Tongue over bit - bit recommendations?

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Booboos

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Apologies if this is more of a stable yard post, but more people viewing on here.

Can you help with a bit recommendation for a HW cob who tends to get his tongue over the bit? (currently in a drop jointed snaffle or a two ring gag) Ideally something dressage legal and (which seems to be a problem) has to come in a 6.5" size please!!!!

He tends to get his tongue over if you give him a long rein, but has managed it at other times as well, at which point he gets a bit unhappy about the whole riding thing!

THANK YOU!
 
You may need to try something with more room for his tongue. His tongue may be getting squashed and he has quite a big mouth if a 6.5! I'm a bit out of touch with what is dressage legal now but i would suggest a thin french link or if thats not strong enough try a bit bank and experiment with a few. Hope thats of some help.
 
I also have this issue with my ex-racer! I have tried lots of bit/noseband combinations and the only thing that currently seems to be working is the Pee Wee Bit and cavesson noseband. If you try and keep his mouth shut he panics! It is not dressage legal unfortunately so I change him into a mullen mouth Eggbut for that!
 
Maybe try putting the bit up a hole so it is sitting higher in his mouth...when he realises he can't do it he may give up and then you can try putting it down again and see if he still tries. Just a suggestion.
But sorry, not too sure about different bits though!
 
Try a JP bit. They are curved, so give more tongue room. Eithe rthat or something like a team up snaffle from Neue schule. Closing his mouth will just cause him to squash his tongue more
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Thanks KatB. Unfortunately JP bits and Neue Schule only seem to go up to 6" (from the quick look I had, so I may have missed some).

Thanks Flash_. He seems to be able to do it with the bit at the right sort of height but I can try putting it up a bit more and see what happens.

Thanks TC1, ideally I need something dressage legal to allow him to compete (not that he does a lot of that, but it keeps him happy to go out and about!).

Sorry to be a pain....
 
i have the same problem with my cob i have just had a high ported phelam specially made for him which has helped, im not sure if it would be any good for dressage tho i use it as a double bridle????
 
Alot of people seem to have french links too low - they have to be that bit higher! Also, flashes have to be pretty tight to actually work! Sorry if I'm teaching my granny to suck eggs!

I've always had mine in snaffles, but I have been told in the past that a straightbar is good for horses who stick their tongue over the bit?
 
A myler french link may work then? It is curved in the same way
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Their 6" will fit as they are 1/2 bigger generally in my experience... (my mare is in a 4.5" myler and I am pretty sure her mouth isnt THAT small
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xshowcobx: unfortunately he is only pottering about at Prelim, so a double is out of the question, but interesting suggestion getting a bit made. I didn't know you could do that! Who made it for you?

ParkRanger: no offence at all! My instructor has also checked his tack, it seems well fitting, but I can try putting everything up. Will try the straightbar, thanks!

KatB: just looked at my 5.5" Myler and it looks way off, but will try a 6", thanks!

Thanks for the suggestions everyone
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My horse draws his tongue back constantly as if trying to get away from the pressure or feeling of the bit. He does it as soon as the bit goes into his mouth and it drives me mad. Ive tried loads and loads of bits but at the moment Im using a Myler full cheek (fulmer) with a wide ported mouthpiece and Im having some success, not all the time though. Sprenger and NS do a correctional bit or schooling bit which is shaped to apparantly stop these habits. NS is an eggbutt type and sprengers is a loose ring. They didnt work for my horse. They arent dressage legal but (whispers) the sprenger one just looks like a loose ring snaffle so no one would know
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Interesting Eoe, I've never seen anything like this! Maybe he needs a bit of time in one of these and then back to a snaffle...worth a try!

Thanks Louby! This seems to be a new problem for Cakey (he's 13 and we've had him for 7 years). He used to be rather lazy to the leg but ridden by novices so no one did anything about that. My groom has been 'waking him up' a bit more so that he is now nicely forward going, but he has developed this tendency with the bit. She does tend to school him in the gag which I do not think helps matters, but he tends to 'play' with the bit (either gag or snaffle) from the moment it's in his mouth (and he seems to be able to do it with a reasonably tight flash), so I wonder if he is drawing back his tongue as you describe.
 
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