First Ride in over 2 months - REALLY hates bit now

sjp1

sjp1

Well-Known Member
Sep 14, 2009
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So, yesterday was our first ride for over two months. Toby was just horrid and increasingly so two or so months ago, and so have been just doing NH groundwork.

He is much much better on the ground now and Saturday here was a nice day - well, we didn't have gales and torrential rain for a change!!

Toby has never really since I have had him liked his bit. We have had several changes and he tolerated a Myler comfort snaffle. Two months down the road, on went the saddle - very expensive HM Vogue dressage (with newly added suber pad for the lump that came up just near his spine with the VERY EXPENSIVE mattes sheepskin pad - grr!!

Happily had saddle on, girthed up - now happy with the VERY expensive barefoot girth - previously very UNHAPPY with the VERY expensive Mattes sheepskin cover on the Prof Choice girth - more grr!! Are we seeing a pattern that Toby is extremely vocal in what he likes and doesn't like?!

Onto putting bridle on over rope halter. Runs to back of stable. Retrieve him from back of stable. Clenches teeth. 10 minutes later and much prising of teeth open, bit and bridle is on. Climb on board. Starts snatching at head. Have been on him once with rope halter and saddle. Stands like dobbin then. Only did about 3 miles at walk on Saturday, and every metre he is rooting at the bit. Long reins. Still rooting.

So, clearly, Toby is not happy in this bit, or any other that I have tried. So, do not want to go the Dr Cook way - instructor has said Toby has an issue with poll pressure. Was thinking that Sprenger short shank hackamore might be a nice compromise, but oh, no, they don't sell them in UK by the look of it. So, S hackamore, little S hackamore or English hackamore??

Any suggestions??
 
JJ was a pain with bits for a few months when I first had him - then I bought one of the cross over bitless bridles off a member on here - he went beautifully in it - so just schooled him in that for awhile and then went back to the hanging cheek french link and he accepted it happily after having a break from bits for a couple of weeks. Might it be worth trying that for a short while and then trying a gentle bit again?

I wont ask the obvious because I am sure you will have had his mouth/teeth checked out?:wink:

sorry probably not much help!:unsure:
 
I would go down the bitless route if he really isnt taking to a bit.

mmmm theres a libby scawbrig which go quite cheap on ebay

Then theres Dr.cooks ones

Or a hackmore which i believe it slightly more harsh than the other 2.

http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/

Some info on there :happy:
 
I did have them checked but over a year ago now. And even when they had been done, I can't say he has ever been a horse to be happy in a bit. Hmm, perhaps I will have them looked at again.

If it had been teeth I wouldn't have expected such an extreme reaction when trying to put the bridle on. I would have expected bridle on and then a reaction. Still, better safe than sorry. Will get onto vets am and make an appointment.
 
Def don't think I want to go Dr Cook - he has an issue with poll pressure and I think Dr Cook's use a fair amount of poll pressure. I am also not 100% on the way they don't release very quickly - had one for my ex racehorse (knockoff) but wasn't that pleased with it. Loved the concept and so did he, but just seemed to need a bit of refinement. Had the Natural on hire and didn't go a bundle on that - again, release just seemed clumsy.
 
Can you not stay in the halter for now?

I am with new insurance company that insures you to hack on the roads in just a rope halter.

As you are talking about two months down the line, i would be wondering whether you have done enough riding in the halter to progress back to the bit? If you have only ridden him once in the halter i would go over your flexes, your yeilds etc all in the halter, then progress to a bit. It takes a little while to learn the slightly different way of riding, or do you just want nh for the ground and ride as you have always done when on top?

I still hack out in the rope halter, have done now for 4 years, i have only just started to introduce a bit in the school for something else to think about and refine the aids.
 
sjp1 said:
I did have them checked but over a year ago now. And even when they had been done, I can't say he has ever been a horse to be happy in a bit. Hmm, perhaps I will have them looked at again.

If it had been teeth I wouldn't have expected such an extreme reaction when trying to put the bridle on. I would have expected bridle on and then a reaction. Still, better safe than sorry. Will get onto vets am and make an appointment.
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First off,in a horse over 4-5 years of age teeth do really need to be done at least once a year.Can get away with with going a little longer than this with youngsters (although speaking from experience I wouldn't),but once they have most of their adult teeth yearly checks is what is recommended.

Secondly I would disagree with the extreme reaction not being due to teeth when putting bridle on.Quite often it happens exactly like this as they learnt o anticipate soreness and pain so quite often as soon as they see the bridle head is up in the air and avoidance tactics are deployed!!

I am not saying your lad's bridle/bit issues ARE due to teeth BTW,I'm just saying certainly don't rule it out on the basis that they were done a year ago,and that he reacts as soon as bridle goes on.

I had my appy's teeth done few months ago as I knew despite being a youngster there were definitely issues with his teeth (chewed very slowly and distictly side to side motion,much more than is usual),and wanted his wolf teeth out anyway in preperation for bitting (have had issues with wolf teeth before so decided to remove the risk),have to say vet found very sharp edges and uneven wear where he had been chewing oddly to compensate.I dread to think what his rection would have been if I had tried bitting him before getting them done.

What exactly does your lad do once the bit is in,and when riding etc?? I am guessing it is more than just the usual (and perfectly normal of course!!) chomping and playing with it??

