Bitting a two year old?

[Wendyco]

I am in a predicament as to whether to attempt to bit my two year old. He is generally quite accepting of all our new activities such as rugs, surcingle, carrot stick, bikes and little trips down the lanes. It normally only takes two or three attempts for him to understand what is required or get used to new things.

However I am genuinely concerned about introducing him to a bit, one - there are so many on the market for youngsters and two - how to introduce it into his mouth without causing him any real fear or discomfort. Any advice or tips on how this could be achieved would be great. Are there any views on whether this is too early as I am not intending to have him backed until next summer. This will be done professionally.

[xloopylozzax]

most are generally started in a snaffle, either single jointed eggbutt, frenchlink, or full cheek (with either joint)

it wont harm to introduce it, short periods of wearing it then building it up to leading etc.

just start off bridling him normally and give him a polo or something to encourage him to salivate so its more comfortable.
personally i would steer clear of happymouth/rubber bits until you have trouble with metal ones and have tried sweet metal as well (copper etc)

[Gurnosstud]

I put honey on the bit when introducing it for the first time.

[carthorse]

Hiya Wendy!

Sorry I haven't replied to your PM, I keep meaning to then forget when I'm logged on :o

I can't see any harm in bitting him now, I bitted Little Un as a 2yo & Jim was already bitted when I bought him (something to do with him being too strong to walk out in a headcollar or cavesson - what a surprise :rolleyes:).

With Little Un I spent a few days playing around with his mouth, putting my finger in the side etc. I then got a bridle with no noseband or reins, set it to about the right size, smeared a little bit of honey on the bit & he was perfectly happy to take it. The downside was I got slightly sticky! I used a full cheek bit with a lozenge in the middle so it had got a bit of play in it & I didn't leave it in for long to begin with but he took to it fine especially when he realised it didn't stop him eating.

I wouldn't worry about him minding something in his mouth. If you watch them in the field youngsters often pick up & carry all sorts of things - compared to a large branch a bit is nothing!

[JamesJackson]

I definitely would; the more you get them used to at that age the better. I try to only use a full-cheek french link snaffle in everything I ride; seems to give the best effect. But, doesn't sound like you'll be riding but just bitting, so it doesn't really matter what you shove in its gob as long as it's not made of barbed wire :D

[kirby]

iam in the same predicament! im ready for 2 year old Porsha to be mouthed i know her previous owner introduced her to a happy mouth with keys, so i could use that but i would like her to be introduced to one bit that she will become familiar with for ever, what is the gentleist comfiest bit around??:)

[Jen_e_Jen]

I started Jackson w/a large rubber bit. As orally fixated as he is he didn't mind it at all. We started w/short bit sessions and worked our way up.

[JamesJackson]

what is the gentleist comfiest bit around??:)

In the right hands, a pelham with a tight curb-chain, in the wrong hands an eggbutt snaffle ;) Excessiveness aside, I go by my above statement - full cheek (not fulmar) french link.

[xloopylozzax]

tbh all of ours were started in bits with 'keys' and they liked that, but we moved onto a frenchlink/single jointed snaffle for work.

to find the comfiest bit, you need to suss out your horses mouth conformation, fat tongue, low pallete narrow mouth, not much room- the list is endless.

some horses hate jointed bits full stop and prefer a straight bar or mullen mouth.

i prefer them to have metal bits (steel or copper or sweet iron) over rubber or happymouth. i personally think a metal bit is comfy because it is smooth, it warms in their mouth, it doesnt drag and its not too bulky.

[prettybluepony]

We normally bit ours in a straight bar "breaking" bit with keys just for them to play with. My new baby started with a nice copper rollers egbutt single joint snaffle after a few goes in the breaking bit, as we only have three breaking bits and lots of breakers at the moment, and it has produced a really nice, soft mouth, relaxed jaw, and he gets to play a bit still. Something that is gentle, and is the right size and shape. If it fits and isn't going to hurt him he should be fine. If it tastes nice, and has bit rings to make sure he doesn't hurt his lips it's a bonus, but I would just borrow a plain old snaffle for the first few times.

Try letting him eat his feed and hay with a bit on for a few days, it's how we get our youngsters used to it.

[Jessica23]

I bitted my girl just before she was two (she turned two the beginning of this month) and i just used a french link loose ring snaffle and she loves it. I mushed up some apple on it, as she loves apple and put it on as you would any bridle and just left her for a few mins chomping on it at first, gradually building it up to longer and longer. She is now more than happy to have her bridle on and has taken to it really well. The most important thing is not to rush it and give them time to get used to just having the bit in their mouth before trying to lead them from it. I started off leading her from a headcollar before trying with reins attached to the bit.

[Valaraki]

I started bitting my two year old at the beginning of may this year. I have put him in a plain eggbutt snaffle and he doesnt mind it.

After a couple of times standing with the bridle on I gave him some feeding/hay so that he could get used to eating with it on. Polo mints are a good idea aswell he did accept it very quickly.

He now leads out in hand with it on, although I still have his headcollar on underneath with leadrope as i dont want to pull at his mouth if he spooks at anything stuppid:confused:

[lachlanandmarcu]

I used a happy mouth French link but after she ate 3 in 3 weeks (chompy Haffie who loves as many bits in mouth as possible as she can dream its food!) I resorted to sweet iron french link shes 5 now and still in that bit and is 100% prob free to bridle. :D

[Skyhuntress]

...maybe I've just gotten lucky with my three boys, but I;ve never had problems bitting them at all. I waited until they were going to be started undersaddle, and within about 3-4 tries (first one was coated with mollases and they could chew and lick to their hearts content) they were perfectly accepting of it.
So I personally wouldn't bother bitting a two year old., because I like them to remain babies a bit longer, and it doesn't take much effort at all to bit them once you are ready to do some actual work.

But that's just a personal choice.

As for bits, I've always used a full cheek french link to start with.

[Denbenj]

Biting a young horse is always a good idea. I have always gone with this even so they can just mouth on the bit and get used to it for the future and see it isnt a threat.

I have always used a straight rubber snaffle.

With my youngsters I have introduced longreing and leading in hand along the lanes at a young age to aid being traffic proofed. Having them accepted to a bit has just been an added bonus.

I have always felt it has done no harm, only aided benifits.


When I got Kai he was very bit shy ( unbroken/bitted ) at 5 year old. It took me a long time to make him realise having a bit in is no threat at one point he was rearing, and I had to liturally assemble the bridle around him ( with the aid of toothpaste on it! ;))

finally now he is touching 7 this year he allows me to tack him up no qualms however if he had been taught from a young age I dont think I would of had these problems. Its also not fair on him being confused to this new thing being asked of him all of a sudden.

Just to slip a simple bridle and bit on a young horse, even for a short period to show that its not so scary is always a good thing xx

[Wendyco]

Thanks for all this advice, this has given me the confidence to give this a go and some techniques for making it easier.

[Mareish]

I always start by popping in a happy mouth and leaving them to a large haynet

..and once you have done it, do it regularly :)