Rode my horse for the first time and a Q

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FfionWinnie

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Quick recap, bought her 10 days ago. When I viewed she was very very fussy in her mouth. They were lunging her off the bit. She is rising 5.

I've had her teeth done (took an EDT over an hour to sort her out).

I reckon she is better than she was but still fussy. She has been turned away all Summer. Bit is an NS starter bit. How long should I persevere with this bit before trying something else?

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4 days ago but I don't think so because she had not had a bit in her mouth for 3 weeks before that and the EDT said to crack on with the bit. The discomfort with the bit was due to her teeth shape and the bit sitting on them, so it wouldn't mean her mouth was sore from it now, if that makes sense, because she wasn't wearing a bit recently (I was working her in a halter).
 
She looks, as I would expect, rather weak and unbalanced, as she has been worked previously with sharp teeth and has become fussy it will take a while to forget.

I would not worry too much about her mouth at this stage, get her going more forward, finding her own balance and building up her strength, once she starts to feel more confident the fussing should stop.

Possibly try a straight nylon bit, nathe or happy mouth for a while.
 
Be positive, thanks. Would you just get a nylon bit now then? I am just going to be hacking her over the winter now I know she isn't going to murder me :o

She actually feels very balanced to ride considering.

She was worked with problem teeth and a flash, sob sob.
 
I'd try a copper roller, but otherwise not worry about it too much. I'd just hack on a loose contact & concentrate on nice swinging forward paces, then when she's had chance to forget the previous contact issues I'd slowly start picking one up again.
 
If she was mine I would use one for now until she learns to relax and starts to accept the bit more, she just needs time, as you know, to become more established and a soft bit can help.
She does look as if she would feel balanced to ride, the easy movement will feel good but dont let her con you into thinking she is working in the trot, walk looks good, her back needs to lift and you will probably get some real power once it does.
 
Hmmm Im wondering if she's entirely sound at the front from that vid:confused:

Bitting problems are a minefield tbh. I think for now Id be putting her bridle on but riding her off a side pull. In the hopes she will learn to carry the bit and know it doesnt mean pain. Also she is hollowing in order to poke her nose, are you happy with the saddle fit?
 
TigerTail said:
Hmmm Im wondering if she's entirely sound at the front from that vid:confused:

Bitting problems are a minefield tbh. I think for now Id be putting her bridle on but riding her off a side pull. In the hopes she will learn to carry the bit and know it doesnt mean pain. Also she is hollowing in order to poke her nose, are you happy with the saddle fit?
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near side front?
 
I really don't think she is lame. I have a bitless bridle, not sure it would work with a bit in her mouth too tho. Saddler is coming tomorrow. I felt I had to sit on her before she came otherwise she wouldn't be able to fit a saddle properly. I don't think the saddle is a terrible fit or I wouldn't have used it however I am not a saddle fitter. I rode her for 5 minutes to check she wouldn't buck me off. The ground is very wet.
 
I think that she's really lovely. :)

She should be a lot happier with a properly fitting saddle.

ETA. I have two horses that like Myler comfort snaffles and hate everything else (dinky arab mouths ;) ), so if you could borrow one to try it might suit your mare. They come up quite large though so my 15hh grey has a 4 1/2 inch. Luckily I found an ebay bargain as they are flipping expensive too. :(
 
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Lovely little horse - really nice markings, I hope you do well with her. I didnt see any lameness, but I do agree that your saddle doesn't look to be a great fit so it might be worth getting it checked out. Good luck with her. :)
 
It's her mouth that makes her unhappy. She is a very very sensitive creature and very expressive too about what she thinks about everything. I am going to try her in the bit less bridle tomorrow to see what difference that makes.

Incidentally I looked at the vid on YouTube and wanted to point out I was leaning over her before I got on since I had no one suitable to hold her for me, not getting on like a sack of spuds. I am sure it could be interpreted the wrong way since the quality on YouTube is so poor!

Faracat I haven't got anyone to borrow from but I will try a bit bank. I am going to buy a happy mouth or similar first because you can't hire them anyway and I do wonder if something completely different and not metal might help her forget about sore strapped shut mouth.
 
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Sorry OP I didnt mean to critique the mare herself, she is beautiful, just doesnt look comfy in her own skin atm.

The saddle is putting you in a very bad chair seat, all your weight coming down on the reflex in the middle of the horses back due to the chair like position of your leg. The saddle has to fit you as well as the horse for you to be a comfy rider for the horse. Hope that makes vague sense.

Yes jhoward :)
 
I haven't got anyone to borrow from
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That's a shame. It's the one thing that I really miss now that I'm not on a livery yard. I was able to try different bits and even try different makes/sizes of rugs so that I didn't waste any money getting the wrong thing.

I hope that she likes the happymouth. :)
 
TigerTail said:
Sorry OP I didnt mean to critique the mare herself, she is beautiful, just doesnt look comfy in her own skin atm.