I have heard good things about some of the bitless bridles,although yes would agree they rely on poll pressure to work,do you know what he has issues with his poll area?? Could there be a problem in that area as well??

What about riding just in the dually halter for now (I think I am remembering right that you use one of these for his manners on the ground,apologies of have remembered that wrong!!),maybe just in the school or a safe area until feel happy with the level of control.

Sorry for waffling reply,and probably no help:redface:
 
Not read fully everyones replies but moet was awful with her bit after not having been ridden for 18 months so I went bitless with her for 14months. I bought a Dr Cooks but never used it as a cross under. I changed it though so that I clipped the reins straight onto the noseband metal rings and got rid of the crossunder straps so there was no direct poll pressure. She was much happier in it. After 14 months I decided to introduce a bit again and eventually she settled well with a french link hanging cheek snaffle.

She is now in that bit all the time and accepts it really well and doesn't play with it at all.
 
Thank you all. He roots with his nose constantly causing him to not concentrate at all on where he is going!

I like the rope halter, but am just not confident enough of it on faster work. Not that I am intending to do much of that until we are confident on all our issues. Definitely need to do more yielding from on board as well. Am not really sure if I want to go the NH way for riding. I want to incorporate one rein stop, yielding, side passing etc., and to be honest, I usually ride with a fairly long rein anyway. So am not 100% sure what to do on that.

I will get his teeth done. See if that makes a difference. I somehow doubt it because even after he had his teeth done last time, he still did the running to the back of the stable, clenching his teeth but stuck with the Myler as he just seemed better (not good), but better with that and I was a bit fearful of hackamores.

I am not sure what his issue with poll pressure is, or how it came about. He had at least 3 homes in the six months before I had him, so not sure. But it seems to be there. He is learning with the rope halter to come off that, but just seems quite claustrophobic around his head - not headshy.

Will call vet and get them to come and do teeth.
 
This is like reading "us" all over again. Quite odd!!

bad reaction to bridle doesntnecessarily mean bit - madam hates stuff on her ears and has been much better since changing to soft web bridle from Libbys. We have finally settled on a full cheek jp korsteel French link. I would prefer her bitless but she has no respect for it.


It can also be anticipation for tack which he sounds uncontent with, or work in general.

Do you know his history before you? Sorry if ice missed this, am aware of all your ground issues threads, it's like de ja vu.
 
sjp1 said:
Thank you all. He roots with his nose constantly causing him to not concentrate at all on where he is going!

I like the rope halter, but am just not confident enough of it on faster work. Not that I am intending to do much of that until we are confident on all our issues. Definitely need to do more yielding from on board as well. Am not really sure if I want to go the NH way for riding. I want to incorporate one rein stop, yielding, side passing etc., and to be honest, I usually ride with a fairly long rein anyway. So am not 100% sure what to do on that.

I will get his teeth done. See if that makes a difference. I somehow doubt it because even after he had his teeth done last time, he still did the running to the back of the stable, clenching his teeth but stuck with the Myler as he just seemed better (not good), but better with that and I was a bit fearful of hackamores.

I am not sure what his issue with poll pressure is, or how it came about. He had at least 3 homes in the six months before I had him, so not sure. But it seems to be there. He is learning with the rope halter to come off that, but just seems quite claustrophobic around his head - not headshy.

Will call vet and get them to come and do teeth.
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Personally, having had similar situation to you.

I would carry on with the NH groundwork and ride in the halter. GET yourself comfy with the halter, even at canter. Once you can get him going in the halter with one rein and two reins then you can start at doing rein backs and going sideways in the halter. Then you can reintroduce the snaffle. To be honest it sounds like he either isn't sure of what the bridle/bit means OR he isn't comfy in it mentally as well as physically. When you put it back on I would start with a simple french link snaffle. You will find that the halter work will stop him associating a 'bridle' with the discomfort of a bit. You'll also find when you put a bridle back on he'll have a better idea of what the signals to the bit mean and will be a LOT softer through the poll and accept it a lot more readily.

I did similar with my pony who was good at rearing, spooking, spinning running off and who was ridden with a flash and martingale and had no breaks with a hanging cheek snaffle.

Oh and definitely get teeth checked....my two get theirs checked every 6 months to a year

He now (18 months on) goes nicely in a french link snaffle, normal bridle with cavesson noseband and no martingale. Can ride him bareback, in halter and with bridle.
 
Vet coming Thursday am to do teeth. Am such a wuss, I like them sedated as I absolutely hate the dentist and wish I could be sedated when I have to go!!

Saturday was interesting not having ridden for a couple of months. Don't think we are 100% there yet to go back to riding and with the dark nights, dark mornings, little paddock like a cross between a mud bath and a lake, and a full time job, suspect it will take a little longer!!

I think riding with the halter is def the way forward. The more groundwork I do, the softer he is getting, and he flexes very well from the ground. Shall confine us to the paddock for the time being and do flexing, backing etc.

Will let you know Thursday what the vet says - will be interesting to know if it is psychological or physical.
 
Sounds to me like you answered your own question. Too much too soon.
If he isn't 100% on the ground he won't be even close under saddle.
Have you got to the point where you can do your ground work with the bridle? This way it will translate better in the saddle.
 
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