Mare opening mouth - any advice please?

[Dolphin]

Hello - haven't posted on here for ages but hoping for some bit advice.

My mare has recently started to work reasonably nicely in an outline with the exception of one thing - she opens her mouth a lot in an evasive way. My instructors answer is to put a flash on but I don't see how this addresses the issue - it just physically stops her from doing it!

She is currently ridden in a hanging cheek snaffle - she tends to lean slightly on a snaffle so I rode her in a waterford for about a year which she goes nicely in. However, we have been doing some dressage lately and as the waterford is not dressage-legal I have been using the hanging cheek snaffle for about 6 months.

Any advice/possible change of bit(?) would be very gratefully received...

 

[passie]

The important thing is to try to find out why she has started doing this - is it because she is objecting to the bit or what you are asking her to do (my boy does it if he doesn't feel like working today for example), or is it because of some other underlying problem. Have you had her teeth checked recently? I agree that a flash would just treat the symptoms not the cause.

 

[evsj]

I changed bits until I found one my horse was happy to accept...but she still opened her mouth. I found the only solution was to put on a flash (I didn't want to go down that route) and it has worked. I figured that the opening mouth thing was more to do with her playing with whatever was in her mouth and evading my hand, with the flash she doesn't even try and I have alot more of a consistant contact than before.

Mine goes in a myler loose ring or fleximouth french link.

 

[Dolphin]

[ QUOTE ]
Have you had her teeth checked recently?

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry should have said her teeth and back are fine and checked regularly. I am genuinely as sure as I possibly can be that it is not pain-related in any way - just her being evasive and a mare!

 

[Weezy]

Does she do it if you ride her in the waterford?

 

[Dolphin]

Yes, but nowhere near as much as she is doing it now.

 

[Weezy]

OK then personally I would ride and school in the waterford and only bring the dressage legal bit out when necessary. I would also look into changing the mouthpiece you are using in the hanging cheek - the single link (am presuming) may just be too sharp - have you tried a french link?

 

[vieshot]

Why is a waterford not legal? Sorri im not a dressage person so im thick! xxx

 

[cosmo_sam]

Yeah I'd school in the waterford too (I did with G for a while).

Have you tried a thinner shaft snaffle?

I changed to this bit about 6 months ago :

NS Tranz Loose Ring 14mm diameter 70mm rings
Dressage Legal

The 14mm shaft and also the option of longer bit (G is in the 6.25) has meant he's MUCH happier and also much less dry in his mouth

I use this bit for everything now