Cut mouth - at wit's end.

[billylula]

He's a big strong sensitive ISH.

We've owned him for 6 years and he always, always has cuts in the corner of his mouth from the bit.

He had almost 2 months off over lockdown and they completely healed, but after two months of work they are back and one side is quite deep.

They don't seem to bother him at all, but my daughter who rides him is getting anxious and worried and not wanting to take the contact.

We've tried so many bits and he is currently in a Bombers happy tongue universal that he goes really well in and likes.

We've tried anusol, glymol, salt water everything.

Any advice welcome!

 

[billylula]

Meant to add, we've shown the dentist and vet and neither of them seemed bothered. Both suggested a hackamore to help heal, which we've tried and it's not much fun riding him in it - she can't hack in it or jump and he hugely overbends schooling in one.

 

[AmyMay]

Why not get a bitting expert in to assess is mouth?

 

[Upthecreek]

Have you tried bit guards? The Acavallo gel ones are quite good. Agree with Amymay though about getting a bit consultant to assess his mouth conformation and recommend some bits to try. A correctly fitted bit that suits his mouth conformation should not be cutting his mouth.

 

[ihatework]

Have you tried bit guards? Acavello do some good ones.
Often it’s the schooling/hands on the ends of the reins, but some horses are definitely more susceptible.

 

[ihatework]

Have you tried bit guards? The Acavallo gel ones are quite good. Agree with Amymay though about getting a bit consultant to assess his mouth conformation and recommend some bits to try. A correctly fitted bit that suits his mouth conformation should not be cutting his mouth.

Great minds ?

 

[billylula]

I have considered it, but without sounding dismissive we've tried absolutely everything over the years. The only one that actually seemed ok was a waterford, ironically, but its a bit too much for him and stops him going forward.

 

[billylula]

Yes weve tried the bit guards which actually made things worse.

I understand what you mean about schooling but he was on loan to someone last year eho is a beautiful rider and the same thing happened.

 

[billylula]

Ok maybe I'll try thr bit consultant. I've tried everything else.

 

[billylula]

Trouble is, he goes the best he ever has in the Bombers! Very calm, relaxed, does a beautiful dressage test in the loose ring version. It's very frustrating!

 

[ihatework]

My big horse was prone to cutting his mouth. It was resolved by an old fashioned big fat hollow mouth snaffle. Any of these new fangled metals, thinner and more ‘ergonomic’ cut him. He jumped in a Waterford and that was fine too

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Have you tried bitless at all?

 

[billylula]

Funny, I was thinking a fatter bit might be better. My daughter who rides him is so sick of trying different bits though

 

[billylula]

Yes tried a hackamore as I said. We compete a lot so bitless isn't an option really.

 

[Upthecreek]

Have you tried putting the bit down a hole? What noseband do you use?

 

[Aussieventer]

To heal it- use cow mastitis cream. I apply ‘Animol c’ (https://sykes.net.au/product/sykes-animol-c/)
Before every ride after having had one of those horses that seemed to get sores for just having the bit in his mouth with no contact walking on a long rein. Managed to solve it after much research and time and effort.

To prevent it- apply lubricator such as lanolin or paw paw ointment or my favourite the ‘Animol-c’ (magic stuff) before every ride and use a bit such as a nathe mouthpiece that is smooth and flexible. The accavallo bit guards are great but still not as good as a nathe.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I've also heard some people hypothesize that some horses have a sort of allergy or sensitivity to certain metals. But obviously if you've tried a non metal bit, this is a moot point. Some also do really well with titanium.

Otherwise is lubricate the area, and use a fat eggbutt snaffle. There are also other bitless options beside a hackamore for schooling around at home.

Some also do better with the bit a tad lower in the mouth. Some are also incredibly fleshy in that area, so it's not so easy.

 

[billylula]

His mouth is very fleshy. Tongue and mouth confirmation is pretty normal.

 

[billylula]

Trouble with the nathe is that he's a real chewer. Chews everything, he's very mouthy. When I tried a nathe he chomped it then the sides were rough which aggravated his mouth even more!!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I have considered it, but without sounding dismissive we've tried absolutely everything over the years. The only one that actually seemed ok was a waterford, ironically, but its a bit too much for him and stops him going forward.

