Bitting Advice Needed

[LuvRedHeads]

I did do a search on the forum before posting, but couldn’t find anything that applies to my specific situation.

I took my horse on his first fox hunt this past Sunday. He was really excellent and I was super pleased with how he handled himself. At the recommendation of the staff, I did bit up before coming out. I put him in a happy mouth single joint Pelham, with separate snaffle rein and a curb rein.

My only complaint is that while standing at checks, he expressed his excitement by snatching at the reins, enough that it gave me a blister underneath my gloves. I would love to try something that he is a little more respectful of.

Any suggestions?

[SLW]

It sure sounds like “first hunt excitement” from your horse. If the bit worked out well while moving out then on your next hunt at a check, the nanno second you sense the horse is getting ready to snatch freeze your arm so his mouth hits a brick wall, a dead end, no give in the rein. Some people will make a horse back up, side pass or pivot if the horse starts rooting on the rein. I’ve seen riders yank the rein of a horse that roots, that may stop some horses but not all of them. I’d give your guy a second chance in the bit before changing it.

[Huntin_Fool]

I agree with SLW! Though those blisters can be bad!!! Maybe bridge the reins? I did ride a horrible rooter-on like his 4th season of hunting at least. I was being pulled over the saddle and I am not tiny. I borrowed a whip and if he snatched the reins I belted him one-he’s a draft needless to add, a TB would have been in the next county. By the end of the hunt he’d quit. I don’t like to hit anything but… That said I say give your guy another chance or maybe make him walk in a circle. I think you’ve got a winner

[xeroxchick]

Just a thought, my horses don’t salivate very well in Happy Mouth bits and seem to be softer when they have more of that slobber lube going on.

[Bogie]

Rather than changing the bit, you might work on teaching him to stand quietly. My TB was a basket case at the checks when we first started, so when hacking him, I’d ask him to stand quietly and give him a treat (usually a piece of an alfalfa cube). I then carried treats in my saddle bag and transferred this over to the hunt field. The other thing is that once they’ve hunted a few times, they start to recognize that the check is a time to relax.

FWIW, my draft-x likes to root. I find that a happy mouth elevator works great for her – plus a reminder to be polite with my spurs.

[LuvRedHeads]

Thank you for alll your great suggestions! I plan to take him out hunting again this Sunday, so I will give him another chance before changing the bit. A fellow boarder last night suggested changing my reins from laced reins to rubber reins, to give me a more firm hold, so I will be trying that.

@Bogie He really does stand fairly well at checks. Well, his feet remain still anyway :D. He just chooses to express his impatience to get going again by snatching at the reins, or pawing with a front leg. Maybe once the hunts get a little longer and he gets a little tired, he will appreciate the break.

All in all, if that is my biggest problem, I will take it. He was exceptional in all other ways and I was super pleased with him.

[gypsymare]

If his feet stay still, can you just give him a longer rein to stretch out at the check?

[firefoot]

For most rooting, I’ve always just let them have their head. If they can’t root against me, it takes the fun out of it for them and they tend to do it less. Also is less annoying to me as I’m not getting yanked from the tack. There have been some rooters that were more aggressive and that was an issue but for now I’d give him a longer rein and ignore it.

[LuvRedHeads]

@gypsymare @firefoot

I have experimented with giving him a longer rein. When I do, he takes over and decides to move off rather than standing still. If I keep him on a moderate rein length with a neutral contact, he will stand still, but expresses his impatience by snatching at the reins or pawing.

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹We’re going out again tomorrow. We’ll see if this week is a little better.

[jawa]

When riding at home, do you practice standing still on a slack rein (on the buckle)? If he doesn’t do it at home, it’s hard to expect them to know how to do it out hunting. I’d work on practicing standing with a slack rein. Halt, give him a verbal cue, “stand”, release your contact. If he steps off, collect a rein quickly and have him do a small circle until you get him to halt again. Give him a pat once he has halted, verbal cue, drop the reins again. It will take LOTS of practice, but you can make it happen.

Making corrections with the rein, i.e. yanking on the rein, tend to not work. You just end up in a battle for the reins. Using a touch of the spur, or crop can help correct the behavior, but you must be consistent and respond quickly.

One of my geldings WAS AWFUL about rooting and usually while at a check. It seemed to be a bit of a boredom issue. He was a bit wigged out by crops when I first got him, so I would use my spur each time he started with the rooting. It was never used in anger or harshly, but it wasn’t the result he was looking for. It took a bit of time, but he eventually quit the behavior, and it was a STRONGLY instilled one. He was a beginner lesson horse before I got him. He would root with the smaller riders. When he had a really small rider on, he wore an overcheck so that he couldn’t pull them.

Having a horse that was pretty much foot perfect in every other way out hunting for their first times, I’d take a horse that rooted at a check over some of the other “bad behaviors” I’ve seen and experienced.

[Callie_s_Mom]

My horse tried this with me as well. At home, practice with cookies for good standing and work (backing, turning on forehand, etc) for yanking on you. You could also try teaching a cue to get your horse to put it’s head down while standing when asked - if the head is already down there’s nowhere to go! I plant my hand on the withers (with a loose rein) to prevent getting yanked out of the saddle and I do let her eat if she is standing quietly. After a bit of work, my horse now very rarely yanks on me and when she does, I tap her between the ears with the flat of my head. Any taps behind the shoulder will produce a rocket launch so that’s my go-to “cut it out!” spot.

Your horse sounds like they did very well their first time out, congrats!