interests in young horse classes but the goal for him is eventing. So no rush but I do want to find something he can settle with.

So. The bit in my link seems to address the main points of contention - sliding about on the d ring and tongue over the top ... Any thoughts or other recommendations very welcome!

Also, he's 5.5 inches but that bit comes in half smaller and half bigger. Would you go up or down?
 

MissTyc

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A friend got this bit for her mouthy youngster. He chewed through it in a matter of days.

Ahhhhh ... I did wonder. He's so far not chewed on anything yet. He's waaaaay to busy playing with this tongue and lips and generally doesn't put his teeth on much. But once he figured it out ...


Thanks also to Fern for your experience. Not a magic wand, then. Pity. I just want a magic wand, really.
 

ITPersonnage

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My 6 yo came with one of these, she hasn't chewed through it yet but is generally destructive :) Not entirely happy with any bit but she will put up with this most of the time, still a work in progress. ETA mine was the straight one but made of the same stuff.
 

MissTyc

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No idea about sizing but I saw a new 5” one advertised on FB recently.


They come as 5, 5.25, 5.75 ... odd!

Thanks for the recent comments, seems like it's not a hard no for everyone.

I take that he was settled on baling twine D ring right until he figured out his tongue trick as a good sign. Like I said, not bit chewing yet but I am sure he will remember he has teeth at some point!
 

Annagain

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My boy wasn't a youngster but was incredibly fussy in his mouth when I got him and loved to get his tongue over pretty much every bit we tried. We finally found a bit we both agreed on - a mullen mouth hanging cheek snaffle. I think it's such a still bit in the mouth that he got no 'reward' out of playing with it as it didn't do anything so he soon got bored of trying.
 

MissTyc

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My boy wasn't a youngster but was incredibly fussy in his mouth when I got him and loved to get his tongue over pretty much every bit we tried. We finally found a bit we both agreed on - a mullen mouth hanging cheek snaffle. I think it's such a still bit in the mouth that he got no 'reward' out of playing with it as it didn't do anything so he soon got bored of trying.


That's what I was considering after the baling twine quick fix seemed to work. I think I got side tracked by this shiny blue bit haha ....
 

MissTyc

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Just thought I'd let you know I picked up a hanging cheek ported bit and after a few moments of fiddling, he totally stilled and then forgot about it and did some lovely long reining. I decided to try something more conventional and also thinner before going for the Google-induced bling. Long may it last!
 

Quigleyandme

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I also have a very mouthy three year old who seems unhappy with his Neue Schule turtle top fulmer. I’ve ordered a Shires Equi-Kind mullen fulmer to see if he likes it more as it wasn’t expensive. I also don’t care to clamp horse’s mouths shut but want a degree of control when I get back in the saddle. Interesting comments about ported hanging cheeks so that will be next on the try list.
 
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