Tips/Tricks for Horse who HATES the bit *long*

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Kate260881

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So I've had Penny for about 3 months now. She's a 5 year old Dutch Warmblood and I love her to bits. The things she's good with she's really good and seems to learn really really quickly. However, her 'quirks' are just becoming a bit of a nightmare and I'm running out of ideas. The main one is bitting/bridling.

When I first got her, she was a pain to get the bridle on, to the extent where I couldn't do it on my own and she just seemed really really unhappy. I figured something wasn't right and shortly after she had 2 wolf teeth out. I invested in a hackamore so that I could still ride her while she was recovering. Now even with the hackamore she would throw her head right up in the air when I was trying to get her bridle on but I reckon this was maybe her still thinking it was a bit and therefore going to hurt. The only way to get the bridle on (whilst still in one piece) was to stand there for about 10 minutes slowly moving it up her head until I could lower it over her ears. She still wasn't happy about this and is almost like I'm tricking her till I can catch her unawares!

So once she'd healed I put her bridle back on with the bit in and turned her out in the loose school to have a play and realise that it didn't necessarily mean work. She wasn't hugely happy but could at least eat with the bit in now (couldn't at all before she had her teeth done, but was fine with no bit). So started riding again with a bit but she was really really not happy getting it put in again (was in a single jointed loose ring snaffle) so tried changing to a happy mouth double jointed loose ring (a bit I've had a lot of sucess with before) as I thought maybe she didn't like the metal. She still hated it going in till it got to the stage where she was throwing herself backwards to get away from me trying to put it on.

So basically, she's back in the hackamore as I just hate seeing her getting so stressed out about something. Even now in order to get the bridle on I take it to pieces and put it on headpeice, browband, throatlash then can put the hackamore on. This may seem long winded but it ends up quicker that trying to get the damn thing over her ears. I do wonder if she's been hit around the ears before but she's fine with me touching them and loves her head, poll and ears being rubbed, its literally if you are holding a piece of leather that she freaks out.

Basically I'm at my wits ends, thinking of perhaps trying a vulcanite or sweet iron snaffle and see how that works and have now (finally) found an instructor that speaks english so will see if he can help. Just wondered if anyone on here had come across anything similar and could offer any advice at all.

Sorry for the waffle, hope it makes sense. Cookies if you got this far!!
 
Have you tried a bitless bridle that isn't a hackamore? Like the dr Cook or a lodge ropes one? I am considering buying one for one of ours who is fine with the bit really, but is always so fussy with his head.

I haven't tried them myself, but if you google them and have a good read you might see something that could suit yours? But I am no expert on this at all!
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Think if you've been perservering for three months (which ok isn't that long in horses getting over things) it might be worth trying something a bit different, and they are not overly expensive i don't think so could be worth a go.
 
Just wondered but what's she like to have a headcollar put on? Same issues - or no trouble?
 
Stencilface - a girl at my yard rides in a Dr Cook so I could try that. She is happy in the hackamore though, its more that I would like to be able to school with a bit in without us both being traumatised by the time she's tacked up.

Jemima - she is fine with the headcollar most of the time (occassionally she will put her head up but its only about 5% of the time) as long as you flip it over and buckle it rather that pull it over her ears. I can flip the leadrope over her ears without too many problems though, she's still not happy but not like what she's like if it's a bit of leather.
 
I do feel for you as I had exactly the same problem with a horse I had last year. He hated bits and I used to spend a good half hour putting the bridle on as he would just throw his head in the air and, to the extreme, would kick out with his front leg. I tried a Happy mouth but that was too bulky but found the Nathe bit was more suitable in the end. It took 3 months before I could bridle him within minutes and a lot of patience and praise when he accepted it. I had tried rubbing molasses on the bit but he just licked it off, clenching his teeth when I attempted to put it in and finally I succeeded with pieces of apple against the bit, which he had to open his mouth for and 9 times out of 10 I managed to pop the bit in. Once in, he was fine, I just think he had been badly handled in his mouth before I bought him.
After all that I ended up selling him anyway as he proved too green for me out hacking and didn't get on too well with his field companions.
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I dont think it is a problem with a bit going into her mouth I think it is the whole puttin a bridle over the ears issue!
Im saying this as my mare was exactly the same I used to have to take the whole bridle apart to get it on her, it has taken me 3 yrs to get to the stage where I can put the bridle on in one piece!!!
She still is a bit funny with it , I cant pull her ears through the head piece I have to kinda push them forward at the base and slid the bridle on, also I have to put the bridle on from the wrong side (right handside).
She is fine with a headcoller as long as you dont just undo the 'throat lash bit' and try to slid her ears through if you know what I mean.
Keep on trying and take things very slowly and reward her when you finally get the bridle on xx.
 
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Jemima - she is fine with the headcollar most of the time (occassionally she will put her head up but its only about 5% of the time) as long as you flip it over and buckle it rather that pull it over her ears. I can flip the leadrope over her ears without too many problems though, she's still not happy but not like what she's like if it's a bit of leather.

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OK - how about trying a combination leather headcollar / bridle. Headcollar could then stay on most of the time and you can clip the bit on when you want to ride? I just googled "combination headcollar" and came up with several options.

It may not be ideal but it does away with the struggle each time!
 
Maybe her ears are hurting? I had a TB, really he was my best ever, but he was a pain to put on the bridle or anything round his head, clipping, plaiting, etc.

He had mites in his ears and they were painful for him. Sometimes I managed to "sneak" it over his ears - but he was only 15 hh - then other times I had to put the bridle on in two stages.

