Changing Bits.............Heather???

[Monty]

Heather, You know all the background on Rebel, so I won't go into it all over again.But this bucking and the circumstances of it beginning, has EVERYONE puzzled.He was an angel until September, his dressage VERY crude, but an angel never the less, except hacking which has ALWAYS been a problem for him, and I think might be a separate issue to this bucking.

When I had him he was ridden in an eggbutt snaffle. It was quite clear to me, that he wasn't happy in it.I tried him with a hanging cheek snaffle with a french link, once dental treatment had been given and he hadn't stopped chomping incessantly on the bit. He seemed a LOT happier in the hanging cheek. I have to confess to not giving it an other thought, though he has had the dentist again since.

Just reading Sarah's thread about Tango. Is there ANY chance at all that Rebel's bit might be bothering him?? I mean is it common for it to manisfest itself as something other than 'mouth' related symptons??? You know, that I am at the end of my tether with him, and am willing to consider any cause, but I don't want to start playing around with his bit unnecessarily. It's only a thought. I hadn't considered it before. Do you have any ideas ??
Also, I've asked in CityGirl's thread about bits, I didn't realise you didn't like flash nose bands, can you explain why, and what you use instead, if anything?? Thanks.

[Sarah]

Monty,

Just to clarify the TAngo bitting issue, the snaffle problem was occuring when she was having other issues - like being forced to be kept in a field by herself by a stupid yard owner, this gave me an infinitely small amount that I could ask from her before she napped. As she was happier in the pelham, she napped less, giving me more room to play with in her tolerance.

In summary, it may not have been the snaffle that made her rear, it may just have been that she didn't like it and was generally unhappy hence her reaction was so strong. Swapping to the pelham certainly made her an awful lot happier before I was able to move yards and turn her out with other horses. It still took over 2 years for her to soften in the snaffle though!

Could it be that something else has narrowed his tolerance zone and the bit you are using is merely narrowing it further? It will be interesting to see Heather's response to this.

bye!

[Heather]

HI Monty,

Some horses just do not like the feeling of a jointed bit. Have you tried him in a mullen mouth? The hard rubber ones are excellent, and also very cheap- worth trying anyway at around a tenner.

Heather

PS explaine my dislike of flash nosebands in Citygirls thread.

[Monty]

Thanks both. I'm glad you clarified that Sarah.....because interestingly enough....I have no choice but to put Rebel out alone, as he chases my pregnant mare.He has been rig tested, and it was negative.He can't even be put in an adjacent field because he calls out and runs up and down the fence all day long...and I MEAN all day long too!! But did Tango show ANY signs in his mouth that the bit was bothering him??? Or was it JUST the other issues....of which Rebel also has plenty?
Heather, when you mean mullen mouth, do you mean of the snaffle variety, or a rubber mullen mouth PELHAM?? I can only handle a Pelham gently, on the bottom rein only.I get in a fix with two lots of reins, and get confused as to which I'm using. Do you use the curb or not, and if so is an elastic one better with a horse who hasn't had a Pelham before? He is capable of coming on the bit in a snaffle, quite nicely, but prefers not to be, and progress is very slow in that department, considering how much schooling he's had.

[Sarah]

hello!

She showed PLENTY of signs (but i was too thick to see them till Heather told me what was what).

She couldn't keep her head on the sme level, sometimes it was up, sometimes it was down (within the space of a stride) and if she did have it in the novice outline position, she had a grip of death on the bit (before going up generally). All in all, very scary. She HATED the bit with avengance!

We swapped the bit and ok, she wasn't instantly a new horse, but she was a hell of a lot happier as at least we now had some middle ground to work on. The rearing stopped (unless she had a 'good' reason to nap like at a group jumping lesson - which we then stopped going to).

Would it be at all possible to turn another horse out with him? i understand fully why he isn't out with your mare, but could you borrow a neighbours pony/horse to be his chum until your mare has foaled and all has settled?

With Tangs, after a couple of months of moving yard so she was out with chums and carrying on riding her in the pelham the rearing totally disappeared and she became the sweet natured horse I was used to. She still wasn't happy in teh snaffle thoguh - not to the exptent of rearing, but she just didn't soften and relax with it.

Whatever you do, good luck!

Sarah

[Heather]

Hi Monty,

I meant the mullen rubber snaffle - not the squidgy one , but the hard mouthpiece the same as the pelham.

Heather

[Sue Carnell]

There's also a rubber baucher on the Bitbank website. I don't know whether it's hard rubber or not though. Might be worth a try as a step from the rubber pelham, or even instead of if they take kindly to it, if it is a hard rubber one. I had a mullen baucher made up, to use with a cavesson (lunging) to which I also attached reins when I started Layla, I'd probably have used a hard rubber baucher instead if there was such a thing when I looked.

Sue
sue@eclipse.co.uk

[Heather]

Sounds like a good bit Sue if it is hard rubber - must get a couple if they are- the hanging cheek effect would make the bit feel even more like the pelham and therefore an excellent changeover bit.
Heather