Would you try a spinner bit if you were me? or what??

R

rosieg

Member
Oct 11, 2009
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Hi - so long since i've been on but really need some good advice.

I have a lovely 4 yo cob type, such a good willing girly. Autumn was professionally broken last year and we are doing well apart from the fact that when she has warmed up and maybe had a couple of canters, or as she is getting near the end of her hack she slips her tongue over the bit. I never ride her for more than about half an hour at a time cos she gets too tired.

I was wondering to make life simpler, see below, should I try a spinner tongue bit, I see there is a bomber one a simple full cheek spinner and just wondered if anyone has tried it and what the result was. :help:

I have tried her in a few simple bits - she has a very soft, sensitive mouth and prefers a link, so tried the french link, forward ported myler and currently she seems quite settled in straight pelham - gives just a little more braking which is needed when she gets too keen:smile:

Tried different nose bands too but find that she can actually manage to get her tongue over the bit with a flash/drop and with a grackle. I need to add that she has been head shaking quite badly so for a while I took off the drop part and she has improved, she does not like the tight restriction.

So now returning to using the grackle nose band and the pelham, it does seem a hell of a lot for a young horse to wear! Saying that though she goes forward really well now with the odd shake mostly if she starts to get tired, and if a lot of flies she wears her fly guard over her nose.

Sorry, stick with it please - I just need some advice or where to go next. When she gets her tongue over the bit I stop, put her tongue back and we go on again. I was wondering though there must be a way to make her life simpler this does seem like a load of stuff for her to wear - should I try a spinner tongue bit, I see there is a bomber one a simple full cheek spinner and just wondered if anyone has tried it and what the result was. :help: I don't want to spoil or upset this lovely girl by loading her up with a lot of complicated stuff.
 
if she's only 4, I'd also go right back to basics about the brakes (Slowing from the seat etc rather than the bit) etc, you probably don't want to be 'bitting up' on a freshly backed youngster. when she puts her tongue over, does she start evading aids or does it just sort of hang there whilst you hack homewards on eg a long rein? if it's the latter I'd ignore it for the time being, she might still work out what to do with the bit etc.
 
I agree with potnoodle cos a young horse I would try the schooling route before different bits and the help of a good RI too perhaps.

She sounds lovely. Good luck with her :biggrin:
 
Is the actual bit high enough?

Does she cross the jaw as well and that's why you have her in a grackle?

Have her teeth been checked recently?
 
Friends youngster had a habit of playing with the bit and putting tongue over it. A milder suggestion to try might be a hanging cheek French link. It sits higher in the mouth so seemed to prevent her horse from doing this without strapping mouth closed and horse was more comfortable but agree with previous posters, I'd be careful of bit choice as a solution.
 
Thanks you guys - I must say, I am an oldie and I should know better than to over do the bit thing. She had her wolf teeth out in march because of the head shaking, which has defo improved now.

She is lovely, the sweetest thing and such a laugh to be with. When she does the over the bit thing, she hates it - she just sticks her tongue out and her head up pointing her nose - you know immediately and I stop straight away to sort her out, bless. She may grow out of it. I bought her just as a companion for my TB when she was off work, but we have all fallen for her big time. I should really be selling her this year - but not sure she's ready (and neither am I).

I like Flipo's idea of the french link hanging cheek actually - I had thought about the hanging cheek but not the combo with the central link. I did tighten the pelham so it was higher last time but just 10 mins before the end and we were just hacking, pop over went the tongue.

I need to treat this baby with gentle gloves, she is so sensitive and I don't want to spoil her - and she is quiet in the straight pelham. Maybe just give her lovely cuddles as she is so cuddly and adorable - I will try to put up a pic - but not sure how!

We have been doing well in hand showing and she loves it but haven't mastered the cantering at the moment - but we are getting there.
 
