bit pinching - bit suggestions

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cobface

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Hi, am new here
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and i am after some help....

My thoroughbred has a very sensitive mouth, she is currently ridden in a loose ring lozenge snaffe and has done for the past 3 months or so. I took her out this morning and notices she was tossing her head about more than normal - when i got back to the yard i was horrified to see the bit had pinched her mouth and she now has a rub mark on the one corner of her mouth
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she often gets a bit head shaky when i ask her to come into an outline but never has the bit caused a mark and now i feel bad as its obvious it has been pinching her
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i am very light handed and do have regular lessons and i am always told on how gentle i am with my hands.
Now am wondering if other parts of the bit could be rubbing too with the way she behaves with her bit, previously she was ridden in a plain eggbut snaffle but since changing to the lozenge and the loose ring <font color="blue"> </font> the head shaking has improved.
The bit seems to fit well and i have had a few knowlagable people from the yard take a look, so do i think about changing her bit again to something that wont cause piching/is really mild (shes never strong) or try some guards on the bit and see how she goes on?? any suggestions?
Thanks
PS teeth are fine
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Hi and welcome
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Just about to leave work so a quicky answer but my horse got rubbed or pinched too and I tried bit rings. These rubbed even more, where they sat against his face, maybe cos hes black and doesnt seem to have any hair in that area. I ended up getting a size bigger bit and the pinching stopped. Just a thought.
 
Sounds like there is too much movement in the mouth, sometimes even if the bit fits well, if she's not responding to your hand aids (turns for example) then a loose ring will slide very slightly causing it to pinch/rub...not matter how well it fits measurement wise.

Also if the bit is made from a different metal (on the rings) this too could cause sensitivity, then rubbing.

You can buy the same bit (loosering) but in a pinchless form, try a different metal or some bit guards, or go for something without the loose rings, could be your mare has soft felshy corners so the actual mouth peice size may need changing as well.
 
Thanks for the above
Some more info:
She is ridden in a running martingale as she just has a habit of throwing her head up really high when she gets excited or when we jump and also again when i ask her for an outline......(but i think this is more due to the fact that she must be uncomfortable with the bit) she also has a habit of snatching the reins from my hands now and then by pulling her head down and opening her mouth - she is not ridden in a flash.
Okay so it looks like i should be thinking about changing her bit again, am looking for something for a TB with a sensitive mouth - something where she will respond to my hands without trying to evade the bit/toss her head etc, pref something without loose rings (or could try bit guards) something without a single joint (the eggbut was awful) so perhaps something with a lozenge again....
any suggestions?
 
Hi
My old TB used to get rubs on her mouth when i rode her in a loose ring. I found just a good old fashioned snaffle with non loose bits at the side were the best (cant remember the correct term haha!) as they did not rub and the head shaking got a lot better
 
have you tried bit wrap? my horse is very strong but at the same time very sensitive and soft skinned making him a nightmare to bit! he also becomes unrideable if his mouth gets cut (understandbly). i ride him with bit guards and bit wrap (latex bandage) on every bit a i use, and fingers crossed it semms to be doing the trick. you can also get a certain type of cream that acts as a second skin and does not rub off easily (perfectly safe to use in the mouth i may add) that will help with the prevention and healing. good luck.
 
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