Bitting help!

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darkbay12

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Im currently having problems bitting my pony at the moment hes in a dutch gag with a french link but he seems to be getting small cuts in the corners of his mouth when i take him out hacking and funrides ect, hes strong and he is extremley exitible he is a very keen pony so on funrides i have to hold him alot and he doesnt listen to weeker bits he goes okay in the gag but i feel its to much leverage for out hacking
Hes a welsh x throughbred if that helps so hes very fine built but by the throughbred you can tell hes very highly strung!

I was going to try a happy mouth to try and stop the cuts but would love to try a completley different bit in him ive tryed him in a pelham but he really doesnt like it so any ideas help i would be very grateful thank you! :)
 
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Slightly concerned that you say the bit is cutting his mouth asno bit, used properly should do this. Where is it cutting him? Are there sharp bits on the bit? Is it the correct size?
 
Sorry didnt make it clear in the description hes getting small cuts/sores in the corners and i dont want him to get a sore mouth i dont use it rough with him its just he gets so exited.. its the correct size and has no sharp bits
 
I'd have a go with a milder bit and some lessons in a situation you think your pony could cope with.
Rubber guards or an eggbutt bit might reduce the damage to your pony's mouth, but you really need to speak to someone experienced who can see how you ride and how your pony responds to get sensible advice.
Good luck.
 
The cuts could be several things and you need to work out what it is to stop it happening.

It could be pinching from the loose ring of the bit. If so a set of bit guards or an eggbutt cheek would solve the problem.

It could be rubbing/pinching because your bit is too small, if so a bigger size would stop the sores.

It could be splits in the corner of the mouth, this could be because the gag action causes the bit to lift in the mouth, stretching the lips and eventually splitting them. Dropping the cheekpiece down a hole or two might help or it may be that the bit is inappropriate for the horse or the rider is using it too harshly.

If you think you the dutch gag is right for you apart from this problem some other bits to try would be:
1. A full cheek snaffle with fulmer loops, the fixed ring would eliminate some rubbing/pinching but the cheek with the loops would give a small amount of leverage.
2. A hanging cheek snaffle, lots of horses that go well in a dutch gag use one of these for dressage, they again have a fixed cheek so shouldn't pinch, but will give you a feel a tiny bit like using the dutch gag on the top ring.
3. A d-ring snaffle, again won't pinch as it is a fixed cheek and the d shape will give you a tiny amount of leverage.

Or you could put bit guards (rubber rings) on your normal bit and see what happens.

I wouldn't use a happy mouth on a horse like this, they can easily get rough if the horse chews them and they then rub. Also they can cause friction in a dry mouth. I would use a metal bit, maybe a sweet iron or aurigan to encourage salivation.
 
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