Bitting help? šŸ™šŸ»

P

ponyrider2024

Member
Joined
28 February 2024
Messages
28
Visit site
Iā€™m still on a mission to help my young warmblood rather than sell him šŸ¤£ for context he is a 16.3 6 year old but rather green and had no schooling before coming to me 9 months ago. Heā€™s very spooky and pretty sharp. He is a showjumper but weā€™ve been having a few issues recently where he likes to run at a fence and then dip out the side when he canā€™t get the stride and heā€™s very strong so I canā€™t have an awful lot of influence over him (fairly petite 5ā€™5 rider šŸ™ˆ). Currently he jumps in a myler style universal and flats in a loose ring with a lozenge. Iā€™ve had him in a full cheek with a lozenge and he was horrendous in this, threw his head around and was very unhappy. Right now he jumps ok in the universal, Iā€™ll probably need some more brakes at some point but for now weā€™re ok. On the flat tho he is very inconsistent in the contact, partly due to the spooking, partly the bit I think. What could I possibly try next? He has a shallow mouth, large fleshy lips and tounge and low palette, and gets very rubbed in the corners of his mouth as heā€™s so strong I spend a lot of my ride pulling when he spooks at things!!
 
Until I had a consistent way of going on the flat, I would leave the jumping. If he is getting rubbed in his mouth from you pulling, he needs some basic flatwork. Go back to basics. Find your own balance and use your body weight more than your hands.
As far as the bit, try a D-ring double jointed snaffle, cavesson bridle and work of bending, transitions, back and forth within the pace. If he's not listening to you on the flat, you won't get it jumping.
 
GreyDot said:
Until I had a consistent way of going on the flat, I would leave the jumping. If he is getting rubbed in his mouth from you pulling, he needs some basic flatwork. Go back to basics. Find your own balance and use your body weight more than your hands.
As far as the bit, try a D-ring double jointed snaffle, cavesson bridle and work of bending, transitions, back and forth within the pace. If he's not listening to you on the flat, you won't get it jumping.
Click to expand...
Sorry yes I should have said, weā€™re not jumping right now, just lots of poles and hacking. Hes also very bright and needs a constant challenge otherwise he gets bored and silly.

He can work very nicely, but heā€™s inconsistent in the contact when he gets spooky. I actually ride professionally and he has been my hardest nut to crack so far. Everytime I find a solution to a problem thereā€™s a new one to fix as heā€™s just so quick and hot headed! But I do try not to ride from my hand, he just likes to spook and tank off then we spend 10 mins fixing the spook. D ring sounds like a good next step tho
 
As GreyDot says, he needs to be listening on the flat first, then if you can get him working well over poles and cavaletti that should set him up better for learning how to come into jumps with balance and rhythm. This should reduce the likelihood of him running into them and bailing when the striding doesn't work out.
I'd also recommend a d-ring, or if he's fussy with that putting rubber bit guards on should reduce pinching/help with steering.
Does he stop/turn from your seat? If not I'd teach him this, as it will make life a lot easier for both of you if you can check him with your seat rather than getting into a tug-of-war.
 
SpeedyPony said:
As GreyDot says, he needs to be listening on the flat first, then if you can get him working well over poles and cavaletti that should set him up better for learning how to come into jumps with balance and rhythm. This should reduce the likelihood of him running into them and bailing when the striding doesn't work out.
I'd also recommend a d-ring, or if he's fussy with that putting rubber bit guards on should reduce pinching/help with steering.
Does he stop/turn from your seat? If not I'd teach him this, as it will make life a lot easier for both of you if you can check him with your seat rather than getting into a tug-of-war.
Click to expand...
He does stop and turn off my seat when heā€™s listening, but when heā€™s spooking thereā€™s no communication at all. Poles and cavalettis are what I am working on in my lessons currently so hopefully this can begin to fix the gaps in his training.
 
As above, flatwork first, no bit can fix schooling issues, and neither of you are going to enjoy jumping if you don't have breaks or steering without causing injuries to his mouth, or turning it into a pulling contest... he'll always win.

Also if he's green and presented to a fence on an iffy stride, ducking out is his only real option, and the safest one unless you're going to crash through it.
It's your job to present him to the fence on a good stride until he's more established.
Try some polework until you both see the same stride and don't get put off by the flat work, it's the key to you both working together and enjoying the job.
Try setting out a 'course' of 4-6 poles in the school and alternating between riding over them, with circles, changes of bend and transitions around them.
It's a good exercise for the sharp or spooky ones because they don't know what's coming next and they really have to focus and listen, instead of inventing a spook because he knows you're both bored of going round in circles!
 
