horse holding bit between her teeth

[pengapenga]

Thanks for reading this, was not sure about how to word the title :)

I have just bought my daughter a horse who has a fantastic temperament and is easy to handle etc. She is as perfect a horse as you can get for a horsemad girl. However when I bought her the owners daughter rode her I noticed that she was pulling on the reins whilst urging the horse forward. I thought at the time that I may have a problem, and I think that with some schooling and ground work we should get it sorted :)

Today I tacked her up for the first time since I bought her, and I noticed that she is pulling the bit to the front part of her mouth and holding it between her teeth she also shook her head a lot! I checked the that the bridle and it was all in order. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to begin to sorting out this problem. Or even to reassure me that I am worrying about nothing :)

[cvb]

so is she chewing the bit ? or just holding it ? what sort of bit is it ? and do you know when she last had her teeth checked ?

Our Fell used to have a copper roller - which he chewed on :rolleyes:

Then he had a D ring snaffle, which seemed to suit him - but was a bit "static". So a couple of times I've tried him in my face bit - a loose ring snaffle. Previously its not made a big difference so I've gone back to the D ring on the "if it aint broke" theory ;)

But I came back from the Mark Rashid clinic and tried it again, and this time I am getting a very different response (have changed my riding as part of it as well).

It may simply be that she is holding the bit in anticipation of what her previous rider did. or she may need her teeth doing, or the bit may simply not be the best for her mouth and state of education etc

[GoingStraight]

Am I misunderstanding? Surely the bridle isn't correctly fitted if horse can...is pulling the bit to the front part of her mouth and holding it between her teeth she also shook her head a lot
The bit should sit in the corners of the mouth, such that the lip wrinkles once or twice, but not so high that the horse is 'smiling'.

I should imagine that if the horse really is managing to hold the bit between it's teeth then the rider won't have much communication down that line :D
as bits are supposed to work on the tongue, bars, lips, but certainly not teeth!

:o Think I must be misunderstanding... :rolleyes:

[pengapenga]

Thanks for replying cvb :)

She did chew the bit as well as holding it. It is a snaffle bit. The previous owner said she had just had her feet and teeth checked and all was ok. Do you think it is a good idea if I get a dentist to come and do another check?

[pengapenga]

Surely the bridle isn't correctly fitted if horse can...


That was my first thought and checked it and it seemed to be ok.

The bit should sit in the corners of the mouth, such that the lip wrinkles once or twice, but not so high that the horse is 'smiling'.

she did not look like she was 'smiling' but she did have a few wrinkles when she had the bit in properly.

I hope I am making some sort of sense :rolleyes: :)

The tack I have was her tack before, I was going to get her some new stuff so may end up doing so sooner :)

[Peace]

I betcha she's learned to take the bit in her teeth as a result of her former rider hanging on her mouth. I used to ride a school horse who could do this, even with the bridle fitted correctly - she could give her head a little shake/toss and somehow get the bit in her teeth.

The schoolhorse I'm thinking of did it in retaliation for students pulling on her mouth, and after she got the bit away - wheeee! - over the nearest jump she'd go! :eek: I think she taught quite a few of us the virtue of quiet hands. :o

I'd have the dentist check her though. I thought I was having Quanah's teeth checked regularly - by my vet - but when a dentist saw him she found all kinds of hooks the vet had missed. We also have a mare at our barn who was just done by the dentist in early December, but she's having some dental problems again. In her case, years of neglect couldn't be fixed all in one visit.

BTW, Congratulations on the new horse! I must have missed your first post about her. :)

[cvb]

The lips "rule" is, for me, always a bit of a ready reckoner - as what is key is where the bit sits versus the teeth i.e. the structures inside

If the horse CAN'T move the bit at all, I would be more worried ! After all, when you apply an aid - what are you doing other than moving the bit in the horse's mouth ?

There has been a trend to drop the bit, and let the horse "hold it" up. But not all horses are comfortable with this.

Dentists: always difficult as you hear lots of tales of teeth not being properly done. Did she say who it was done by ? And did they provide a report ? The report should say when the next check up is due, and so on.

Pengapenga - snaffle as in eggbutt ? loose ring ?

[Jessey]

Qaboos used to grab the bit between his teeth to avoid any contact (when we used a loose ring snaffle) and the only way to stop it was a flash, I then invested in a Myler comfort snaffle with a copper roller and he dosen't fight it, plays with it and softens almost immediatly. He just dosen't like a snaffle (traditional ones anyway).

J

[pengapenga]

Once again thanks for the replies :) It is reassuring to know that others have experienced and overcome a similar problem :)

cvb - the bit is a loose ring snaffle. The previous owner said the farrier checked her teeth and she did not provide any report so I shall get an equine dentist to come out and check her teeth again. Frits arrives next weekend so I shall get the farrier out to him then and get him to recheck her feet (which look ok) that way I will know that all is in order :) and also when she will need to be redone etc.

Thanks Peace for the congratulations, she really is a lovely horse and with some schooling she will make a great ride, she is very gentle with the kids. besides this bit problem she does not seem to have any other vices.

Jessey, thanks for your input it may all come down to changing her bit, as I suspect she may just be avoiding the contact and maybe a different bit make for a happier horse :)

[cvb]

pengapenga

one of the reasons I like the loose ring is because of the movement you can get with it. With sympathetic riding, I think she will relax and soften....

but if a change will help with that, perhaps a myler-style "comfort" snaffle ?

[pengapenga]

Thanks very much cvb for your help it was greatly appreciated :) I tried her again today and to begin with there was much of the same behaviour however after explaining to my kids about not pulling on the reins, which they both took great care not to do, she relaxed a bit. I will keep working with her as I too feel she will relax and soften :)