Bitting help for a mouth/fussy cob

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emfen1305

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I am currently in the process of bringing my horse back into work after steroid injections and we are about at the stage where he can start doing a bit more. Before he had the time off I had real trouble finding a bit that he would settle in, I put it down to potentially being pain related however everything has been checked when he was at the vets and I'm still having the same issues so I think it might be a bit problem. As soon as I ask for contact he starts chomping like there is no tomorrow to the point where he is rubbing the sides of his mouth. I am not heavy handed and make sure to apply plenty of leg to ask him in the correct way but he just does not settle into the contact at all. I know this will take schooling and time but i've been working at it for 18 months (minus the 6 month break) with no real joy.

So far I have tried: Fulmer with french link and lozenge, loose ring with lozenge, D ring snaffle single jointed, wilkie with french link and lozenge and hanging cheek with lozenge. He is around a 5 1/4 so have him in 5 1/2s because 1/4 are quite hard to find in reasonably priced bits but he currently goes best in the ported 5inch rugby pelham I am borrowing from a friend despite it being a tad tight. I don't want to school him in this all of the time really and don't want to faff with double reins out hacking. It seems anything with a link or loose ring is a no go and he doesn't seem to like the hanging cheek as he just leans in it so I don't really know where to go next. He has quite a fleshy tongue and does enjoy trying to get his tongue over the bit!

Any help greatly appreciated as usual :)
 
I would look at either a Myler (Mullen mouth or comfort snaffle) or the bomber bits that are curved. They should give his tongue more room, are relatively slim and quite stable if he doesn't like a lozenge or a joint. Don't write off the hanging cheek before you've definitely proved it was the hanging cheek he didn't like and not the losenge. I've had good success with the hanging cheek Mullen mouth Myler for mine that didn't like too much movement.
 
It does sound like he prefers the ported style of bit. I'd opt for Mylar as well. If you contact the bit bank you can talk the them and also hire bits for 30 days so you don;t spend a lot of money on expensive bits which don't work.

And check he is not in pain elsewhere...
 
FfionWinnie said:
My cob chomps from discomfort usually down to the saddle I'm afraid.
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He's had his saddle checked a few times and it fits him fine, I've only just started riding him again, before this it was 6 weeks long reining and chomped then then so I think it is more the bit than pain, he's had a full check by the vets and the hocks were the only issue :)
 
Thank you :) I did rent a bomber fulmer from the bit shop but it was just as he went down hill with his hocks so never really got to see if it works, I think they do a hanging cheek version so I'll have another look! I have heard good things about the myler bits, they are like hens teeth to find second hand though!
 
I have used them before so I think I'll go back and hire a couple of different ones! I hope he isn't in pain elsewhere I've had everything checked and checked again and he's been for a bone scan at the vets. Physio and dentist up to date so I am just hoping he's messing because it's a lozenge! Thanks :)
 
Why don't you try him bitless, then you'll know whether the problem is in his mouth or elsewhere. You may have to give it a trial for a few days to give him time to understand it isn't hurting anymore (if it is).
 
D66 said:
Why don't you try him bitless, then you'll know whether the problem is in his mouth or elsewhere. You may have to give it a trial for a few days to give him time to understand it isn't hurting anymore (if it is).
Click to expand...

That's a good idea, I have considered it before so worth a revisit. I spent most of the summer riding in a pelham for the shows I sort of forgot about it as he doesn't do it in the pelham so I might try and find a bitless "bit" and give it a go! Thanks
 
emfen1305 said:
I am currently in the process of bringing my horse back into work after steroid injections and we are about at the stage where he can start doing a bit more. Before he had the time off I had real trouble finding a bit that he would settle in, I put it down to potentially being pain related however everything has been checked when he was at the vets and I'm still having the same issues so I think it might be a bit problem. As soon as I ask for contact he starts chomping like there is no tomorrow to the point where he is rubbing the sides of his mouth. I am not heavy handed and make sure to apply plenty of leg to ask him in the correct way but he just does not settle into the contact at all. I know this will take schooling and time but i've been working at it for 18 months (minus the 6 month break) with no real joy.

So far I have tried: Fulmer with french link and lozenge, loose ring with lozenge, D ring snaffle single jointed, wilkie with french link and lozenge and hanging cheek with lozenge. He is around a 5 1/4 so have him in 5 1/2s because 1/4 are quite hard to find in reasonably priced bits but he currently goes best in the ported 5inch rugby pelham I am borrowing from a friend despite it being a tad tight. I don't want to school him in this all of the time really and don't want to faff with double reins out hacking. It seems anything with a link or loose ring is a no go and he doesn't seem to like the hanging cheek as he just leans in it so I don't really know where to go next. He has quite a fleshy tongue and does enjoy trying to get his tongue over the bit!

Any help greatly appreciated as usual :)
Click to expand...

He may not like the double joint - I had issues with my horse when I tried him in a French link, within 45mins he had the tongue over the bit and after that fussed for around a year - I eventually rode him in a bit with a built in tongue grid. My current horse, a Clydesdale didn't go well in anything until I found a shaped single jointed sweet iron bit

The other thing to consider is bone spurs on the bars of the mouth - they do happen and are often hard to feel, discuss with your vet about Xraying the jaw.

There is an unjointed snaffle with a Cambridge mouthpiece that would allow space for his tongue.

CambridgeSnaffle.jpg
 
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