My horse is a nightmare when putting her bridle on! Anyone have any tips please?

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bizzylizzy

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Dear all,
I am really struggling with getting the bridle on my mare. She is 3, I started off in a loose ring happy mouth snaffle and had no problem at all. Then I moved to a normal eggbut snaffle and after a few weeks she started putting her head up so I couldn't get the bit in and pushing me around so I changed to a sweet iron snaffle and she was fine with that, she was going really well with it but this summer when I started working her a little more, I felt I needed a bit more help on the steering front plus her bit was too small so I changed to a full cheek french link snaffle with sweet iron. She was ok with it for a while but then she started throwing her head and just been a nightmare to tack up. I have had the dentist to her, she has had a saddle fitter to check that too and everything is fine. She is 16.2 and I am an Umpa-lumpa lol! so you can imagine what it's like! As soon as the bit is in, she chills out and is fine with everything so I just don't know what's going on at all! I'm thinking of changing to another happy mouth and seeing if that works.

Anyone els had this problem and got any tips please? I'm pulling my hair out!
Thanks, guys!
 
You could try dipping the bit into treacle or something tasty to encourage her to take the bit. Mine was a nightmare when he was young and this definitely helped. He can still be a pain but not as bad as it was.
 
Has anyone looks at her ears??? Not being funny, but if she has an ear problem then this isn't going to be picked up by a dentist or saddle fitter, but would cause significant pain when the bridle goes on - i.e. ear infection??
 
just a thought but could it be the bridle? if your using the same bridle and changing the bit then different parts of the bridle are coming into play -maybe its not so much the bit hes objecting to as the bridle itself?:confused:
 
Thanks everyone! I have tried the treacle on the bit but it doesn't help and it ends up all over her face and it won't come off lol! I have tried the bridle on and off without the bit and she is fine. I have checked her ears and she lets me mess with them and everything so it can't be that. I really have tried everything over the last few months. It's defo the bit she doesn't like but she is a shire x and has a big mouth so what do you think about trying her bitless? She is very well behaved and isn't strong at all so I'm thinking it might be worth a try?
 
As she is such a big girl it could just be a simple issue of not every having a bit that fitted her properly - hence her reluctance to have one in.
 
Could try it definately - i bought a dr cook's cheap replication from ebay to see if bitless would help my horse's headshaking - it didnt but he certainly seems to prefer it :)
 
Seen as you've looked at everything everyone else has suggested, maybe she's just playing up?

Especially as she's large she may have learnt that moving her head about makes it difficult for you to get the bridle on. Is she bolshy with other things?

Can i ask why you changed from the loose ring happy mouth in the first place? If she was happy, why change?

The other thing to do is undo the cheekpiece on one side, pop the browband on, slip the bit in and fasten it back up to the cheek piece.
 
Is it a french link or nutcracker (single joint) bit?
Could it be that you are banging her teeth when the bit goes in/comes out without realising? Some horses object to the nutcracker because if the roof of their mouth is too low, the bit can hit it and make it sore :)
Perhaps it is worth getting the dentist out to look at her mouth conformation and see if they can reccoment a bit for your horse that will suit her mouth :D
 
As she's only 3 are you sure you're not asking too much of her? She may well have learnt to associate a bit with discomfort. Just because she's big doesn't mean that she's mature.
Why did you change bits in the first place?
You could try going bitless and do the same level of work. If she's OK with that, then try putting the bit in her mouth, but still ride her off the bitless bridle. Then try double reins, one on the bit, one on the bitless bridle so you can swap between them. Then if she's OK go to riding off the bit.
Hope this helps.
 
I had this exact problem with my previous horse, there was nothing physically wrong and he'd do it with any bit, any bridle and anyone trying to put it on, which made it really frustrating to solve. It was just getting the bit in his mouth, the rest of the bridle he was fine with. I tried non metal bits, treacle, building the bridle around him etc

Eventually the thing that solved it was someone who was extremely firm but very fair, I don't mean they hit him, in fact they didn't inflict any pain or discomfort whatsoever to him (if nothing else that would have had the complete opposite response!) but it was just like he knew he couldn't mess around with them - despite how determined I was! He was also very tall and I'm only 5'3 and I think he definitely knew that

I did find a Michael Peace video really helpful at the time..