My youngster was a horror for getting his tounge over the bit, interestingly I had a fantastic Equine dentist come out to see him, she had a really good look at his mouth from a shape and size prospective, and made some really good suggestions over what bit he would like. For him he was opposed to jointed bits, straight bars were the way forwards. As it happened he was most comfortable to be ridden in a pelham, he was very light on the hands anyway and not strong, the mechanics to it he just seemed to click with, however he was primarily a driving horse, and was most comfy in his Liverpool. I just presumed as a riding horse he only needed a normal snaffle with being an easy ride.. but he had other ideas! He would walk round with his mouth wide open and his tounge flapping about!

Any bit can be harsh in bad hands, I wasnt to worried about him being in a pelham as it wouldnt be used in such a way. Perhaps in reality he was 'overbitted' but it resolved all our issues!
 
Thanks for that, just ridden her this evening in a egg but snaffle and she is not so good at all, she is defo just more relaxed with the straight bar and pelham, did you use two reins or roundings? I have started conventionally with the two reins - which I think I can manage ok - and there is a considerable reduction in the head shaking when she does not have the noseband fitted.

I know I had her wolf teeth out but do wonder if there may be a little bit of root remaining - knowing my bad luck - this will be the case. Hey ho!
 
4yos are still changing teeth so I would never use a flash ,drop or grackle. Try with her favourite bit a couple of holes higher as a start. From what you say I would be inclined to go with a straight bar snaffle or if she feels strong a straight bar pelham with two reins and elastic curb and only use the curb in emergencies. ( if you are not used to two reins knot the lower one so you only pick it up if really needed)

Have you tried vulcanite and happy mouths??
 
when he gets the tongue over and sticks her head up, I wouldn't 'stop and sort her out' as she might have inadvertently trained you right up eg. 'this is what I need to do to interrupt the ride and they'll stop annoying me for a minute'. I would try and ignore / ride through it.

on the other hand if she is quiet in the Pelham and you're clearly not a novice with yanky hands by the sounds of it, why not leave her in it?

Julia
x
 
rosieg said:
Thanks for that, just ridden her this evening in a egg but snaffle and she is not so good at all, she is defo just more relaxed with the straight bar and pelham, did you use two reins or roundings? I have started conventionally with the two reins - which I think I can manage ok - and there is a considerable reduction in the head shaking when she does not have the noseband fitted.

I know I had her wolf teeth out but do wonder if there may be a little bit of root remaining - knowing my bad luck - this will be the case. Hey ho!
Click to expand...

I used both lol He could be nappy in the arena or field under saddle if he was on his own so I prefered 2 reins in there, generally he had roundings for hacking out as he was nay bother.
 
I would say you have found the right bit for her in the pelham. I know that Heather Moffatt who is far from a horse beater or tie them down merchant, loves pelhams.

As you are not yanking on the curb and the horse is happy - I would go with that.

Horses are not always as straight forward as we would like them to be, and for a lot of horses a broken snaffle bit is an instrument of torture if they have a thick tongue and a low palate. Gone are the days where every horse had to go well in a snaffle or it was some misdemenour caused by the rider - these days the horses mouth conformation is far more understood and thankfully taken into account.

But am not sure I would use a pelham with a grackle. Why is she needing the grackle?
 
I agree, I think a pelham should be used united on its own! Unlike your general snaffle bits your working of poll, mouth and the curb pressure , I think a noseband such as a grackle is going to make it all bit mind blowing, I thought it was a bit eyebrow raised to use one in conjuction with a pelham? I might be wrong! its just whats stuck in my head!
 
My cob is a simple happy mouth, she hated the french link and myler. Much more settled. I don't own any nosebands, I don't have a use for them currently.
 
Decision made - I am going to ditch the noseband and god for a low port myler pelham, still gentle but with a bit more room and less tongue pressure so hopefully with that flexibility she will with time relax and stop sticking her tongue over the bit.

Phew - thanks for all your comments they have helped really - good forum.
:smile:
 
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