Tongue over bit

[Britestar]

Horse has been in a Myler comfort snaffle loose ring for probably 2 years now, and never had a problem.

All of a sudden, he's getting his tongue over the bit when schooling. He wears a Micklem bridle, again for 3+ years. The nose band is done up loosely. I have adjusted the cheek pieces and the bit straps so it sits a little higher, and I'm not happy about taking it any higher again. This has also made the noseband a bit tighter, and I 'd rather not have it like that.

Never does it out hacking.

Any suggestions for an alternative? I likes and goes well in this bit, but he's worked out how to pull his tongue back and its not working now.

He's has his teeth done recently, so definitely not that.

 

[Lanky Loll]

Could be worth trying a spoon bit for a short time to re-educate him out of the habit - they're <£20 so aren't an expensive option and are not severe.

 

[ihatework]

I find it a little odd that an older horse who (presumably) hasn't had any significant bitting/contact issues prior, would now be putting tongue over bit.
Obviously an evasion, but an evasion or symptom of what?
Could be a number of things but my money would be on it not being the bit per se

 

[Britestar]

I didn't say he hasn't had previous contact issues, but this combo had worked for a while.

 

[ihatework]

I didn't say he hasn't had previous contact issues, but this combo had worked for a while.

So has he?
What were the issues?

 

[Britestar]

He can be fussy at times and his go to evasion is to toss his head up and down.
His teeth are done regularly with a dental vet and he gets chiro as is tense at the poll.
He actually continues to work well enough with his tongue over, just that you can see it, and occasionally the contact is unsettled.
I'm wondering if a short time in a straight bar may work, or a magic bit.

 

[Goldenstar]

Try the intelligent design curved mouth snaffle .
However I would get an acpat trained Physio to check him out .
Neck pain and back pain can cause this problem .

 

[Mike007]

Bob the notacob is a habitual tongue over the bit ,offender ,and it is most definitely an evasion.At first I tried all the gadgets,he defeated every one of them (have you ever seen an Irish draught smirk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)The secret was to improve my riding skills (and at 61 thats a lot to re learn!) At the request of my sharer ,we are trying a new bit and the results are interesting. It is a sweet iron bar with quite a wide port giving room for his tongue(and allegedly dressage legal)First few days he was quiet with it but he is now looking for a way around it. He cannot (yet) get his tongue over it and I can feel him rattling it about in his mouth . I stuck my instructor on him today (because I am quite comfortable with the fact that she is a hell of a lot better rider than me ).Again Bob was fiddling with the bit but unable to get his tongue over ,with possibly the lightest pair of hands in the county . Work in progress. Will he settle down? Who knows!I do hope so because there is a dressage test in him to die for!

 

[Cortez]

Does he hang the tongue out at all? Problems with the tongue are rarely to do with the bit itself, and can often be a symptom of pain elsewhere.

The worst tongue-loller I've ever known only does it with his owner riding. There's nothing wrong with the horse.

 

[LozzerBozzer]

Snap!! I had the exact same problem but then my saddler showed my why it was happening (with my horse anyway) it all made sense.
So my gelding was also ridden in a micklem and a low port comfort myler snaffle and he kept throwing his head around and generally not accepting the contact. I thought it was just bad manners as i had gone down the saddler, dentist etc route and all came back fine. I was just discussing it with my saddler one day and he said that due to the mylers mouth piece shape it can bang against the roof of the horses mouth if they have a low pallet, therefore creating this head flicking action. So after feeling really guilty i popped him back into a snaffle and omg the difference was huge, the only downside is that he leans like a tank so i had to come up with something that would not bang his mouth but that i also could have a little more control!
This is where is all goes horribly wrong! My instructor recommended a magic bit, and the first few rides he felt amazing, i'd never had him going so well! However the third ride in he suddenly started haven these meltdowns and with the slightest bit of contact he was panic! I kept going with it, just thinking it was him trying to get out of work as he could no longer lean and yank around. But things only got worse and he started stopping at fences and being a general nightmare to ride, that's when i decided enough was enough! It turns out the magic bit was squashing his tongue and rubbing against his molars, causing sores, and this was due to the shape of the bit.
It was just by chance a friend asked me to sell her waterford full cheek bit for her, and i had always been tempted to try one for my lad, so popped it in and give him a quick spin. That's when i realised this was the bit for us, and to this day we still have this bit and are out competing BE100 with breaks and no leaning or behavior issues! The only downside is that it isn't BD legal but for now that inst a issue for us

So please be careful with the magic bit and if i were you i would avoid it at all costs!!
p.s- I'm not saying that your myler is hitting your horses roof of the mouth but i'm just telling you my story which sounds similar to yours! Good luck X

 

[Britestar]

No lolling. Part of it is I've taken a shorter contact and he's not impressed with that!
Will work away him.

 

[GirlFriday]

Do you have an instructor looking at this in rl for you? Whay are you suddenly(?) taking a shorter contact (ie pulling on his mouth more than he is used to)? I would be trying to get my tonge over the bit if you were doing that to me... seriously, stick a (cleaned!) bit in your mouth and give it a try...