Bitting advice - very soft mouth.

A

AnnaandStella

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 January 2008
Messages
456
Visit site
Well.
(My horse is currently out of action as has pulled a muscle in her shoulder but it's NOT GONNA STOP ME SPENDING!
tongue.gif
)

My horsey has a v soft mouth -

you use yr legs for steering & seat to slow, except when jumping when a light touch with the rein is also required.

Her teeth are "completely fine" according to vet so that's not an issue.

When you ask for an outline, she'll fight and use any excuse to bend the wrong way out of it and toss her head about and get really tense for the first wee while so tbh, I just let her nose poke out as long as the power's coming from behind.

This is as good as she's ever been -
http://youtube.com/watch?v=4e30v_VI1VQ

Bits we've tried -
1st - hollowmouth single jointed eggbutt - far too strong

2nd - loosering single joint rubber snaffle - Ok - what she's wearing in the vid - but still not happy.

3rd - D-ring single joint rubber snaffle - best of the three. Still not great.

What should I try - a straight bar nathe?

I'd rather not use metal.
 
either a straight bar rubber snaffle, or a nathe. does she really hate metal? if she starts leaning in a straight bar, i'd prob try a sprenger aurigan with lozenge in the middle. just be aware that rubber and nathe bits can tear the corners of the mouth more than metal bits - rubber and plastic snag on the skin whereas metal won't. i always put a bit of vaseline in the corners of the mouth first.
having watched the video, i'd ask for more lateral flexion (bend), to help with the direct flexion, and just be really consistent in the inside rein contact, and give squeezes on the outside rein after allowing for the bend. she looks nearly there, just needs to stretch forward downwards to start engaging properly and using her back.
 
A friend has just bought a lozenge aurigan sprenger in the thickest width (mildest) so I probably could try that...

I put a mullen SS bit in her mouth but it was too long - however she was showing me the whites of her eyes when it went in so I'd concluded she didn't like the metal.

That's my instructor riding her - not me - that clip only shows the "succesful" part.
 
She is lovely, I have a soft spot for greys, but she doesnt look comfortable towards the end of the video.

I also use my core muscles to slow down.

Its great that you are trying to make her more comfortable.

Have you thought of a peanut link happy mouth snaffle. I would go for a bit which has a link or lozenge of some sort because a single joint has a strong nutcracker action which can jag into the roof of the mouth and pinch the tongue.

I hope her shoulder recovers soon and you find a bit she is happy in.
 
My last horse was very like her on the flat. The bit she went best in was a KY Rotary Snaffle (double jointed), it is very gentle and soft and she got on really well with it. I couldn't live without these bits, everything seems to go better in them! But... it is metal(you could cover it in that latex bandage stuff?). Otherwise I would try her in a bendy straightbar rubber bit or if that is too thick for her mouth then I think a nathe would be perfect!

I personally don't like single jointed bits, if you want to know why, bend your arm and put the bit over it as if your upper arm was the horses lower jaw and then get someone to pull on the sides (not to hard it hurts like heck and drew blood on me!) aswell as this, the joint pushes upwards and would hit the roof of the horses mouth. The ones covered in rubber also don't lie smoothly because of the difference in thickness were the rubber finishes at the joint.

Once I was sure that Sunny was happy in her mouth I found there was no other way than stronger riding to get her to take up the contact. I had to really ride her from behind and take abit more of a contact myself, she had some massive tantrums but I was always gentle and she suddenly cottoned on! After this I did lots of long and low and she really started to reach for the contact.

Other people will probably be far more helpful, thats just what I found worked with my girl!
 
[ QUOTE ]
She is lovely, I have a soft spot for greys, but she doesnt look comfortable towards the end of the video.

I also use my core muscles to slow down.

Its great that you are trying to make her more comfortable.

Have you thought of a peanut link happy mouth snaffle. I would go for a bit which has a link or lozenge of some sort because a single joint has a strong nutcracker action which can jag into the roof of the mouth and pinch the tongue.

I hope her shoulder recovers soon and you find a bit she is happy in.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that she was being asked to slow with rein pressure towards the end - hence head throwing...

A double link seems an obvious next step, just I wish that happy mouths & flexi bits were more flexible!!!

Thanks for all yr advice.

I might be buying a few things from the HHO bit bank when it's up and running/ selling the ones that DIDN'T work!!!
 
There are so many more bits around today but FWIW when my old chap was youger he was incredibly sensitive and I put him in a Nathe. It worked wonders for getting him to accept the contact but like kerilli said he did eventually start to take a hold to a point of getting strong so then I just put him in a straight bar, loose ring metal bit.
 
Have you tried a KK Ultra? My mare hated anything in her mouth, tried everything and then my instructor suggested the KK. Expensive to buy, altho I got mine on ebay for a fraction of the cost, and fab - no messing, she is a happy ponio!!! I can stop, get nice outline, jump - and no more pulling at the reins to try and escape from the bit. Try and get the thickest mouthpiece as they're the mildest, and good luck!!
 
Something I would be particularly careful of is assuming that a fatter bit will always be better. Some horses (especially TBs and TB crosses) have naturally small mouths and if you cram in a really fat bit you may make things worse. Also, she may be fighting the nut-cracker action of single-jointed bits you've tried so far which can be quite severe by itself, and as some others have said above, she might object to the metal, so what about something like this?
3050.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top