Bitting dilemma (quite long)

hussar

hussar

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I have never been happy that I’ve found the right bit for my 10yo Arab since the day I backed him. He was backed in a Happy Mouth straight bar snaffle, and after a few months I moved to a HM jointed snaffle as brakes were a bit of an issue: I consulted his breeder, who told me his dam was much the same in her mouth and went quite well in the Happy Mouth. However, he chewed through the snaffle in no time. Since then I’ve tried a rubber Pelham and a Dr Bristol. Each time I end up back with a simple eggbutt snaffle.

The problem is that he reacts to the slightest taking up of contact by headshaking and snatching. (His teeth are done every 6 months.) If I persist with the contact he will eventually settle but never relaxes into the bit. If I shorten the rein he headshakes and snatches again.

When we do endurance rides I start off in the snaffle and change to an English hackamore once he’s focused. He seems more comfortable in the hackamore but I don’t have quite the confidence in it that I have in a conventional bit.

So, do I accept the current situation, or should I try something else? Bear in mind that anything requiring two reins is a no-no in endurance – it ends up as a cat’s cradle after you’ve got on and off at a couple of gates!

Thanks for making it this far!
 
why not try a nurtural bridle is he really hates the bit. i have one and am impressed with it, i prob wouldn't put it on a nutter that might zoom off, but for anything sane, it is a very nice controller bridle.
 
Maybe a myler combination bit might work as it has the action of the hackamore with the bit...

Or I have in the past when my chap has a sore mouth used a snaffle but also had a hackamore on too, so 2 reins but you can use whichever you need, might need to use the german type hackamore tho as there is more room to put a bit in too!!
 
I am sure other people may disagree, I was always under the impression that a rubber pelham, which is thick in the mouth would be soft, but that a Dr Bristol is a fairly severe bit. The rubber pehals I have seen would be very thick for a small arab mouth. Have you tried any of the Neue Schule bits, which have a losenge joint which is softer on the tongue than the flat sharp angle of the Dr Bristol. If you look at the Neue Schule web site, you can call the owner and discuss your problems, she is very knowledgeable about bits and mouth shapes, I am sure she could give you good advice.
 
Have you tried something double jointed? A simple snaffle with a lozenge in the middle maybe. Often horses with small mouths benefit from this. Your horse, being an arab probably has a very small mouth and a low palate and a single jointed bit it probably hitting him on the roof of the mouth every time you try to take a contact, like a nutcracker action. If he is snatching at the bit he is probably holding it between his teeth to stop it hitting the roof of his mouth. A double jointed bit shouldn't do this. It might help......

I know you tried a Dr. Bristol but he might not like the extra tongue pressure of this and you might want a forward angled lozenge instead. Neuhe Scheule, sprenger or a myler as mentioned above by FoxFolly might work.

Also agreeing with Kerilli. I've tried the Dr. Cook bitless bridle on my horse and he loves it. Better than a hackamore for steering I find although maybe not quite as much brakes.
 
As above - the single joint is probably hitting the roof of his mouth

You need something under 14mm in diameter as arabs have very delicate mouths and cannot take a thick bit.

Mylers would probably be good as they are 12mm, or any good lozenge snaffle would be worth a try.
 
Thanks guys - lots of ideas there and I take the point about the jointed snaffle possibly causing probs - although he does the same thing with a straight bar ... I think Arabs have quite fat tongues which won't help. Neue Schule looks like the way to go.
 
I used to work in an arab stud and they all went brilliantly in mullen mouthed pelhams or french link snaffles.

Arabs have low palates and thick tongues, not a good combination. HM bits would probably be a bit thick for him.
 
Flash has a dished arab-like head and a very fat tongue, and after much searching we've finally settled with a straight bar hanging cheek snaffle. There's no room at all so he has to have very thin bits, and anything with any joint whatsoever resulted in head shaking and snatching. Also found cambridge mouth magic snaffle very good...
 
Hussar, I agree with what others have said about the Neue Schule bits - HM or Rubber bits are quite thick and in my experience just too much for little Arab mouths, so although mild, they are uncomfortable!

My pure-bred used to snatch at the bit, so I changed to a hanging cheek and saw a massive improvement! I then tried the Neue Schule hanging cheek with a lozenge (as it has a softer action than single jointed snaffles) and he is really happy in it - I think because it 'hangs' in the mouth rather than resting on the tounge it is more comfortable?

Here's a link to the bit I use (Tranz Link Baucher): http://www.neueschulebits.com/acatalog/Bauchers___Hanging_Cheeks.html

They come in 12mm, 14mm and 16mm... I think I have the 14mm but if your boys mouth is particuarly small, I would try the 12mm
grin.gif
 
I now feel incredibly guilty that for nearly six years I've been subjecting the poor boy to discomfort! The penny did drop that the HM bits were probably too thick but I never considered the low palate complication. My veteran PBA must have a less Araby mouth as he's been happy in an eggbutt all his life.

Pasha - thanks for the link. I will investigate.
 
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