Tongue Over The Bit & Spinner Pelahams

[BlackPonies]

Hi all. My new boy has an awful habit of getting his tongue over the bit.
I've known him for three years and he's always done it but goes in fits and starts of doing it alot and then not doing it for weeks...

I've had him two weeks now and he's been doing it continuously for the last two days. It seems that he remembers he can do it again and that's it, as soon as the bits in, he's playing about with his tongue.
Obviously his big pink slobbering tongue, flapping about in the wind is neither practical or particularly pretty in the show ring.

He was in a double bridle (what he came to me in, but I had planned to change it, was just giving him time to settle) so I've changed him to a jointed pelham because I thought maybe he had too much in his mouth, but this just seems to have made it easier for him to get his tongue over. I suspect that although perhaps comfort was the issue at some point in the beginning, it's now just a bad habit...

I'm getting the vet out to check his teeth and do his jabs next week anyway so I will get them to look at his teeth just to rule any physical problems out but other than this I'm considering a spinner mouthpiece bit. Does anybody have any experience or knowledge of these? I've never used one. He has quite a hard mouth due to being hauled about when he was young but I don't want to overbit him as he's a sweet boy and can be a bit of a worrier.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[TheMule]

A ported myler bit might suit, I really rate them for horses which het the tongue over

 

[kirinsam]

I had (have) the same problem with one of mine so bought one of these bits. It definately stopped the problem but caused another in that my horse just wouldnt go forward in it and became "dead" to ride, gave up in the end and put him back in a jointed snaffle. Am now considering a peewee.

 

[suzysparkle]

My Horse used to constantly put his tongue over the bit. I tried several different mouthpieces to no avail until I tried a ported mullen - bingo! It seems the problem with mine is that he isn't keen on anything with joints. I had tried them all, single, curved single, french link, waterford, myler, KK, KK dynamic and Hippus (this was the best of the jointed). He also used to split the corners of his mouth with anything jointed (probably due to putting his tongue over). He is a much happier Horse without a jointed bit. Might be worth a try.
I currently use a Hilary Vernon dalehead but recently bought one of those schooling bits that Neue Schule and Sprenger make to try because I don't need the leverage option of the dalehead (I use a grackle XC as he can get strong and he prefers this to a stronger bit). I know they (schooling bit) are recommended for tongue vices. They work by taking most of the pressure away from the tongue and onto the bars.
I have never tried a spinner. In all honesty I wouldn't be keen as they prevent the tongue going over the bit without changing the way the mouthpiece works. I would always check the teeth first but then I would experiment with various mouthpieces and see what the Horse preferred. I guess they have their uses but I would want to be 100% certain it's a bad habit and not discomfort first. That would be impossible to determine without trial and error first. Hope that helps!

 

[BlackPonies]

Thank you. The peewee would be no good as it has to be show legal. I think some of the Mylers are aren't they? I'll look into it.
The more i look up the more confused I get lol.

 

[Ashgrove]

I'd try a ported mouthpiece for him, if he is getting his tongue over your mouth piece because he is uncomfortable then a ported mouth piece should help, if he is getting his tongue over your mouth piece because he can and it is now a habit, a ported mouth piece should make it trickier, so hopefully breaking the habit.
I'd also go for a pelham and not a double as he may not have enough room in his mouth for a double.
If you find a ported pelham that suits him, I'd get the same mouth piece in a snaffle to use on days off from the pelham.

 

[horsey mad matt]

there is a thing you can get that is like a rubber longue that fits onto a smallish straight bar git that prevents them getting there tonge over

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:15&biw=1003&bih=567

 

[BlackPonies]

Thank you Ashgrove. I may be able to get my hands on a pelham with a high port to borrow.

Matt, have you used one of these? This seems like quite a cheap option that may at least be worth a try.

 

[Paint it Lucky]

I have a horse with this habit, he had it when I got him. I have tried various bits, decided for a long time that the best option was just to use a flash, it didn't need to be tight, just there and this was enough to stop him putting his tongue over. Have recently changed him into a cambridge snaffle and honestly cannot believe the difference, no more teeth grinding or trying to put tongue over the bit, he just goes beautifully and even foams a bit at the mouth which used to be very rare! I have come to the conclusion that he doesn't like jointed bits. Cabbridge is great as it has quite a thin mouthpiece with a small port so doesn't take up much space in his mouth. I'm not really into showing so don't know if it's legal or not, but I'd imagine you could get a pelham with a similar shaped mouthpiece to see if he liked that. The spinner pelham to me looks like a lot to put in the horses mouth and I'd imagine it wouldn't be terribly comfortable? Yes they would struggle to get their tongues over it but I'm not sure they'd be that happy in it, for a horse that already has bit issues woudl you really want to put something as intrusive as that in their mouths? Though I have never seen one in use so could be completely wrong!

 

[BlackPonies]

Yeh this was why I was dubious PIL... I do feel like the double was too much for him, so will the spinner just be the same.
I'm liking the idea of the ported mouthpiece, which seems to be similar to the cambridge snaffle... I will look into what is available in a pelham.
Seriously, this is frying my brain, lol. I wish I was rich and I would just buy all of the bits that people suggest and try them one by one... but it looks like this might be an expensive process, lol.