The vet gave me some stuff to put in his ears, you can imagine what he thought about that! I think it did get a bit better, but it is a long time ago now, so the memory is a bit hazy.

Otherwise, give him a polo/something nice every time you put the bit in his mouth.
 
I would of said it's a problem with her ears aswell if she doesn't like the bridle going over them, but you said when you ride her she gets quite upset too. Have you tried her in a simple straight bar? happy mouth or rubber, something that is soft and mild? When you put the bridle on does she happily put the bit in her mouth of does she refuse to open her mouth? I would be inclined to continue with taking the bridle apart and gently lowering over her ears untill she is happy with it, you have only had her for 3 months so she is still probably gaining trust in you, give it some more time being gentle and see how it goes.
 
Hi Kate

Could she have damaged her poll somehow, maybe prior to your getting her? Perhaps pulled back sharpely on the head collar when tied up and strained something, pulled something out of line, which is now manifesting itself as dislike of the bit and over sensitivity around her ears? You could investigate that and possible ear mites as you have tried various options bit wise. Good luck.
 
She might have been ear twitched & badly handled before you got her. The issue won't really be resolved with a bit, but give her xtra strong mints after you put the bridle on & a big kiss & she'll get a bit better.

My horse is really mouth fussy & a pain to put the bit in her mouth & still haven't found a bit to suit her but she'd never run off so a single jointed rubber loosering is currently ok.

bloody horses!
 
you can get attachments for a headcollar so a bit can be attached, mainly normally used for leading but may make life a bit better for your mare if she doesn't mind the headcollar
 
When we first got my daughter's Connemara pony a couple of years ago, he was very green and putting on the bridle / getting the bit in his mounth was a BIG problem. Even the most experienced of riders at our yard saying "let me try ... I have never had a problem" had to admit defeat. Everything was checked out .. teeth, ears etc etc, there was no problem that could be identified.

I put this down to how he was handled as a youngster and so it took six months of being very patient, with me (mum) have to put on the head-collar first and encouraging him to keep his head down, whilst my then 12 year old had both hands available to get the bridle on. We would then have to take the headcollar apart after the bridle was on. The whole exercise could take up to 20 minutes alone.

We repeated this exercise day in day out ...Six months on, one day out of the blue, my daughter went into the stable on her own, and he just allowed her to put the bit / bridle on as if is was no big deal ... because maybe he had realised that it wasn't ! Since then he has been great, although once in a blue moon, if he realises that he is about to do some work he will think about clamping his teeth together, but after a couple of minutes he opens his month.

It does get better with lots of patient. So stick with it. Good luck

Post script - we came across another pony that had come from the same stud as our's had come from, and that pony was exactly the same issues - so clearly it was about the handling as a youngster.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to get the back man out to check out her poll as she does have a habit of panicking if she feels restricted so I am very very careful what I tie her to (2 broken headcollars and 2 broken leadropes with the first month of having her). I would make sense for her to have hurt herself up here. The vet is out for her jabs in a couple of weeks as well so I'll get him to check for mites.

She is OK once the bridle is on, she just flings herself backwards when you try to put the bit in (putting it in from the side with most of the bridle already on). It does seem to be a panic response and she's so gentle and trusting is nearly every other way that its like she turns into a different horse. She does also get a yummy treat every time she has anything put on her head, be it bridle or headcollar, and lots of fuss.

But thank you for the response, certainly some stuff to think about.
 
ive just dealt with a simular issue, my boy totally freaked the moment i approached with the bridel (hes been broken but due to a bad experiance before i bought him im treating him as unbroken.)

hes also a bit funny with hes ears, like some ones grabbed hold of them, after the 1st day of shear panick, i didnt bother with the bridle, but done lots of face rubbing, and rubbing around the ears, stroking by the pole (still funny with ears) and then taught him to put his head down with poll pressure (im a short arse and hes 16hh) then dismantled the bridle and assembled it bit by bit.

i did figure that half the issue was the jangle of the bit, and the reins over hes neck. each time the bridle was on, i took the reins off and just left him to graze, it took a couple of weeks before i could get the bridle on without having to have a headcollar on and hold him.

if part of your issues are the bridle going over the ears would it be worth trying the attachents you can get for a headcollar? i think robinsons do them.
 
I have the same problem. As soon as he sees the bit his head is in the air and I spend 15 mins coaxing it down to get to hold his face, then as soon as the bit goes in he is off again. until i get it over ears, he then has a shake and mouth pulling session and then all is fine !!!

I thought it was the ears but in my case it is not, he is not headshy, you can play with his ears and headcollars are fine. I have had his teeth checked and he is perfect. Back and all tack are fine too

I think horses have longer memories than we give them credit for sometimes. H used to be at a riding school and so used to be man handled by a lot of people, now he is not, progress is VERY slow but he is more manageable now.

I find leaving the headcollar on can help aswell. Gives you a little more control to stop the head getting so high. Although the fun and games come when you have to dismantle the headcollar to get it off !!!!!!

Patience and gentle handling is the thing. Mine used to be hit for it and it has just ingrained the problem in his poor little brain. Like you I have tried bitless and rubber bits. For some reason he is slightly easier with his NS Veribend loose ring !!
 
Gentle_Warrior - your boy sounds EXACTLY like Penny. She also isn't headshy with anything that isn't leather. Its nice to know that you managed to work through it, shows that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Lunging tonight so may try the bit again.
 
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