I give up

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walktrotcanter

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I have had my horse three years now. Hes coming 8. Hes just a happy hack...or not so happy.

He HATES bits. Ive tried sweet iron, normal steel, happy mouth. Ive tried ported bits, french link, eggbutt, waterford, straight bar mullen type, copper roller, bits with keys etc etc. Ive tried raising the bit higher in his mouth than normal. Ive tried it lower than normal. Ive tried lessons to which point the instructor eventually said I wouldnt change his reaction to his bit and he would need a flash :-/ His teeth are done every six months. He gets his back checked every six months and his saddle is checked at least once a year but normally every six months. Hes had his wolfs out.

The moment he gets a bit in his mouth, he rolls his tongue. He will stand in the yard tied up with a bit in and literally spend the entire time with his mouth open, tongue flailing in protest to watever is in his mouth. Every bit gets the same reaction. He has a large tongue so I figured it to just be lack of space but even the finest of bits seem a discomfort for him. Hes been in ridden work a few years and has never settled. The moment I put a bridle on him he looks miserable. Hes okay when we are out riding in the sense that he seems to enjoy the ride but hes never happy with his mouth and will protest at the slightest pressure on the bit.

I want to perhaps go down the bitless route? Are there horses out there that simply do not like bits? The problem is I know NOTHING about them and I dont want to fit them incorrectly etc. Also friends seem to think I wont be able to pull him up in one? Hes a donkey normally but if he wants to go he can be a little strong.

Is there anyone in the Hampshire area that anybody can recommend who I can contact to come and teach me? Be it someone who has a bit bank or similar with a wealth of knowledge who may be able to figure this boy out? Or someone who can fit a bitless correctly and perhaps give me a lesson or two with it?

Thanks
 
Yes do try Bitless. There is the hackamore, dr cook and the Micklem. There is a team of team chasers who do it in normal nylon headcollars and rope, or you can use a dually or rope type halters.i finally think it's time to try it :)
 
I've switched over to permanently using my English hackamore now, and we are both much happier. Some horses simply do not like having a strip of metal in their mouths. ;)
 
I'd definitely try bitless. As an aside, my lad hated his bit when I first got him, he was always behind or above it and reacted badly to any contact just because he hadn't learned to work with it. We lunged in side reins for quite a while and now he reaches for the contact and mouths his bit, although he is still very sensitive and I have to treat him like glass! Hope you find a solution.
 
Definately go bitless - I would recommend a Dr Cook or similar style but there are many different styles out there so you can try one, if it doesn't suit try something else.
 
try bitless for sure, I'm not planning on bitting my youngster, don't see the point of shoving a bit in just for the sake of it, he responds really well to pressure so I'm going to give that a go first.
Lots and lots of people ride happily ever after in a bitless bridle, you've got nothing to loose?
 
Thanks for replies. I've done a bit of research but am none the wiser to what type is best suited? He is normally a bit of a dobin but in company or if he sees a miniature Shetland (weirdo!) then he can get quite strong so I need something that I can control him in. What type does everyone use?
 
I have no experience of bitless sorry, but reading your OP I would definitely be looking into it. TBH I'd probably start with a thread on here, then google based on replies :o

Could you find an instructor with bitless experience locally? Micklem looks very well thought out from the little I have seen of it... Good luck, I hope you find help
 
if a peewee bit didn't work (I manage to pick breeds with no room in their mouths whatsoever and the peewee works brilliantly)

http://www.peeweebit.net

I would think about possibly an english hackamore, or a decent side pull. If your horse is happier, they may well be more responsive in a bitless bridle than one with a bit.
 
When I used to ride, I knew about bitless options like Bosal, Sidepull and English and German Hackamore, but now there is so many more bitless options to choose between, for example, yesterday I saw that there is also a Little S Hackamore, I used Asked Jeeves to find a picture of it:
e03-s-hack-wine058a.jpg



In case you didn't see it, I read this thread Opinion on bitless bridles on HHO yesterday, and later in the thread ImmyS recommended this page about bitless bridles, to people who wants a list over a lot of the different types of bitless bridles that is available, and how they work.

Hope you find someone that can help you find something that suits you and your horse.
 
That (to me) sounds a lot of bits during a relatively short timescale........could hint at other problems too (not necessarily physical) I personally think that we now have far too much choice - as we do we feed stuffs / saddles / training techniques etc. etc. I like the KISS principle - and always start everything with a plain loose ring snaffle - and add a flash / cross noseband if the horse gets a bit strong. I also don't bother with a huge amount of schooling until the horse is going forwards (with minimal contact on the roads / doing a few pleasure rides et al) Then I might take it in the school (when it has learnt to go forwards) to work on the contact / coming down on the bit - going forwards is the key -whatever the bit / no bit thing going on.
 
I've had one like this. Once we went bitless she turned out to be a blooming good ready made riding club horse, before she was a bit useless.
 
One easy thing to try yourself (espec. if you have a safe enclosed space like an arena/a friend with you) is a sidepull.

They are, essentially, a head collar with reins either side... so, very easy to test out the action with your horse's head collar and a couple of lead ropes.

They are also pretty much the mildest sort of bitless bridle.

I've ridden in those, hackamores and dr cooks type things. The only one I've made a transition into is the sidepull (ie horses already knew abt hackamores/dr cooks when I rode them). But that was easy.

Couple of goes with headcollar in arena and actually confident enough after that to hack out on (familiar) roads and in open fields the first time in the side pull. That horse could be strong but TBH was always easier to pull up using way more body than reins anyway so I didn't find a lot of difference, just a happier mouth :-)
 
Hi,

One of my horses was very similar and never settled in his mouth with a bit in. We eventually, after trying lots of bits, tried a Dr. Cook. I long reined him in it first as it was something he was used to doing.

He very soon got used to it and has been using it since (actually, we now have a "copy" which is just as good as his original webbing one finally shrunk. The copy is leather and looks very smart). He's been bitless now for about 6 years.

He mainly hacks with some light schooling. He can half halt, etc in his bitless. It doesn't feel any different to riding a bitted horse. He has perfect brakes out hacking but then I wouldn't describe him as strong. He did some jumping last year with a teenage sharer and was fine.

He is a different horse without a bit - so much happier. And after a while we just forgot he ever had a bit.
 
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