Bit suggestions/ideas? At wits end!

[seabsicuit2]

Have a 5 year old that just won't accept the contact in any of the bits I've tried.
If you put a flash or grackle on she accepts the contact well on a straight line but as soon as you try and turn a corner she plants and stops. You try and push her through it and she rears bolt upright. Did go through a period where we thought this might be 5 year old tantruming, and took the tough love approach , and it clearly didn't work. She is clearly unhappy and uncomfortable about her bit.

She is Physio/ teeth/saddle checked to the 9 th degree.
Take the noseband off and she will happily turn and go round corners but is chomping bit and opening mouth the whole time and evading the contact by ducking her nose right in.

Have tried -
Nue Schule loose ring with lozenge - both fat, medium and thin mouthpieces.

Fulmer snaffle with lozenge- copper metal, medium thickness mouthpiece

Rubber straight bar, thin and thick mouthpieces both fulmer and loose ring. All thinner in the middle to allow room for Tongue.

Myler hanging cheek straight bar with raised port in the middle with a roller thing over the middle port

Myler D ring straight bar with raised port, and rein/cheek piece hooks ( haven't used the hooks as I didn't like the way this fixed the bit at the wrong angle in the mouth ? )

Don't know what else to try, any ideas/suggestions?

 

[seabsicuit2]

Of all of them, she was happiest in the fat rubber straight bar loose ring.

 

[Jane_Lou]

Have you tried a Neue Schule with a Verbindend mouth piece? Our mare would not accept any contact at all until we tried her in one of them, the difference is amazing!

 

[teazle]

Have you tried any happy mouth bits? With a flash or grackle done up loosely so that she doesn't feel trapped but can't overly chew/evade?

Sounds like she's extremely sensitive to the material in her mouth. Have you got access to a sweet iron bit?

I'd try playing around with basic loose rings but in different materials, and see what she says to that.

 

[siennamum]

I cannot put Coco in a flash or grackle. He loathes anything round his muzzle - so we dispense with them.
After a lot of different bits, as he constantly plays with his bit, and the looser and more movable it is the worse he is, I currently have him in a thick, hollow mouth, single jointed, german eggbut snaffle. He really settles with it in his mouth (it was my old eventers bit from approx 1979!!).

like this:http://www.thehorsebitshop.co.uk/product.php?xProd=249

 

[ElleJS]

Try a Hippus bit loose ring and drop noseband. Worked on all the ones i've had in with contact issues.

 

[seabsicuit2]

Janelou the NS bits I have do have a standard curved shape to the whole mouthpiece- would the verdebrand be a lot more curved?

Teazle have the flash/grackle very loose as it is :-( no luck there. You're right a happy mouth double joint might be worth trying but was concerned that might still give the same pressure/friction as the bits I've already tried..
Sweet iron worth a go too..

 

[Jane_Lou]

Janelou the NS bits I have do have a standard curved shape to the whole mouthpiece- would the verdebrand be a lot more curved?

Yes, its really angled, if you believe the blurb it creates a channel for the tongue, it has really made a massive difference to our mare, she would just not accept any type of contact (ex-showjumper ridden badly in draw reins which didn't help!)


http://nsbits.com/global/index.php/verbindend.html

 

[millitiger]

I would try a hippus or a nathe.

I have wrapped the hippus in latex for a really tricky horse which worked really well and was able to then take the latex off after a few rides.

I would also try a Micklem bridle if you can get one- it has really helped Vinnie with his contact.

 

[Mavis007]

If she likes rubber bits have you tried a nathe straight bit? It is very soft and flexible so quite different to the hard rubber bits. The only trouble with it is that they can damage them quickly if so inclined. But it is a lovely mild bit that encourages them to take a contact

 

[kerilli]

i'd try a Nathe with her first, prob loose ring with drop noseband.
failing which, a Hippus. (pm me if you want to try 1)
if she's tucking under, raising outside hand to an exaggerated degree so it works only on upper corner of lips, while keeping inside contact superlight, worked when my trainer got me doing it the other day. it took a while but then the horse had a real lightbulb moment, as did i...