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1509639750508&oid=305146795396
 
I don't hold my bridles across the nose, I hold them between the ears, I am an umpa lumpa too but had no problems tacking up the big racers like this, they feel less 'held down' and don;t back away so much, might be worth trying.
 
Try having bridling sessions, devote time to just take it on & off repeatedly, always rewarding as soon as the bit goes in NO MATTER how difficult it was. I find that repetition with reward is the key with young horses, plus keep calm no matter what. Plus have the bridle a bit looser that if you were going to ride in it so that it is an easier to job to get over the ears, it won't matter being a little loose as you will be taking it straight off again.
 
I have a 17.1hh and i'm 5ft 3, my horses 'new trick' is to let me put the bit in and then flings his head up so i can't reach his ears......i have to put a pack of polos in between my teeth and wave them under his nose so he puts his head down and i can reach his ears!! lol......however he goes through 'new tricks' all the time so once he stops doing this he'll have another trick for me to master!! x

Is your horse just testing you? or do you feel that there is more too it? x if she's young it might just be her testing you? x
 
Sounds like to me that she is just being a baby since shes only 3. Shes probably testing you out abit, working out her strengths etc? Most if not all babies go through times where they will try and test you out abit, part of growing up.

With my youngster I put the bridle on, but have one cheek piece undone so I can pop the bit in once the bridle is on and just fasten it up on one side.

Maybe get her teeth checked out aswell, just to be on the safe side. :)
 
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It is a French Link she has at the moment cos I thought it might have been the nutcracker action that was causing the problem but it sems to make no difference which she has in. Once the bit is in she settles and is fine. May be she is just playing up now she knows she can do it. She can be quite stroppy lol!
 
bizzylizzy said:
It is a French Link she has at the moment cos I thought it might have been the nutcracker action that was causing the problem but it sems to make no difference which she has in. Once the bit is in she settles and is fine. May be she is just playing up now she knows she can do it. She can be quite stroppy lol!
Click to expand...

What size bits are you putting in??
 
Sounds like she knows you are short and she is tall :D ( I am also vertically challanged ;))
What I used to do was get the headpiece of the bridle, put it over the horse's nose so they would lower their head then whip the bridle on :)
I used to ride a carriage horse who knew I was short and he was tall! And he was 20, should have knwo better :rolleyes:
 
Indiangel said:
I had this exact problem with my previous horse, there was nothing physically wrong and he'd do it with any bit, any bridle and anyone trying to put it on, which made it really frustrating to solve. It was just getting the bit in his mouth, the rest of the bridle he was fine with. I tried non metal bits, treacle, building the bridle around him etc

Eventually the thing that solved it was someone who was extremely firm but very fair, I don't mean they hit him, in fact they didn't inflict any pain or discomfort whatsoever to him (if nothing else that would have had the complete opposite response!) but it was just like he knew he couldn't mess around with them - despite how determined I was! He was also very tall and I'm only 5'3 and I think he definitely knew that

I did find a Michael Peace video really helpful at the time..

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1509639750508&oid=305146795396
Click to expand...

Lol! Thanks for the advice, I am starting to think she is just trying it on! I have a friend sho is taller and perhaps a bit firmer and she had no problem with her so maybe she is just been a teenager and pushing the limits!
 
It sounds like she is playing up. Both my babies did this for a bit. One I got was incredibly head shy and you just have to be patient. Try and stay calm. What I did was adjust the cheek pieces so that they are a couple of holes longer than needed, that way it was easier to get over the ears. My boy is 16.2hh and I had no hope when he threw his head up. I did this until he was more accepting - you then just adjust to correct length when on. Also make sure the bit isn't cold, warm it in your hands before you try and bridle. If you have time try and bridle your horse without actually riding, if your horse enjoys being groomed, bridle it, tie it up and groom it- you need to encourage it to make a positive association with the bridle. Mine is now fine to bridle after spending a few months doing this.
The other baby was a pig as a 3 yr old about having his bridle on (luckily only 15.1hh). No physical problems just decided he didn't like that game. Again I was just patient, ignored the bad behaviour and rewarded the good. :)
 
