I need your help. Calling all evasion experts.

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Louby

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I feel like banging my head against a wall :(.

I will try and cut a long story short so here goes:
Ive had my horse 8 yrs since he was 4 and as far as I can remember he has always drawn his tongue back from the moment his bridle is put on, so it isnt a contact issue. Ive tried probably every bit going and noseband but nothing stops this habit and its so bad if I use a flash/drop/grackle for more than a few days he ends up with rubs due to his constant mouth movement. Ive tried a hackamore and he kept stopping to rub his nose and no noseband but without a noseband the 'habit' means I have no control at all as he feels dead in his mouth.
He concentrates on it so much, he seems oblivious to whats going on arround him and then spooks violently at the most stupid things.

So today I had his grackle on loose to prevent rubbing as we were only hacking and he suddenly started gasping and groaning like he had choke. It was scary and he was slobbering like he would if he was mouthing up. Not normal for him. Apart from this he was marching on as normal and didnt seem distressed. Carried on for a bit and got worried so friend undid his noseband and he stopped it. I can only presume his drawing his tongue back with the grackle on had meant he had blocked his airway with his tongue and he couldnt get it back???

Im totally fed up, this horse is so talented in dressage but I cant seem to cure this habit and now hes started choking too.

All checks have been done and are done regulary.

Thanks for getting this far :)
 
Can you try something odd along the lines of feeding him wet and sloppy feed with a soft bit in his mouth? If he got used to having the bit in at feeding time would he be more relaxed with it all the time? My own personal favourites are the leather covered bits that get really slimy in use but what would happen if you bitted him with something like that attached to a headcollar and left him to get on with it for several hours at a time?

I assume you've tried something very boring like the oldfashioned vulcanite pelham mouthpiece?
 
Have you tried the Neue Schule verbindend? It has no tongue pressure at all. Technically it's a single joint snaffle, but the way it is bent (verbindend) means that in use it forms, effectively, a massive port in the middle and only acts on the bars. It is dressage legal and you can buy a snaffle version, a bradoon version and a warmblood Weymouth with a matching massive port.
 
Thank you for replying.

Ive only tried snaffle variations, so no havent tried a vulcanite pelham but I have got a happy mouth pelham so maybe worth a try. I had a leather bit made and sent over from the USA!! (much cheaper than here!) and he started to bite through it :( so I gave up on that.

Ive tried the verbindend. I also tried Costswold tongue saver in a baucher style, hoping it would give the tongue room but also be held higher a stiller than a normal snaffle but he got his tongue over it :confused:. I dont think hes aiming to get his tongue over the bit though but when he does, hes brilliant to ride :eek:. Its like its a pacifier, like sucking a dummy.

Ive also tried an Australian rubber noseband.
 
Balance International do a lovely fulmar snaffle that is a copy of a very old bit - it has a tiny central joint. My gelding, who used to be quite fussy with the bit, calmed down a lot when I got him one.

Could you also perhaps try a bitless and do dressage HC for a while? Or persuade BD to ammend their ridiculous rules about bitless bridles.......
 
hi
you'll probably think i'm barking but i'm riding my mare in a head collar and reins as shes cut her mouth, maybe try this is the school until you have the confidence to hack out with him, i'm not a fan of bitless as they still use poll pressure but the headcollar thing seems to work for us, and then maybe once he's relaxed you could try rebitting him again. Whatever you do good luck!
 
Thanks for that, I will have a look for the Fulmer snaffle.
I have tried in a hackamore and Ive thought about trying again but he kept rubbing his nose and I had no steering or brakes which seems odd as he will turn, stop etc from my seat usually.

Funny you mention riding in a headcollar, whispers .... Im not sure Im brave enough for that :) but I lunged him in one the other day in one with side reins and he was tossing his head and bucking half heartedly at me, cos I think he was peed off that I'd not let him have his dummy :D
 
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