Grinding Nightmare!!!!!!!!

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rips01

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I need some advice please!! I own a A/Arab,I have been using a Full Cheeck , French Link bit with keepers.My gelding when i ask him to work on the bit,he starts grinding ,very loud[not out on a hack]. when i first introduced him to this bit he was fine,but slowly he has started grinding again. I removed the Keepers but still did not help, thinking maybe it would. His teeth have been checked by a Dentist in may , both him and the vet commented on his 8 and 9 back teeth having a step . He has also done this in a loose ring french link kk bit, thats why i changed in the hope it might resolve. Any idears please ????????????????
 
Maybe it is the french link that is setting him off then, as that is the common factor. Are there any different bits at your yard that you could try? Does anybody else ride your horse, does he do it with other riders?
 
wot do u think i should try ? hes quite easy to ride , i dont want a loose ring or a nut cracker action, and we need a bit of help with going in a straight line ,thats why i put him in the full cheeck .i was thinking myler bit ?
 
To be honest I dont think it will be the bit causing the problem, this might just be his way of objecting. I would get his teeth done again as if they were done in may they might need maintained every 3 months if the step was bad??
The dentist would also be able to suggest something to help.
 
My youngster always ground his teeth when ridden and I think it was a stress / annoyance thing cos it only happened when he was asked to work
correctly by a professional. He has completely outgrown it now he is older and more established in his work.
 
I had a TB who did this, I know it was due to stress and what he was expecting from being asked to work correctly, he'd had some very unkind riding in the past. So I wouldn't dismiss this as evasion or similar, look at how he is in other ways, could he be worrying about what is going to happen?
I'd go bitless, but then I'm very confident with that style of riding.
 
thank you everyone some very good advice . I rescued him nearly seven years ago now and he was in a realy bad way so i dont know his ridden past sadly, but he seems happy to be schooled, he seems to enjoy working.if it is the bit ,it would be a toss up of a myler or bitless. which bitless is very mild ? as he is quite easy to ride. thanks again very helpful.
 
A lot of people like the Dr Cook's bridle, which crosses under the jaw and so puts some pressure there and also on the poll. The only thing with them is that I personally don't think it's fair to use them with a constant contact as you would always be squeezing your horses head. When I saw them being sold in another country I was told they should be used with a "casual rein", which makes sense, but many english riders only use a casual rein when they are letting their horse cool down.
An alternative might be to get a sidepull, that will just have reins attached at the side so a different action. If he's really responsive maybe try that.
I ride in a rope hackamore, like a rope halter that has rope reins and leadrope attached. They don't look very conventional though, it might be better to get something leather and looking more normal. This is because there is some argument (always) about what constitutes a bridle under the Highway Code and insurance. I sorted that by writing to my insurance company explaining that my horse had been trained to be ridden this way and they confirmed I was insured. But a bridle probably wouldn't lead to the same doubts as a rope thing might!
One other thing I thought might be worth thinking of, if you decide to try another bit. Mark Rashid recommends a Rockin S snaffle for horses that can't settle with a bit in their mouth. I have heard very good things about it, and you can buy it in the UK here
http://www.bewithyourhorse.com/page12.html
That is Tom Widdecombe's website, he's great - I recommend his little book as well!
Hope this helps, it would be nice to hear how you get on helping your horse.
 
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