Bitting advice

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crazycoloured

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I have a 3 1/2 year old cob that is a pain.I have got her in a loose ring happy mouth and she keeps getting her tounge over the bit and hanning her tounge out to the side of the bit.She has been doing it for a while.I have her in a plain noseband.I have had her teeth checked and all are fine.Any suggestions to a bit to stop her doing this.I did think about a happy mouth with roller in the middle and possibly a flash noseband???
 
crazycoloured said:
I have a 3 1/2 year old cob that is a pain.
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Maybe shes in pain!
Firstly, shes only young, so is still learning to accept the bit.
Secondly you need to find a bit that she is comfortable with. sticking the tongue out and putting the tongue over the bit are classic signs of discomfort- the horse is trying to make herself more comfortable.

Is it a straight bar bit? If so it is probably putting unbearable pressure on the tongue, so she is trying to remove the pressure by moving the tongue. This could also be the case if its a single joint.

Try a thin mouth lozenge bit- eggbutt or loose rings and give it a while for the horse to get used to it. It doesnt have to be a happy mouth. The loose ring version will sit on the tongue but the horse is able to move it off the tongue. The eggbutt version will hang higher off the tongue so may be better.

You really need to look at your horses mouth conformation and try both and see what she is more comfortable in. A flash is NOT the answer. This is forcing her to accept discomfort and will lead to more and more problems and evasions in the future.

Making the horse comfortable is the key to keeping her tongue in!
 
QR:
Is the happy mouth a straight bar? Is it a fairly thick mouth piece?
Personally I'd try a thin -ish mouth piece and a lozenge, or a french link, not a single joint.

There's a horse at the yard where I am that will push her tounge out of her mouth whatever bit she's in, she will do it when she's just stood in the stable. She's still competing successfully and dressage though however she doesn't get her tounge over the bit, just out the side.
 
She's in a jointed happy mouth that has a thickish mouth piece.I could possibly try a thin mouthpiece with a roller in the middle.It might suit her better
 
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