Does anyone have experience with young gelding head tossing? Most of the time while riding thru corners. I was told a baucher bit might be helpful as it steadies the bit in mouth. Teeth recently done. Hopefully will be a hunter.Thanks
Are you currently riding in a single joint snaffle? If so, try a double joint or French link.
A double joint Baucher is one of my favorite bits. IME they don’t cure head tossing; no bit does. However they do help promote, shall we say, positive experiences with contact. Assuming you’re not hauling on the horse’s face of course. They are very stable in the horse’s mouth, and they act primarily on the corners of the lips instead of the bars, so the effect of the bit seems to be milder. That can help horses who are expecting pain from the action of the bit. With proper training (emphasis on proper training), a Baucher can make the process of training or retraining the horse to the action of the hand so much easier.
Case in point, I just started leasing my friend’s barrel horse who will be moonlighting as a dressage horse until my friend has her baby. The horse has been primarily ridden in a mechanical hackamore, but I put her in a double joint Baucher for dressage work. While she still mouths the bit like a youngster and is quite unsteady in the contact, it’s taken her just a few sessions of in hand and under saddle work to begin to reliably grok the actions of the hand.
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Currently in single jt dee snaffle. Started with double jt (peanut) snaffle but needed better steering & whoa. Will the dbl jt baucher give whoa? Thanks for your input.
I used a neue schule boucher on a green horse with this issue. It seemed to help a bit and he quite liked the bit but to be completely honest it was just more training and miles that resolved the problem. Once he learned to relax and stretch forward and downward and seek out the contact of the bit the head tossing resolved itself.
So in short I like bauchers, they worked well for this gelding, but did they fix the head tossing problem, I wouldn’t attribute the fix to the bit.
If you need also more steering, why not try a double jointed full cheek with keepers. It would offer as much stability and more steering than a baucher.
Have you tried a mullen mouth?
From what you post, this really is more of a training issue than a bit issue. You are trying to steer and slow down and your horse is shaking its head as a result of your actions on the bit.
If it was me, I would try a fatter bit and work on my leg cues and core balance to control the speed and turns. I would make sure not to be too agressive or noisy with my hands.
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Generally the tossing (as you described)is something a bit won’t necessarily fix as much as miles and training. I went through this with my mare. I had the teeth floated, Chiro work, allergies. Here she just needed miles and experience and to learn to accept contact.
Of course horses have their preferences based on mouth conformation etc, but a young horse doing this typically is a training/miles issue. When you hear hoofbeats think horses not zebras.
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If the horse is more comfortable with the bit, it can help with the whoa, as horses tend to brace against a bit they are finding uncomfortable.
you mentioned he does this in the corners. Now, first, I’m not a huge believer in using a bit to fix training issues, but when he lunges on a circle or if you’re using half the arena, in the corners of the arena, does he do this too? My INITIAL thought was, is that he is sore going through the corners (as that places more stress) and it’s a reaction to some sort of body/foot soreness.
On a straight line, if he’s ok, you have to investigate why it is the corners are so much trouble. Is it because he’s losing balance? if so, that’s a rider error. If he’s sore, head tossing is much like NQR or head bobbing. Just trying to information gather here before i suggest a different bit…
Thanks for opinions. He has had some interruptions in his training ( not due to him) so I guess I forget that. Keep on training and maybe I will try a full cheek snaffle. He is still growing (just turned 5) & forgets where his body parts are sometimes( the balance thing you pointed out.). He was 2 3/4 yrs old when got him. Youngest ever owned. Learning process for all : )
Thanks again.
