youngster unsettled in the mouth? suggestions please

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BUCKandREAR

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Currently helping a friend with a newly backed 3yr old - well almost 4 now - been riding away for approx 8 weeks now all fine but lately the past 2 weeks or so the youngster has been very fussy in the mouth - chomping the bit, unsteady in the contact and nodding a fair bit, does this out hacking on a fairly loose contact and also when schooling on a contact - this is a fairly new thing. Teeth where gently rasped (wasnt much there) around June time and saddle fits fine. Other than that youngster is forward going, seems happy to be striding out whilst hacking and in the school and generally well in herself. Youngster does hold herself in a natural outline but has become quite unsettled in the mouth and sometimes comes behind the bit then forward and back and so on......
Schooled once a week for 30 mins and hacks 4 x per week for 50 mins walking only.
Ridden in a loose ring snaffle with lozenge in a plain cavesson noseband, rider very quiet with seat and hands.

Suggestions please?
 
A lot happening in a 3yr old mouth - caps on molars etc. Might be worth having the dentist have another look in her mouth, also may be worth taking the noseband off for a few months while teeth are erupting.

I noticed my baby - just 3yrs old has massive tooth bumps on her lower jaw. She is heading for the dentist as well in the next few weeks.
 
I had the same problems with the youngster I'm currently doing. He was also doing the same on the lunge with no bit in his mouth. I suspected it was likely teeth related but all is well there, for now. I changed his bit from a lozenge eggbutt to a fulmer with a single joint. He seems far happier in it.
 
Evelyn said:
A lot happening in a 3yr old mouth - caps on molars etc. Might be worth having the dentist have another look in her mouth, also may be worth taking the noseband off for a few months while teeth are erupting.

I noticed my baby - just 3yrs old has massive tooth bumps on her lower jaw. She is heading for the dentist as well in the next few weeks.
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We have the dentist coming mid october for the other horses so will def get him to check her mouth too

spike123 said:
I had the same problems with the youngster I'm currently doing. He was also doing the same on the lunge with no bit in his mouth. I suspected it was likely teeth related but all is well there, for now. I changed his bit from a lozenge eggbutt to a fulmer with a single joint. He seems far happier in it.
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Have a selection of bits including a full cheek snaffle (single joint) and a happy mouth snaffle will try out the full cheek tomorrow and see if it makes a difference
 
All of above suggestions, plus is she bored,walking for 50 mins will be getting her fitter and she may be ready to do a little more to challenge her.Do you use poles and vary her schooling maybe do some trot work when hacking,sitting on their backs in walk can make them sore and some short trots will help relax the muscles under the saddle area.
 
be positive said:
All of above suggestions, plus is she bored,walking for 50 mins will be getting her fitter and she may be ready to do a little more to challenge her.Do you use poles and vary her schooling maybe do some trot work when hacking,sitting on their backs in walk can make them sore and some short trots will help relax the muscles under the saddle area.
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She probably is ready to do a little more now, shes noticeably able to keep up with the other horses out hacking now, not out of breath or sweaty.
Will suggest some short bursts of trot on some softer ground.
We where going to introduce some pole work tomorrow.
 
BUCKandREAR said:
anyone else?
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It's probably due to what everyone else has already mentioned - teething. I didn't back my youngster until she was just turning four as her lower jaw was so lumpy during her third year I just knew bitting her would be uncomfortable. I guess you could consider using an English hackamore until teething is over. I remember I did this way back with a youngster I backed back in the 80's. Worked well and didn't seem to upset his education any having a delay in being bitted for ridden work. He successfully starting eventing by 5 and winning. So maybe worth considering if you're really stuck?

I bet you'll know better how to proceed once the dentist has been out to take a look. My youngster (she's 4) is having her wolf teeth out tomorrow morning, so even into the 4th and 5th years there's stuff going on inside the horse's mouth. You just have to play it by ear as each horse reacts so differently. :)
 
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