Bitting to encourage contact?

littleme

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Also in comp riders!

I have a green/fairly unschooled pony, who is very fussy and inconsistant in the mouth. (teeth recently done and seen chiro)

She has been in a straight bar loose ring happy mouth, which was ok, some consistency but also a fair amount of curling up and evasion, thought maybe she wasn't happy in that so have tried a fairly thick mouth KK with lozenge which she wasn't keen on (however it was a 'thick' one - only one availble to try in her size), and a nathe - of which she was fairly evasive, would take a very very light contact but again inconsistant.
She wears a loose flash - may try without. Doesn't wear a martingale although did when I first got her.

Not sure whether to keep working in the happy mouth or if shes really not happy in them - would i be better with an eggbut type? Have seen the NS starter bits and am contemplating tyring one of those - supposed to be very kind and encourage babies to take up a contact?

Just curious on your thoughts, and anything i could be doing wrong or should be doing to encourage her?
 
I have a similar problem with my horse - fussy in the mouth and drops behind the contact. I spoke to Heather at Neue Schule the other day and she recommended the eggbutt tranz - she said this encourages the less confident horse to stretch into the contact and the eggbutt keeps everything more still in the mouth so should help reduce the 'fussiness'.

I have ordered one - just waiting for it to arrive, so can't tell you whether it does the trick yet!
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have a similar problem with my horse - fussy in the mouth and drops behind the contact. I spoke to Heather at Neue Schule the other day and she recommended the eggbutt tranz - she said this encourages the less confident horse to stretch into the contact and the eggbutt keeps everything more still in the mouth so should help reduce the 'fussiness'.

I have ordered one - just waiting for it to arrive, so can't tell you whether it does the trick yet!

[/ QUOTE ]

exactly what I was going to suggest
grin.gif
 
my 4yo ex racer was the same-curling up, mouthy, sometimes snatchy, but after a week lunging in the NS team up bit, he is a different horse. iv tried a few others but always came back to that so will stick with it, he loves it.
 
my four yr old when first bought had many teeth problems, after a few months we got this all sorted out but he remained very evasive and violently snatchy. I tried lots of bits and the one that he becamean angel in was a hanging cheek made of a warm metal. When he does try to drop behind contact I raise my hands slightly and ask him more forward into the contact. Lets hope it lasts
 
NS for all my youngsters (and older horses too) except one youngster who is a bit fussy in his mouth (not with the bit but not always accepting the contact and throwing his head around or tucking his nose into his chest and dropping te bit). He goes best in an eggbut Happy Mouth but it was trial and error.
 
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