Kaylum said:
Bits with a lozenge put alot of pressure on the tongue. Have you tried a ported bit?
Click to expand...
The myler style is ported with a roller, I think this may be the best mouth piece type for him but wondering about cheeks next. Very tempted to try a hanging cheek version of that to see if he likes it
 
As you already said you are going to try, I would have recommended trying a myler type bit on the flat. It was my TB's favourite mouthpiece. I had a loose ring for flat and the universal for jumping. Afraid I cannot help too much on the cheekpiece. Mine was in a loose ring with a lozenge like yours and was constantly throwing his head in the air and snatching the reins. All I did was change the mouthpiece and he was so so so much happier. I did have a wilkie style myler as a backup for when he got strong (typically when bringing back into work)
 
Myler bits are what I used on my now retired lad Baggs - he was only 14.2 but being half native he was bloody strong when he wanted to be! I used a Myler Toklat snaffle with the option of hooks so that I could increase/decrease the severity of the bit, without having to switch out constantly. I only ever used the stronger option of the hooks once and after that it was only ever a safety net. My lad has a small mouth but massive tongue so the slightly higher port gave him more room in general which made him happier all round. He had the standard cheek piece similar to a snaffle, but when the bit fitter came out she mentioned that if he starts to fling his head around (it was his fave party trick to pull you out the saddle and then bugger off into the sunset with those less experienced!), pop him into a hanging cheek as it will provide a tiny bit more leverage and encourage him to flex at the poll, so therefore he'd be less inclined to lob his head around like he was in a mosh pit at a heavy metal rock concert šŸ¤£ I never tried the option of the hanging cheek as I found I didn't need it, as he wouldn't try his party trick with me, and when less experienced people would come for a pony ride, I'd put his headcollar on him and tie the reins to either side, so that both parties were happy with the arrangement :)

No bit will fix schooling issues, but I can see that you are working on the flat and not jumping until you get this sorted out, which is good to see and a massive step in the right direction. You mention that his bit gives him rubs - have you tried something like bit butter or bit guards - both are supposed to help reduce/stop any unwanted movement and therefore it could help reduce/stop completely your lad getting rubs :)

With regards to the communication issue when he spooks and panics - have you tried doing some pole work/cavaletti's in hand with him? I'm a massive advocate for groundwork and don't think enough people utilise it when they come across a problem, so I'd say deffo give it a go in hand and see where it takes you :)
 
Agree with suggestions above but personally (without knowing the horse) Iā€™d use a mild bit, Vaseline on the mouth if sore then try different nose bands and maybe a running martingale. Flatworm and gridwork teach them to be clever and careful. Even if he gets stronger, you should still go clear.
 
You could try the Bomber bits. I have a horse that leans like anything on the flat in every bit I have tried, small mouth but large fleshy tongue and lips. I tried the Bomber Happy Tongue on recommendation from a friend and he is like a different horse in it! Much more settled, less leaning and happier in the contact. I tried him back in my Myler Comfort Snaffle recently to see if with 12 months schooling he was any better and he went straight back to sitting in my hand the whole time, leaning and just generally towing me around!
 
frankieduck said:
You could try the Bomber bits. I have a horse that leans like anything on the flat in every bit I have tried, small mouth but large fleshy tongue and lips. I tried the Bomber Happy Tongue on recommendation from a friend and he is like a different horse in it! Much more settled, less leaning and happier in the contact. I tried him back in my Myler Comfort Snaffle recently to see if with 12 months schooling he was any better and he went straight back to sitting in my hand the whole time, leaning and just generally towing me around!
Click to expand...
This is really helpful, thanks! Will be looking at bomber bits now.
 
