help needed..... horse panicking when taking off bridle

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nikkinoo

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the last 3 times I have gone to take the bridle off my mare she has not opened her mouth so the bit just stays in her mouth and she has a hissy fit and panics throwing her head up in the air and spinning around (she is 16.2 so not easy to reach her when it is stuck up in the air) with the bit still in her mouth and bridle hanging off

I am always very quiet when taking it of and tonight I stood on some steps and undone the cheeck piece to try and take it out that way, but she did the same thing, tried lowering it down off her ears again but from on top of the steps so I was higher than her but she ended up just panicking again.

I tried to put my finger in to open her mouth before I lower bit out but its as if she knows what is coming and wont let me hold her head down and touch her mouth

Im really worried now as she is getting a fright everytime and I just dont know what to do,

she is 10 years old so not a youngster, I have had her for 10 months never had this problem with her before, I had her teeth done about 6 months ago but got dentist coming to yard this week so get her checked again.

the only thing I can think off is that she got her headcollar stuck in her top door and had a fright maybe she is associating it with that???

she is absolutely fine to put bridle on opens her mouth no problem

any advice greatly aprecciated
 
Could be teeth but could also be the scare...
How about distracting her with a treat and then reward her when the bridle comes off?
 
We had a horse years ago who suddenly started doing exactly the same thing - God knows why!

I did the same as you, stood on steps and dismantled the bridle bit by bit - very tiresome and took weeks and weeks to get her over this ridiculous phase and even after that we had to be careful - dopey mare!

Try giving her a large carrot and immediately start taking the bridle off - hopefully she will be so busy munching it will not only take her mind off it but she will be opening her mouth to chew
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My sister's horse was like this a bit when we got him as I think his previous owner had been quite quick at getting his bit out and bashed his teeth. We just used to take it off very slowly - he liked to hold things in his mouth anyway so we'd let him just let go of it in his own time and just wait basically till he dropped it. He doesn't have the problems anymore.

If however she is panicking before you get to the stage of just having her holding the bit in her mouth have you maybe tried food? have some nice treat in your pocket/hand or even feed her it as you're taking the bridle off so she does then open her mouth and lets it go? Either that or just have it held in your hand or pocket so she is more interested in that and won't then throw her head up as you take the head piece off.

Different things work with different horses. I imagine she's experienced some sort of pain/unpleasant experience at some point in her mouth and that is what's worrying er so I guess the aim is to take her mind off ot and make taking the bridle off a pleasurable experience.
 
like the carrot idea, I did try last night a handfull of mix that didnt work probably didnt give her enough, I had carrots there tonight aswell didnt think of that one.

she is such a funny mare frightens herself

I have got a show tomorrow and Im thinking of just travelling her back in her bridle cos if she did it at the show I would be legging it to catch her with a poxy bridle hanging from her mouth. and certainly dont want her to have a fright in the box
 
She may be sore in her poll area and as you say its when your taking the bridle off. Maybe it has put some pressure on that area when shes been ridden. Perhaps a padded headpiece may help her. Sounds like the head collar incident may have done something and as horses are very sensitive in this area she could be a bit sore. My horse goes better in her padded bridle than she did in the one she had before. You could try massaging her under the headpiece before you take the bridle off and see how she reacts. May give you a clue.
 
if she got her headcollar stuck and pulled back she might well be very sore at the poll/atlas/axis... i would definitely get her checked by a good mctimoney chiro, as this is a problem that will not put itself right. it is a very sensitive area and can be put right gently and easily by someone good.
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i'd swap her bit to a rubber snaffle for a week or two so she doesn't get her teeth banged even if she's daft. or, if that's inadvisable, i'd undo the cheek piece on 1 side and very gradually swing the bit out, undo it on the other side, and then take rest of bridle off, until she calms down about it all.
 
You could maybe try 1) a rubber bit for a while so that even if she chucks her head up, the bit won't clank on her teeth or 2) a hackamore - they come off really easily! I'd have said that if it's pain in the poll area, she would be worse having the bridle put on rather than off.....
 
M's used to do this, I would have to hold the bit in one hand and the bridle in the other and actually lift the bit out of his mouth very carefully so it didn't touch his teeth, quite a hard one!
 
Had a couple like this over the years, they always responded to the same handling so might be worth a go. When taking the bridle off have your hand under his head and over his nose, half way between eye and nostril area. Ease the headpiece over the ears and keep the pressure on his nose so he can't lift his head. Its important that you carry on supporting the bridle so the bit doesn't drop. Nice words and patience and each one dropped the bit themselves. I repeated the process many many times in the stable and without taking the reins over the head, always rewarding with words and a rub. Don't stand on anything, so if he steps backwards you can go with him, keeping your hands in the same place. One of those 'patience will win' moments.
Generally if you are pretty firm the first time it'll become easier each time, but if you forget, or someone else takes the bridle off you end up going back to square one. It seems for whatever reason they panic about the bit hooking on the teeth. Am not a fan of taking the bridles apart. Taking a bit out sidewards can cause a worse tooth rattle than the normal way. But horses that have a problem with touching their ears do benefit from a combination headcollar/bridle, so the bit clips to the cheeks. In my experience the two problems can't be treated the same way.
Good luck.
 
thank you lots of good advice I decided not to go to the show today and put her out in the fild for a few hours then ride later and try out the feed/carrot method,
and definatly agree with getting a mctimoney chiro to look at her.

To my horror when I went back later on today my mare has been kicked in the face and there is no way I am going to put her through taking bridle on and off aswell, it is just above where her noseband is. aaaagggggggghhhhhh !!!!!!! its just one thing after another with this horse.
 
Mine did that today for the first time...know what you mean about one thing after another...I'm getting to the point where I dread going to see him.
 
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