The saddle is putting you in a very bad chair seat, all your weight coming down on the reflex in the middle of the horses back due to the chair like position of your leg. The saddle has to fit you as well as the horse for you to be a comfy rider for the horse. Hope that makes vague sense.

Yes jhoward :)
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I've just spend £1400 ordering a saddle the same as the one I am using in that vid except with thicker knee rolls. Shoot me now!!!

She is not comfey in her own skin at all but her attitude to life was real misery when I got her. If I leaned against her side she would stamp, kick and gnash her teeth. Before anyone says it was pain it wasn't. She is a complex horse and I feel has been allowed to stamp and kick her way through life and she has changed a great deal for the better in just ten days. She no longer does that when I lean against her incidentally :)
 
Echo the myler comfort snaffle, the copper at the ends seems to please some. My Appy has a silly small mouth and if I use a snaffle (usually ride in myler pelham) then it is the myler comfort snaffle. Btw I think she is a very pretty girl :D
 
might just be worth trotting her up on a hard surface op, as the lamness is fairly apparent

its not ment to make you depressed and surely youd rather it was mentioned to you than you keep riding a sensitive soul thats not 100%?
 
jhoward said:
might just be worth trotting her up on a hard surface op, as the lamness is fairly apparent

its not ment to make you depressed and surely youd rather it was mentioned to you than you keep riding a sensitive soul thats not 100%?
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I have looked at the video a million times in far better quality than you can see on YouTube, I have slowed the video down and scrutinised it and I cannot see that she is even slightly unlevel. I also emailed it to my friend who is an equine vet as well as a rider and she said she could see no sign of lameness whatsoever but that diagnosing lameness or otherwise on wet rough grass with a young unbalanced horse is hardly possible anyway, so she will see her trotted up tomorrow when she comes for tea. I maybe an idiot but I'd like to think I would notice if my horse was "fairly apparently" lame and the thought I would not, is exceedingly depressing.
 
The hard surface should tell you, along with it being a slow trot as the horse doesnt then have the momentum to support the moment of suspension which becomes difficult if lame.
Also turning the horse tightly, fore and aft, is always useful :)
 
FfionWinnie said:
I have looked at the video a million times in far better quality than you can see on YouTube, I have slowed the video down and scrutinised it and I cannot see that she is even slightly unlevel. I also emailed it to my friend who is an equine vet as well as a rider and she said she could see no sign of lameness whatsoever but that diagnosing lameness or otherwise on wet rough grass with a young unbalanced horse is hardly possible anyway, so she will see her trotted up tomorrow when she comes for tea. I maybe an idiot but I'd like to think I would notice if my horse was "fairly apparently" lame and the thought I would not, is exceedingly depressing.
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ok you choose not to listen, it is possible to see lameness on any ground. balanced or un balanced again if its lame its lame.

try to take these things on board and not get so defensive. 2 people picked up on the same leg.

all im saying is like tt says on hard ground and in a circle .. im its fine but always better to gt these things double checked :)
 
Please show me where I chose not to listen!? I just told you I sent the video to my friend who is a vet and who will see her trot up tomorrow. What part of that is ignoring it. I am allowed to disagree with you and say I don't think she is lame however!
 
of course you may, mind u vets get it wrong too, last plonker told me my horse had done a tendon i argued this in a big way .. and low and behold the poor bugger had an abcess in his heel.:rolleyes::D
 
jhoward said:
of course you may, mind u vets get it wrong too, last plonker told me my horse had done a tendon i argued this in a big way .. and low and behold the poor bugger had an abcess in his heel.:rolleyes::D
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Lol if we didnt live at opposite ends of the country id think we had the same vet! Last feb I was told mine had sprained its pastern, 3 days later a 3 inch abscess blew out of her coronet band :rolleyes: Though she was hopping on 3 legs lame!
 
TigerTail said:
Lol if we didnt live at opposite ends of the country id think we had the same vet! Last feb I was told mine had sprained its pastern, 3 days later a 3 inch abscess blew out of her coronet band :rolleyes: Though she was hopping on 3 legs lame!
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lol ive seen abcesses make horses look like they have broken a leg.

i d normally dig about myself but have been harbouring a hand injury for 3 months, and got sent a new vet!!! bute it, dont let it move inform your insurances company i want to xray and scan (there was my 1st arguement)

anyway senior vet came out next day with plonker vet and stuck his thumb straight in a hole (id already ignored other vet and got a friend to poltice for me!! never did get a sorry.. just 200 quid off my bill!:D

damn vets your ment to know more than me!:mad:
 
lovely mare, gorgeous markings.

I'm another though who thinks she doesn't look 100% sound. No harm to trot her on hard surface to check, but she definitely doesn't look right in that video. She is very sensitively pushing off the hind legs as if she's anticipating pain somewhere. She is very tense in the neck though so could be an issue/soreness there, that can sometimes look like a soundness problem.
 
She a nice mare but again not 100% sound , I would also rule out any back problems , either tho it looks to be mouth ,it could be a pain issue some where else , ie mouth,back ,poll etc
 
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