Bit advice please- sorry a bit long

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AGAGE

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Ted in his old age of 19 has decided that he's going to behave like a youngster, much to my dismay. He's been vet checked and is arthritic but on Danilon on the days when he's hacked in forest. Since he's been on Danilon he's like a new horse.

On the last few rides he has been very strong, and jogging- mainly due to flies. However, when I let him go for a trot or canter, I have absolutely no brakes whatsoever! He lifts his head up and then tucks his head into his chest, and pulls like hell. I'm guessing he is also opening his mouth (previous habit), as his flash is loose, but can't tell for certain as I'm generally trying to keep calm and sit to his prancing.

In his younger days he was strong out hacking in company but didn't do it that often, as he was schooled and competed, so didn't warrant a bit change.

Now we are under vets recommendation to only hack out (he trips in the school), so I'm considering a stronger bit. He is currently ridden in a new schule tranz angled lozenge loose ring, prior to this he was in a loose ring french link.

I don't want to put anything too strong in his mouth as he's very sensitive, but the current bit doesn't stop him, and I hate feeling like if he wanted to go there is little I could do to stop him. He grinds his teeth occasionally so needs a metal bit that he won't destroy. I was thinking of a hanging cheek/baucher angled lozenge by Jeffries or a Waterford hanging cheek- but have never used a waterford to know what their like.

Any advice will be much appreciated!
 
first thing you must must do is have his teeth checked by someone who knows what they're doing! they must look inside his mouth with a torch and spend at leat 20-30mins attending to his teeth, it is possible he has an overgrowth leading to pain in his TMJ (jaw joint) or an ulcer on either his cheek or tounge from the overgrowth. the fact he is tucking in his head indicated pain to me rather than noughtiness and if you don't address that you could put barbed wire in his mouth and he still wouldn't stop! good luck. x
 
He had his teeth checked a couple of weeks ago (he's been strong both before and after he had teeth done. The vet (very experienced) spent a good 1/2 an hour on him. She knew about him being strong and checked him over but couldn't find anything wrong other than arthritic stiffness in his hocks. She said that he has good teeth, he didn't have that many sharp edges etc.

He has only tucked his head in on one occasion when we were swarmed by horseflies, but it was odd- which was why I mentioned it. He was jogging, his head was up in the air (which is generally what he does when being strong) but when I half halted continuously he put his head in almost what felt like an outline but more arched and higher, his head wasn't pinned to his chest but felt tucked in- his usual head carriage is quiet low. I'm also pretty sure his mouth was open. He continued to jog and kick his legs out at the flies. He was also biting at his chest and shoulders due to the awful horseflies- he was being eaten alive. When I stopped pulling he continued to lift his head up and try and pull with his head right up in the air. I haven't taken him out on days when the flies are bad as it's not worth the stress.

If he does this strange thing with his head and neck again I will get the vet out.
 
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