I have been lucky enough to be involved in the backing of many horses and majority go through a stage of trickiness to bridle. I think it is often little sores in the mouth caused by the bit(particularly if you have had steering issues) or accidentally banged teeth(often done when removing the bridle.)All the preivious comments re; ears,browbands(is your headpiece padded? Are you using a noseband?) and general disomfort with the bridle and the level of work for her age,should all be taken into account.
There are a number of things you can try.
Try holding a carrot alongside the bit.
Try clicker training to get her to lower her head.
As said before,try frequent bridling sessions. (I had Perry Wood help me with a difficult case and he taught me to approach the horse with the bridle with NO intention of putting it on........and miraculously I slipped the bridle on without any issues. Cannot explain that:confused:))
Rubber bits are warmer and don't tend to clang against the teeth.
Finally, be aware that a Dr Cook bridle does not give the 'instant release' which you can achieve with a bit,so the clarity of action is not as obvious,therefore harder to work with as a trainer.
 
Thanks everyone for the help! I did try tacking her up in the stable which worked better but then she refused to go in the stable, even for her feed lol! She was out then in August and thought if she went in she would be tacked up so that idea failed too! She was 3 in May and I have taken everything very slow and careful with her so I think maybe you are right and she is just trying it on. I will give your ideas a go and see how we get on :)
 
abitodd said:
I have been lucky enough to be involved in the backing of many horses and majority go through a stage of trickiness to bridle. I think it is often little sores in the mouth caused by the bit(particularly if you have had steering issues) or accidentally banged teeth(often done when removing the bridle.)All the preivious comments re; ears,browbands(is your headpiece padded? Are you using a noseband?) and general disomfort with the bridle and the level of work for her age,should all be taken into account.
There are a number of things you can try.
Try holding a carrot alongside the bit.
Try clicker training to get her to lower her head.
As said before,try frequent bridling sessions. (I had Perry Wood help me with a difficult case and he taught me to approach the horse with the bridle with NO intention of putting it on........and miraculously I slipped the bridle on without any issues. Cannot explain that:confused:))
Rubber bits are warmer and don't tend to clang against the teeth.
Finally, be aware that a Dr Cook bridle does not give the 'instant release' which you can achieve with a bit,so the clarity of action is not as obvious,therefore harder to work with as a trainer.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I am going to try some bridling sessions and try going back a step with her to a happy mouth and see how we get on.
 
jessie7 said:
It sounds like she is playing up. Both my babies did this for a bit. One I got was incredibly head shy and you just have to be patient. Try and stay calm. What I did was adjust the cheek pieces so that they are a couple of holes longer than needed, that way it was easier to get over the ears. My boy is 16.2hh and I had no hope when he threw his head up. I did this until he was more accepting - you then just adjust to correct length when on. Also make sure the bit isn't cold, warm it in your hands before you try and bridle. If you have time try and bridle your horse without actually riding, if your horse enjoys being groomed, bridle it, tie it up and groom it- you need to encourage it to make a positive association with the bridle. Mine is now fine to bridle after spending a few months doing this.
The other baby was a pig as a 3 yr old about having his bridle on (luckily only 15.1hh). No physical problems just decided he didn't like that game. Again I was just patient, ignored the bad behaviour and rewarded the good. :)
Click to expand...

I am going to keep trying, I always reward her when we get it on, even if I do wanna scream lol! I just wish I could grow a bit and she wouldn't lol. Thanks.
 
forestfantasy said:
Can i ask why you changed from the loose ring happy mouth in the first place? If she was happy, why change?.
Click to expand...

I was thinking that!

Maybe she prefers the warmer feel of the happy mouth.

Was it a straight bar happy mouth or a jointed one? If it was a straight bar it could be that she finds the jointed bits uncomfortable.
 
It was a jointed happy mouth snaffle. Maybe its the feel of the bit she doesn't like as you said. I'll try the happy mouth again and see if it helps. Thanks!
 
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