Hello!
I have a Morgan mare that has been transitioning to the western pleasure discipline in the last 6 months. She has been responding very well to training and is getting proficient in neck reining. She is a sensitive horse that needs just a little extra control than a snaffle can give. She is in a shanked snaffle right now but I would like to get her something more comfy. She has the wide cheekbones as per the Morgan type so my 5" low port grazing bit does not fit her. The bit I have now is about 5 1/4" and still rubs a little where it meets the headstall. So I am thinking of getting her a 5 1/2" but they are difficult to find. I rode her in a friends low port kimberwick the other day and it was a little narrow too(ok in the mouthpiece but too narrow where the bridle met the bit) but she went very well in it. Any suggestions? I’m open to solid or jointed mouthpieces. She does grind her teeth a lot and salivates like crazy and has always done so since I started her 5 years ago. So would something with a roller be better? Or would that work against me?
Thanks!
I am presuming you have her teeth checked yearly by a qualified horse Dentist or Vet to rule out any physical problems first.
Have you actually ever measured the horse’s mouth for sizing? I would start there, so you are not rubbing her face, pinching her face intermittently with bit action. A bit with a jointed mouth moves a LOT, can be part of the problems you notice. I use a new pencil, put it across her tongue, mark (without pushing tightly) alongside her lips. This should give you the mouthpiece width you need for her.
So then you can hunt around for a nice mouthpiece. Have you ever tried just a smooth, lower port with shorter shanks on her? The Uxeter with slots in the D-rings, which is in the Kimberwick bit family. It has such a mouthpiece, shorter shank length for small curb pressure under the chin. Without the slots for reins, the bit doesn’t work as a curb because reins just slide on the Ds.
http://www.doversaddlery.com/uxeter-kimberwicke-bit/p/X1-01108/?ids=xfng0rsh2504oklrkre3bmcv
Learning about Morgans thru Driving activities, they often have thick tongues, low upper palates, so a bit can be pinching tongue, while jointed ones are poking horse in the top of mouth. The Mullen mouth can be comfortable to them, and maybe the Western Sweetwater mouth which could be hard to find as it is not so popular at the moment.
Anything with copper on it will get your horse slobbering, maybe excessively in reaction to that metal. Not a GOOD reaction, in my opinion. Same with Sweet Iron in the mouth, expecially if it is rusty metal. I am in the mindset that horse who is “actually communicating” with their bit is going to have enough saliva, doesn’t need soap suds caused by metals. If their mouth is dry, rider or driver needs to do more work to get communication going better!
Another idea to consider in fitting the bit you choose, should be seeing if the reach of bit (part the bridle hangs from) is wide enough. I see a number of horses with WIDE heads above their mouths. Fjords, Halflingers, Morgans, QHs, other breeds that still have big jaws. Owners have issues with this, so as well as having wider mouthpieces that fit their animal, the bits are modified to widen the reaches above the bit. Farrier, welding shop folks, who have heat to warm and bend the metal SAFELY, can make the reaches wider, flare outward from those molars to prevent rubbing and pinching during use. You want heat, since a number of bits are cast metal and applying sideways pressure can cause the metal to fracture or break right off. Bits can be kind of pricy to be breaking them like that, so have a “metal person” do the job for you with heat of torch or forge.
Hope some of these ideas are helpful. Sounds like you have a very tolerant horse, and she will appreciate your efforts to find her a more comfortable bit.
If I’m understanding you correctly, it’s not the actual mouthpiece that’s too small it’s the bridle rings that are rubbing? Have the bridle rings bent out.
I have a horse that needs a 5 1/2 inch bit. They are tougher to find in a western curb. If I understand you correctly, you do not want one with a jointed mouthpiece. In that case, your best bet is probably a Myler. Some of those bits come in 5 1/2 inch.
Check the Toklat web site. https://www.toklat.com/Products/Brand/Myler/95/Western
Then, filter by size to find all the bits available in 5 1/2 inch.
[QUOTE=LaMyka;8541171]
She is a sensitive horse that needs just a little extra control than a snaffle can give. She is in a shanked snaffle right now but I would like to get her something more comfy. [/QUOTE]
I’m confused by your description because a bit that has shanks is not a snaffle (even if the mouthpiece is jointed). Can you post an exact picture of what you are currently using?
[QUOTE=LaMyka;8541171]
She has the wide cheekbones as per the Morgan type so my 5" low port grazing bit does not fit her. The bit I have now is about 5 1/4" and still rubs a little where it meets the headstall. [/QUOTE]
Based on what you are describing, you simply need to bend your bit so that the purchase is angled outward away from your horse.
Based on your description, it doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with the mouthpiece width.
Have you had her examined by a good equine dentist? If not, that is the first thing you need to do.
Thank you for all the help! She does get checked regularly by a Vet or dentist (whichever can fit us into their schedule) and has never had any issues.
I tried using the pencil to measure her mouth and she wasn’t very appreciative so the best measurement i got was 5 1/4". So do I round up?
One of my friends has that same Uxeter Kimberwicke bit that is posted and she seemed to go very well in that. But again, it seemed too narrow in the reach (thanks for the correct terminology).
Someone had mentioned to me that the bit could be widened at the reach but I had no idea how one would go about doing that! So thank you for the information.
The bit she has now is just a training broken curb. One of those that has rings to use a snaffle if desired. I call it a shanked snaffle…cuz that’s basically what it is. A snaffle with shanks. (I’m from an english background)
