Bitting A Young Horse

[Jacqueline SI]

I have recently bought a young horse. We have been putting in her bit now for six weeks, having to use the method of cross tying and using black treacle on the bit. The first 4 weeks, she would keep her mouth clamped shut for quite a while, until she would eventually accept the bit. Over the last 2 weeks, she has been taking the bit, straight away, although still crossed tied and having treacle on the bit. We decided that it was time to try single tying, and keeping the treacle on the bit, but she has now reverted to her old method, of putting her head up as high as possible, although today when we cross tyed her again she was fine. Anyone else had the same problem. P.S. although I myself am new to breaking horses, my father has 40 years experience and even he is surprised that she is not accepting the bit without being crossed tied, after she has done so well. She is perfect in every other way for a young horse.

[intouch]

Please - what is cross tying?

[dreamer]

Cross tieing is where you clip 2 leads to the halter, one on each side of the halter on the rings there. the leads or ties are then attached to 2 posts, 2 walls or any other sturty object that's on eather side of the horse. This helps hold horses in place for grooming, saddleing ect.

[dreamer]

Now I have a few Q's. What is a black treacle? And what kind of bit are you using? Is the bit maybe too big for your horse's mouth? I would use one of the French link snaffels, not the Dr. Bosial, but French link, they have an extra joint and are alot easer on a horse's mouth than regular snaffels. There are also bits with 'keys' that encoutage the horse to play with the bit and learn how to hold it. I would start by just puting the bit on a bridle without a nose band and let her stand tied with it without attaching anything to the bit just leting her do what she wants as long as there isn't anywhere she can get caught up. Do you have to tie her, would it be save to just let her walk around the stall with it? That's what I did with my horses and I didn't have anytrouble, then after they got use to the bit I would go on with the training by ataching reins loosly (not so louse that they could get into trouble, then slowly taking up the slack so it was like a rider was holding the reins and so on.

[Jacqueline SI]

Black Treacle is the dark type of treacle, which has a mollasses taste. The bit we are using is the type with keys. I seemed to have not explained myself very well, as once the bit is in her mouth she is fine. We attach the bit to a head collar with fastening straps, fastening one side first and then placing the bit in the horses mouth, and then fastening the other side. Once the bit is actually in her mouth she will stand there very quitely whilst you fasten the second side on. She has been put in a stall with the breaking roller and side reins on, which she doesn't mind at all, I have even walked her out in traffic with the breaking roller etc. on, which she is fine with, infact she is that quiet, that even all the Christmas dustbin rubbish, flapping plastic bags etc. did not bother her. Her problem is the actual placing of the bit in her mouth. Although, since I wrote the first article, I have been able to take the bit out of her mouth, (whilst she is loosely tyed, and put it straight back in again), I think she must have known that I was going to write this article, and thought she would make me out to tell fibs. Anyway thanks for the advice.

[Farm_Girl5]

ok when you said that once you take it out and then put it straight back in I thought of something! *light bulb*
Maybe the bit is COLD! Have you tried warming it up in your hands before putting it into her mouth? Maybe if it's warm she won't resist so much???
Just my brain ticking over! <G>
Kristy

[dreamer]

Okay, now I juderstand, I thought she was doing this with the it in her mouth, sorry. Okay, what I did with my filly, who had this problem and still does if I don't work with her, is just play with her nose, get her use to me sticking my thum in the corner of her mouth until she doesn't react, and just basicly geting her use to me playing with her lips parting them and so on, then I worked on getting her to open her mouth by sticking my thumb in the corner of her mouth and taking it out as soon as she opened it, if she didn't open right away, I'd put a little presure on her toung, no pain involved because that would only surve to make her not open her mouth, then when she did I took my thumb out and praised her. Once she got use to me messing with her head (and she still hates her ears messed with) I warmed up the bit (being it's winter here) I put the bit on a western bridle like a little looser than it should be, then gave it to her like I would a horses that was well trained, sticking my thumb in the corner of her mouth and sliping it in BE CARE FULL NOT TO BANG HER TEETH I can't enphasise that enough, I had a friend who complained and complained that she couldn't bridle her horse, I whent over and had her show me what she was doing and his head didn't go up until she banged his teath. Now, if you're not banging her teath, and she's fine with you sticking your thumb in her mouth and the bit is warm and she still raises her head, you can teach her to drop her head. I did this with my gelding so that I could climb on his neck and he could throw me up onto his back when I wanted to ride bare back (I'm short he's tall and I haven't fugured out how the indians did it yet :) ) Behind the horse's ears, there's a presure point that naturally makes them drop their heads, all you have to do is masage it and their heads go down, no pain involved unless you really dig into it, I used this on my TH/QH mare so that my 7 y/o niece could bridle her. (couldn't reach her head even though the mare stood with her head in a relaxed position) when the horse lowers it's head, you stop masageing but hold your hand on the pole, if the horse starts to raise her head, which she probabbly will, you start masaging again, eventually she'll leave her head down as long as you have your hand on her hand, then you can try bridleing her again, by holding the bridle in your right hand, with the bit hanging down and suported with your left and then bridling her normally. See if that works, if not, maybe there could be some problem in her mouth.

[Myrmex]

Just a couple of thoughts - have you tried one of the copper or sweet iron bits? Better taste for the horse and warmer in the mouth. Alternatively, does she have wolf teeth or any other dental problem? The only horse I've encountered who really wouldn't be bitted turned out to have two insignificant-looking little wolf teeth, that nobody noticed until a dentist saw her. The bit was hitting these and causing agony. After the wolf teeth were removed, she was fine.
Also, has the cross-tying stressed her out and made her associate bitting with an unpleasantly constraining experience? I'm not criticizing - it's just that I had a mare like this who really felt threatened by the strangest things and was incredibly claustrophobic - thanks to some bad experiences before I got her. She would always 'put up' with whatever I did, but the more upset she got, the more she'd raise her head, clamp her jaw and just refuse to cooperate. She got over it, by the way, so good luck with your youngster!

[Jacqueline SI]

Thanks for all your comments, it's nice that people take an interest in other peoples problems. Since first writing my first article, I can now report that over the last week my filly, has really moved on. She no longer needs to be 'crossed tied', at first we just single tied her, but really short. She has gradually taken the bit alot sooner. Today, she took the bit almost straight away, and I took it out later and put is straight back in again, without a fight. I think she is now realising, that we mean her no harm, and beginning not to put up a fight. We are gradually lengthening the lead rope by which she is tied, and this seems to be working well so far. So, 'fingers crossed' we seem to be resolving the problem, but thanks again to everyone who has made suggestions, especially about warming the bit. I have warmed it up in my hands first, and although not too warm, it may have taken a bit of the chill off it.