Bits and babies.

[Walrus]

My pony is 4.5 years old, I've owned him about 5 weeks. I bought him knowing he had been long reined and sat on at 3 years old then done nothing since. He has also been shown in-hand in a bridle.

I got his old bridle from his old owners and he had a straight bar happy mouth. For the first couple of weeks I worked him in-hand in the headcollar, I then had his teeth done (at the vetting the vet suggested I just get a few sharp edges rasped before bitting him to make everything as comfey as possible).

Initially I had a very fat loose ring egbut snaffle on him which I worked him in in-hand. I have started long reining and on the advice of my instructor have changed him to a full cheek snaffle with a losenge in the middle.

I decided not to use the happy mouth he came with as it was a straight bar which I'm not keen on for babies, also the happy mouth had been chewed and there was a sharp edge. The change to the full cheek losenge suited him on paper as the plan is it would help with steering initially, the losenge is preferable to the egbut to be a bit gentler and give him something to play with (he's quite a mouthy pony) and also the bit was thinner than the egbut which I felt was better as pony has quite fleshy lips and I felt the egbut was a bit of a mouthful as the mouth pieces were very fat.

Phew, nearly there!! Problem is that pony doesn't seem to like having a bit in. He throws his head up and messes about putting the bridle on (but doesn't clamp his mouth shut, it's fairly easy to get the bit in). When we're working he's ok, although he has stopped a couple of times on long reins in the school to try and rub his head on the fence! When I go to take the bridle off he throws his head at me and rubs on me and is clearly demanding that I take it off as soon as possible!! He's not bad with steering or taking direction from the bit, he will halt on long reins, slightly teeth nashy in the steering but not extreme. Leading him from the bit can cause him to throw his head a little (and try and rub it on me).

My question is do I jsut persevere and he will get used to it. He is a stubborn little thing but with repetition he's grasping most things fairly quickly. It's really his resisiting when I tack him up that's the problem, although because he's 13.2hh I'm ok (if he was 16hh I'd have to stand on a box!). Do some babies go through this phase, is it just a case of repition and ignoring his behaviour or are there any tips for getting through this stage!!

Goodness that was long, very sorry.

 

[eggs]

I back most of my youngsters in a similar bit, full cheek french link. Like you say, it helps immensely with the steering and prevents the bit getting pulled through the mouth.

Don't let him rub on you when you take his bridle off, it is a bad habit and can lead to a nasty accident. If he is sweaty he will definitely want to rub. I wait until mine have got their headcollar back on the then give their head a good rub with my hand.

Make sure the bit is not too low in his mouth.

I wouldn't worry too much as he doesn't seem to be doing any unusual. One of ours would throw his head about when he was first bitted but after a couple of months he stopped doing it. Main thing is not to accidentally give them a sock in he gob whilst they are doing it.