 

[teazle]

I've got a NS verbindend and it is VERY curved. It certainly has helped with my mare and her contact, but now she takes too much and leans. Definitely feels comfortable with it in her mouth though!

However, she also leans in a waterford, so not thinking she's very sensitive.........

 

[teazle]

Another thought - would you be able to try a hackamore, to check how she responds to that? I knew of a horse that they thought had major bitting issues, put him in a hackamore and he reacted exactly the same. Turned out he had a problem with his poll that meant he was desperately avoiding contact so that there was no pressure behind his ears either. Once that was dealt with, he went much better.

 

[kirstyhen]

My Mare is very fussy in her mouth, the NS Veriband is the best dressage legal bit Ive found for her. She is better if it is slightly high in her mouth and with a cavesson (tight, but so I can fit two fingers in) a loose cavesson and she messes about, anything restricting (flash, grackle, drop) and she throws a strop!

 

[Vickijay]

My mare who is also quite fussy really likes the micklem bridle and is much more in the hand when wearing it. It did rub her though (but most things do) so she's not wearing it atm but hopefully will be again soon

 

[madhector]

Have you tried the sprenger plastic straightaway? Has quite a good port and anything I have had that has been tricky has gone better in it

 

[madhector]

Sorry meant straight bar

 

[seabsicuit2]

Thank you so much everyone v gratefull for all the suggestions I will give them all a try!
Really relieved that I'm not the only person who seems to be having such a frustrating battle!

It was the loose ring Nathe straight bar that she went best in- ( that's what I meant when I said she went best in a rubber straight bar) but it still wasn't totally agreeable.

Will def try in a hackamore that is a great idea to check for underlying issues.

Kerreli thank you for the tips & the v generous offer-I would love to try one after I've done the hackamore trial!

 

[seabsicuit2]

Nathe straight bar with drop noseband - would love to try this-but is it just me but I never feel like I can get a drop to fit in a comfortable place in front of the bit? They always seem to look as tho they rest in a place that pinches a lot. Do drops only suit horses with a particular mouth/jaw conformation?

 

[suzysparkle]

Have a look at the Hilary Vernon bits. It sounds like your Horse doesn't like joints in the bit, mine is the same. She does some lovely mullen mouth bits with much more tongue room. They are thinner than the rubber bits and the quality is excellent as they are made by Abbey bits. Have a look at Risley saddlery. They stock them and the service is great, unlike some of the 'bit banks' that have them.
Re drop nosebands. A lot are really badly made. The Sabre ones are good.....but even better is if someone out there would make one that worked like a Micklem does....ie the nose sits higher (and I have my drop as high as it would go). Currently looking at getting something custom made. It's not just you. They need to be adjustable on the front and none of them are these days (well, the 'relaxer noseband' is but good luck finding one.....if you do let me know!).

 

[suzysparkle]

Just to add.....without question out of all the jointed bits I tried the hippus was the one he tolerated most. Brilliant design.

 

[ihatework]

Another to try would be a magic bit / Cambridge snaffle

 

[islandspirit]

Have a look at bomber happy tongue bits, my horse has very similar problems to yours and i worked out that he hated anything with a joint and settled almost immediately in one of these. Unfortunately not dressage legal but I'm using it as a stepping stone.

 

[KatB]

I would agree with the hippus, but also try a myler French link wrapped in latex. I've got the D ring and did this for the first 6months with madam and she now just goes in the unwrapped myler and loves it!

 

[seabsicuit2]

Thank you so much for all the suggestions- just to update I found a Micklem-.type bridle to try on my yard with a different type of Myler bit and it just worked so well.
Horse happily had her mouth shut and had a lovely frothy mouth for the first time ever. She wasn't willing to keep her shoulders up on the corners/ bends but at least she was happily going forwards with her mouth shut. It will take time and confidence to get a really true contact but today was a huge step forwards

 

[LEC]

great news.

 

[StormyGale]

Have u tried a drop noseband instead?

 

[StormyGale]

Ah just read your update that's great hope all goes well