Young hose with bit issues.

[*Maddy&Occhi*]

Wondering if anyone could offer some advice/help. I have a just turned 5 year old hispano mare who seems to have bit issues. She does various things whilst being ridden which include- clenching her jaw and grinding her teeth, chewing and playing with the bit continuously, always behind the bit and will rarely take the contact forward. She will however work in an ouline...but it's never consistent as she will do the above and can never keep her head still. I've had her around 6 months now and she has progressed huge amounts. I could barely take take up a contact at all when I first got her. She has apparently always had bit issues (ever since she was backed) and I will say they have got slightly better (she used to snatch the reins also which she now does not do). I have always put it down to her being a bery green youngster, but we are now at the point where we want to progress further and I feel these issues are starting to set us back slightly, and stopping us from getting her more established. Some days are worse than others and they seem to be worse out hacking when i'm not asking for much. But I'm now at a loss, not 100% certain on whether it is a youngster thing, or she's in some sort of pain/discomfort somewhere (she will clench her jaw on the lunge also).

In the last 6 months she has had her teeth done (no issues there at all- all looking normal for a 5 year old), her back done (absolutely fine), and a new fitted saddle. Bit wise she's curretly in a nutcracker action snaffle (better than the others I've tried but the issues are still very much apparent). I've tried various snaffles also, ranging from neue schule to myler and still no improvement.

Anyone had similiar issues with their yougsters? Or can anyone offer some advice/guidance? It would be very much appreciated.

 

[zizz]

Mine is the same, much better in a mullen mouth flexible rubber snaffle. Had him in a happy mouth with a narrower mouthpeice to start with and he would just sit behind it

 

[Tnavas]

Try her in a Fulmer or a Baucher which holds the bit at a particular angle.

What I also suggest you do is to lunge her - from a cavesson with her bridle on with side reins - make them long and then work her into them.

Side reins are great for teaching a horse to accept the contact and it gives you the chance to really send her into the contact.

HAve a feel in her mouth for teeth that are not a normal size - I had some problems with my girl despite having had her teeth done - by the vet - the next time I used my Equine Dental Tech and he advised that my horse has an unusually wide bottom tooth - vet had filled the inside but not bothered to check the outside edge which was almost 3mm higher than it should. She is absolutely fine now.

 

[chestnut cob]

I've had similar problems with mine. Was 5yo when I got him and had a lot of issues with his teeth. They still need a fair bit of attention because they grow at funny rates and unevenly, but 5-6 monthly visits seem to be doing the trick. When I got him he'd had no schooling at all, had just hunted in Ireland, and was completely upside down. He's had to learn to accept the contact which took a while, but it suddenly clicked into place. He also needed to learn to understand seat aids, as I think he'd been ridden completely off the hands before he came to the UK (always seemed to expect he was going to be jabbed in the mouth, every time you touched the reins). He went through a phase of being behind the bit but is learning to take the contact forward and stretch now, but it's taken a fair amount of time.

I've been through loads of bits. To start with he would only accept a Happy Mouth (i had him in a HM hanging cheek French link), which he was OK in for a while. Then had him in a stainless steel eggbut FL. Tried Myler Comfort Snaffle (hated it), a straight bar (metal and HM), all sorts of things. Recently put him in a Neue Schule (it's borrowed from a friend but I think it's the Verbindend) and the difference is amazing. Never been a fan of them particularly before but he totally accepts it. He has stopped fussing in his mouth, he doesn't fight it or lean on it, mouths it and is nice and soft. I have him in a flash but not especially tight, just to stop him from opening his mouth wide (if he does that, he has a nasty habit of ******ing off so this just stops it) and to keep the bit more still.

 

[chestnut cob]

What I also suggest you do is to lunge her - from a cavesson with her bridle on with side reins - make them long and then work her into them.

Side reins are great for teaching a horse to accept the contact and it gives you the chance to really send her into the contact.
.

I've lunged mine a few times with side reins between the front legs. Not tight, just so that they come into play if he sticks his head right up. It's made a massive difference, he suddenly seemed to understand. Needs to be working forwards though, not ambling along going nowhere.

 

[LCH611]

I have a head flinger who is very inconsistent in the contact. He is now 6 and I seem to have been through every bit possible before settling on a wilkie snaffle with a lozenge mouthpiece. A micklem bridle seems to have made a big difference to him as well, and he seems to actively prefer being ridden into quite a strong contact before he softens. He is inclined to hollow, scuttle or just bounce up & down on the spot and he is a very playful horse in the field and spends a lot of time jousting and hooning about tossing his head. We are getting there but progress does seem to be agonisingly slow as he is my 12 yr old daughter's pony and they are learning together!

 

[*Maddy&Occhi*]

Thank you for your replies. Some great advice for me to try. I haven't actually tried a straight bar, so will give that a go next. Funny you should say that LCH611 as she also head tosses whilst playing in the field, maybe it all could be linked?

 

[*Maddy&Occhi*]

Try her in a Fulmer or a Baucher which holds the bit at a particular angle.

What I also suggest you do is to lunge her - from a cavesson with her bridle on with side reins - make them long and then work her into them.

Side reins are great for teaching a horse to accept the contact and it gives you the chance to really send her into the contact.

HAve a feel in her mouth for teeth that are not a normal size - I had some problems with my girl despite having had her teeth done - by the vet - the next time I used my Equine Dental Tech and he advised that my horse has an unusually wide bottom tooth - vet had filled the inside but not bothered to check the outside edge which was almost 3mm higher than it should. She is absolutely fine now.

Interesting as I used the vet also to have her teeth checked. I may call out our local Equine Dental Tech. Would be interesting to see if there's something the vet may have missed, and it's always re-assuring to have a second opinion, that way I can rule out any teeth issues for sure if isn't that.

 

[siennamum]

Our Iberian type is very similar. He will stand in the stable happily chewing his tongue with his head on one side. He does this also and fusses in the mouth and sits behind the bit when ridden and it is very frustrating.
I succumbed in the end and put a flash on and it has really improved him. It seems to have broken the pattern of behaviour, so much so that when I took it off he was much more settled in his mouth. I think he's just a continual work in progress frustratingly and not destined to be a dressage horse (which would make him VERY happy)