Flexi reins (or other advice) - on a horse that chews the bit???

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kellyanglin

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Hi my mare chews her bit constantly, particularly on the right side. This frustrates the hell out of me and i find where she is chomping I fall in the habit of matching her nagging by nagging with my hands. She really zones in on crunching on the bit as a way of evading what i'm asking of her so everything becomes more difficult. She doesn't do it when I lunge her in a bungee and doesnt either when I have no contact. I'm trying hard to be quiter with my hands, although it feels awful as she is subtley moving her head all the time, dipping behind the verticle as well as pulling against me. I really feel that if I can get her to be lighter and happier with the contact she will go so much better.
Currently I am riding in a Myler comfort snaffle although I have tried all kinds of snaffles, and i find the Myler the best of a bad bunch.
I was thinking of trying the flexi reins, thinking that if i cannot feel her sutle little chomps maybe I wont be tricked into nagging and vice versa. Do you think this will help?? any experience with this issue???
BTW - she has had everything checked and checked again, absolutely no physical reason to do this, teeth, back, mouth etc. Just seems to be her way of getting out of concentrating on work, crunching a bit is so much more appealing !!
 
I don't have any experience of chomping on the bit but I tried flexi reins as my horse hangs on me ........... they didn't make the slighest difference and I didn't like them at all.

Just my experience - they may work for your issue but they didn't for mine
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Have you tried a ported bit? I've a pony that really doesn't like a bit lying across his tongue but goes fantastically in a Myler 33 mouthpiece (I have it in a combination bit so the first areas to feel pressure are the nose/poll/jaw with pressure only coming onto the mouth if the initial light aid is not responded to).
 
I recently tried a sweet iron loose ring with a copper lozenge - initially felt very light but soon got really upset with it.
loose ring french link - similar to Myler for her, wasn't too bad.
KK ultra with lozenge - she felt extremely light for the few times i used it but really over bent
Tried a few single jointed snaffles (loose ring) in various thickness - she crunches these the worst.
Happy mouth straight bar - pulled against it.
Hanging cheek french link - ok for a short time.

I havn't tried a ported bit before - any others to recommend?? I have Hilary Vernon (Myler expert) coming out for a bit assessment and saddle fitting on sunday so hopefully she may have something to help.

xx
 
Would the mouth piece of a waterford stop her being able to chew?
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Even if you perhaps used it for a couple of schooling sessions...

Hmm, will see what I can find out
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I purchased some flexi rein inserts which were much cheaper unfortunately my horse has gone lame so I cant see if they make a diff, I did do alot of research and it seems people either love them or hate them
 
When my mare started chewing her bit, I got the dentist out. She stopped chewing then. Would it be worth having a different dentist to look at her mouth?
Could your mare have a very fat tongue?- mine does and is much happier in a very thin mouthpiece. I use a PeeWee bit but its not dressage legal and I'm afraid that I don't know of another bit which is so thin. Neue Schule do make bits in different thickness, so if the Myler expert can't help perhaps a call to Heather Hyde at NS would help.
Do you change the bit every time she has chewed it? I found that a stainless steel bit soon showed signs of chewing and presumably became even more uncomfortable. The softer bits are even more likely to become roughened.
Otherwise perhaps you have identified the problem in your hands. Does she chew the bit when ridden by someone else?
 
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I havn't tried a ported bit before - any others to recommend?? I have Hilary Vernon (Myler expert) coming out for a bit assessment and saddle fitting on sunday so hopefully she may have something to help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I went to a talk by Hilary Vernon earlier in the year, I'm sure she will have ideas for you!
 
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