Myler Bits I need help please

[legendandboyo]

I have a 17hh hannovarian who constantly opens and closes his mouth when working in an outline. He has just got his first dressage points BD even with this nasty habbit but the judges all say lovely horse what a shame about his mouth or when he keeps his mouth shut you will get higher marks. He does not move his head and he gives me a good feel in my hands but his mouth is always on over drive. I have tried a flash and he just stopped going forwards backing off the bit so much. I broke him using a KK ultra peanut snaffle and changed to the 14mm version to see if a thinner bit would help and neither have reduced the mouth action. I put my mares hanging cheeked KK on and that was actually worse if that is possible. I have just tried the dressage legal myler comfort snaffle loose ring. It seemed better for one ride but when I watched the video of our next competition his mouth was as bad as ever. Willing to try dressage non legal bits because if I find something that works I will school and compete HC until the habbit stops and then just change to the dressage legal bit for tests. I have ordered the MB04 low port comfort snaffle eggbut rings to try and I am also looking at the MB05 medium wide ported snaffle or the MB33 ported mullen. I do not want to try any bits with hooks and my boy needs at least 5.5" and it is impossible to even find these two bits (MB05 & MB 33) in 5.5 no hooks either eggbut or D ring to try or buy. Any suggestions of how to try these bits ( I have already tried all the big bit hire places) or even any other bit ideas very gratefully received as it is now at the stage when I am going to have to look at selling my boy and I really love him and if he shut his mouth he would be a fab dressage horse so I don't want to have to get rid of his but it is all getting rather daft.
Just incase anyone is thinking it
Yes he has had his teeth done and the vet even added a bit seat to see if it helped, he had his back checked by the physio with no problems and his saddle checked only 8 weeks ago. He has been opening his mouth for 3 years and I no longer think he is going to grow out of it
Please please help

 

[JenHunt]

does he chomp or chew at the bit or does he just open his mouth?

have you tried a drop noseband instead of a flash?

the warmbloods often have very deep mouths, but not much to fill them (where as the ID, cobby types have shallow mouths and too much tongue to fit in the space) so you might find that he just likes to play with the bit, in which case a baucher/waterford might help to stop him trying to play with a more rigid bit.

or you might try a high and wide port in a myler to see if the forward pressure of it stops him thinking about his lower jaw.

these are only my intial thoughts on it. Let us know how you get on. PM me if you need more help.

 

[legendandboyo]

He chomps his bit open and closing it fairly wide so you can see his teeth from a way off. His tounge is not being stuck out the side and as I said before he stays in an out line. It is almost like a stereotypical behaviour he has a rythem to it like a weaving horse would have. With no bit in or the bit with no contact he is totally quiet in the mouth. I have a super sensitived mouthed TB so I have rather light hands almost to light. Will try and unearth a drop noseband as that is well worth a try and I hope the low ported MB 04 is enough to show an effect as I can't get the other bits I wanted to try
Being very new to this how do I PM?
Thanks for the ideas

 

[JenHunt]

click on the name of the person you want to PM, and then click on send message.

welcome!

 

[Ashgrove]

The Myler 05 and 33 mouth pieces only come with hooks on the eggbutt rings, the top hook keeps the port upright, because these are bigger ports, without the hooks they would flop down onto the tongue, so making it pointless in having a port.