That is definitely more about the hands than the bit/mouth

 

[Goldenstar]

Use gel bit guards
and this really works Germoline new skin liquid plaster apply it over the area as often as possible and let it build up .
also lasering helps healing ( a physio will do this ) .

 

[Spotherisk]

Try a different type of hackamore. Or try a stronger bit which needs a lighter contact (I know he competes but don’t know what your bit rules are), so you could try for instance a Swales 3 in 1, a very strong pelham, and ride mainly on the curb. Bombers do Pelham’s too. Obviously correct fitting of the curb chain is Super important with Pelham’s to avoid pinching.

 

[Boulty]

Bit butter used to help the one I had with sensitive corners of mouth alongside acavello gel bit guards but if he behaved like a strong, pully eegit he still used to occasionally get rubs. I played around with different bitless options for when this happened & found he went better in a lightrider noseband than a hackamore but there's millions of options such as transcend, orbitless, Dr cooks etc as well as multiple different types of hackamore may be worth playing around so you've something to alternate the bit with / to see if you can find something he can work in when his mouth is bad. Would also second getting a bitting consultant to assess. Maybe he needs a different size, slightly different style, different material or the cheekpieces a bit looser or tighter etc. Also may be worth the input of an instructor to see if there's anything he's doing that may not be helping (ie leaning, hanging on one rein etc)

 

[Gloi]

Try a kinetin noseband with the bomber to take some of the pressure off the corners of his mouth and onto the nose.

 

[irishdraft]

I have heard that once you get this problem even when the skin heals it is left slightly more fragile so it's a vicious circle of healing then the cut opening again and so on. A livery of mine had the same problem but I cannot think if they ever sorted it .

 

[Henry02]

It’s perfectly possible to compete bitless (assuming you aren’t just doing dressage). There are many bitless options, not just a hackamore.

 

[billylula]

That is definitely more about the hands than the bit/mouth

No it isn't. He jumps perfectly well in it but doesn't like the contact. He's been the same with three different riders.

 

[Goldenstar]

He will be like our horse H when I bought him he had a badly cut mouth on one side they where hunting him ( a hireling ) in a Dutch gag and he was green and scared and just running .
I thought we will get that right ,oh so wrong although it healed it was so chronic that the scar tissue was never as strong the original skin was .
All summer we have no problems then as soon as the winter comes and he’s ridden for more hours ( he’s hunts ) the problems start . He was five when got him and he’s thirteen now .
like your horse he does not take much contact and he will stop on a voice aid although he can be keen out hunting ,we hunt him in a double bridle this was a break through we have got on much better since then .I am not totally sure why I think because he's very settled in it .

He’s had veterinary imput and its the vets view that the issue is the scar tissue is weaker than normal mouth skin so once when we up the hours the problems start its to with the lack of elasticity in the reorganised tissue .
things that help are those gel bit rings that go a little along the bit .
The lasering really helps the healing when it’s been bad .
and finding that new skin stuff has been brilliant .

Try the new skin stuff I buy mine from eBay and I put it on him morning ,before riding after riding and the evening once he’s hunting , we have got now a system that manages it .
If he has a crack and I have the physio I get her to laser it they heal really fast with a laser .
I had an awful time with it at one point and I now can keep on top of it .

 

[emilylou]

My gelding used to struggle with this. Out of desperation I put him in a fat rubber straight bar pelham and not had problems since.
Not sure if its the straight bar or the rubber that makes the difference but never cut again and we hunt

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Titanium - can't say much more for fear of being accused of advertising - but several horses with this issue have resolved completely when changing over to titanium bits.

But be aware if the style of cheekpiece tends to go anywhere near the corners of the mouth you need a bit with both titanium mouthpiece and titanium cheekpieces.

Ask specifically before you buy because most titanium bits have stainless steel cheekpieces and only the mouthpiece is titanium, but this is never made clear in the bit description and advertising. That is grand of course and they are excellent bits, unless you are using it specifically for sores and damage to the corner of the lips, then you must go for full titanium including cheekpieces.