Lucky Snowball said:
Agree with suggestions above but personally (without knowing the horse) Iā€™d use a mild bit, Vaseline on the mouth if sore then try different nose bands and maybe a running martingale. Flatworm and gridwork teach them to be clever and careful. Even if he gets stronger, you should still go clear.
Click to expand...
Iā€™m always an advocate for a snaffle and a cavesson noseband
AppyLover1996 said:
Myler bits are what I used on my now retired lad Baggs - he was only 14.2 but being half native he was bloody strong when he wanted to be! I used a Myler Toklat snaffle with the option of hooks so that I could increase/decrease the severity of the bit, without having to switch out constantly. I only ever used the stronger option of the hooks once and after that it was only ever a safety net. My lad has a small mouth but massive tongue so the slightly higher port gave him more room in general which made him happier all round. He had the standard cheek piece similar to a snaffle, but when the bit fitter came out she mentioned that if he starts to fling his head around (it was his fave party trick to pull you out the saddle and then bugger off into the sunset with those less experienced!), pop him into a hanging cheek as it will provide a tiny bit more leverage and encourage him to flex at the poll, so therefore he'd be less inclined to lob his head around like he was in a mosh pit at a heavy metal rock concert šŸ¤£ I never tried the option of the hanging cheek as I found I didn't need it, as he wouldn't try his party trick with me, and when less experienced people would come for a pony ride, I'd put his headcollar on him and tie the reins to either side, so that both parties were happy with the arrangement :)

No bit will fix schooling issues, but I can see that you are working on the flat and not jumping until you get this sorted out, which is good to see and a massive step in the right direction. You mention that his bit gives him rubs - have you tried something like bit butter or bit guards - both are supposed to help reduce/stop any unwanted movement and therefore it could help reduce/stop completely your lad getting rubs :)

With regards to the communication issue when he spooks and panics - have you tried doing some pole work/cavaletti's in hand with him? I'm a massive advocate for groundwork and don't think enough people utilise it when they come across a problem, so I'd say deffo give it a go in hand and see where it takes you :)
Click to expand...
Iā€™ve just ordered a bomber style happy mouth and a hanging cheek myler style so hopefully one or other works for him. Unfortunately he already has big guards and bit butter, heā€™s just incredible sensitive. I have fluffy guards on every bit of tack and he still has rubs from my leg, his Headcollar and his rugs. Heā€™s a typical warmblood in that respect!

We do a fair amount of groundwork, Iā€™ve got him from not going near a mounting block to standing quite happily and doing lots of poles and moving his body in hand. Iā€™ve lunged him past the spooky things and built pole exercises etc, he will relax and lick and chew etc on the ground, then straight on, neck set and spooking again. Heā€™s not actually scared, he just struggles to bend on one rein (very big, growing lad so weakness issues are constantly being fixed or developed) so uses this as an excuse to fix onto the opposite rein and stare and then side step and shoot off at 100mph. Heā€™s no where near as spooky as my other horse to hack out or take new places and at a competiton heā€™s really easy for the most part! Heā€™s a funny one but I think heā€™ll be incredible when Iā€™ve worked through the issues šŸ¤žšŸ»šŸ¤žšŸ»
 
My guy can get pretty sharp but is sensitive and has a soft mouth. He goes well in the HS Novocontact mouthpiece and also likes the Bombers Blue mouth piece. :)
 
Acavallo gel bit guards will stop the rubbing.

Jumps are good for focus if you can school round something smallish and use it as a reward.
 
Last edited:
maya2008 said:
Acavallo gel bit guards will stop the rubbing.

Jumps are good for focus if you can school round something smallish and use it as a reward.
Click to expand...
They made the rubbing worse as he then rubbed from them rather than the bit. He rubs under his Headcollar and rugs and where the reins sit as well. Sensitive little sausage. Thatā€™s the current programme. Heā€™s trotting and walking over essentially raised poles. So far so good šŸ¤žšŸ»šŸ¤žšŸ»
 
ponyrider2024 said:
They made the rubbing worse as he then rubbed from them rather than the bit. He rubs under his Headcollar and rugs and where the reins sit as well. Sensitive little sausage. Thatā€™s the current programme. Heā€™s trotting and walking over essentially raised poles. So far so good šŸ¤žšŸ»šŸ¤žšŸ»
Click to expand...
The gel ones? I have a pony who rubs with the standard ones but fails to succeed with the gel. I am impressed with the dedication required to achieve that!
 
maya2008 said:
The gel ones? I have a pony who rubs with the standard ones but fails to succeed with the gel. I am impressed with the dedication required to achieve that!
Click to expand...
Yep the gel ones. Heā€™s a very thin skinned, fine coated KWPN. I thought my Connie was bad enough for rubbing. Heā€™s next level. He has to have the special sensitive saddle pads otherwise he rubs, and I have to continually swap rugs over. The Headcollar and fly mask rubbing is the most annoying tho.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top