Horse chewing at bit but very sensitive mouth

[spotty_pony]

So, had my new(ish) mare in a rubber Mullen mouth snaffle for a while now, as she is very sensitive in the corners of her mouth (has pink skin) and when I got her, a normal stainless steel snaffle was making her mouth very sore. The rubber snaffle is a lot better and she is growing in confidence with it - out hacking on a long ish rein she is fine, but it still does get a bit pink (but not sore) when I school her.

At the weekend I noticed teeth marks in it where she has been chewing it. I’m not happy riding with this bit now as think she may chew through it and there could be a nasty accident but have ummed and ahhed and gone for a rubber covered hanging cheek snaffle so hopefully still soft Enough for her mouth and hoping the hanging cheek might prevent the grabbing holding and chewing. I’ve also gone for a French link as I feel schooling with a straight bar is quite restrictive really. I’ve added a flash too for now (no negativity please, it’s not right and purely to help to teach her to keep her mouth still - all the chomping she does makes her mouth more sore)

She is starting to get the hang of working into a contact and learning how to stretch forward and down when I release. I imagine this has always been an issue for her as there was some reluctance in to move forward initially as think she has learned it’s not comfortable. Teeth have been checked, physio is coming on Sunday and saddle will be checked after that but I really feel it’s a mouth issue but it could equally be tightness somewhere in the neck/poll region but that’s being checked.

Has anybody else got a horse with a very sensitive mouth? I question how much work she’s actually done in her life as they usually harden up a bit - I’ve know young horses get a bit sore when their mouths haven’t got used to the bit yet but not a 14 year old!

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Mine doesn’t have a sensitive mouth from skin colour or the suchlike but he is a sensitive flower who strongly dislikes a metal bit. He never took the bit forward no matter what metal bit it was and if he got strong and pulled hard he’d then get very upset about it hurting him and have a mini meltdown. We put him in an old style rubber snaffle when moving him away from metal (cheap and easy to try to see whether he liked it) and is now in a winderen gel bit which he’s great in. And they are definitely less chewable than othe similar style bits. Now if he takes a hold it’s just normal horse antics rather than getting upset. He did cut his mouth once on a metal bit when being particularly strong with my trainer but since the winderen we have no issues. They are quite expensive to start with though.

 

[Annagain]

Archie was the same. To begin with he'd get little splits at the corners of his mouth. I found a Myler mullen mouth hanging cheek the best bit for him. It has a solid but rotating link in the middle so allows for independent movement each side. The thinner mouthpiece seemed to help too - I think the temptation is to go for rubber thinking it's softer but it makes them much thicker and therefore more likely to rub. Smothering the corners of his mouth in Vaseline helped avoid the rubbing and once it had gone a few months without splitting we'd got away from the cycle of split / heal / split / heal and i reduced the amount of Vaseline until I stopped it completely.

 

[jhoward]

I had one that was terrible for chewing,
It's worth trying the positioning of the bit, ie up/down a hole (I'd be thinking up a hole)
You can also get a bit tape product that helped with my lad.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Mine did this in her early days. Wrap the metal bit with a latex bit bandage (bit tape in the uk). Replace it every couple of weeks if it is getting chewed.

Our mare did this schooling only, which was purely down to being anxious when she was unsure of the ask. Wrapping the bit took away the sound and feel of her chewing which I realised afterward was having an impact on me as well. We both calmed down considerably and learning became less anxious for both of us. Chewing and chomping ceased relatively quickly.