bitting the fiddly horse

[Simkie]

@tinah

It’s funny that someone mentioned a baucher. I’ve never used one, since everything I’ve ridden had gone in single jointed snaffles, kimberwickes, pelhams, or a double, but from handling one at the track store I kinda thought it might be worth trying with him.
I’ll get the book coming.

If you have a pelham–one with an unbroken mouthpiece and a slight port–try him in that without the curb chain and without a curb rein. It hangs in the mouth like a boucher and will offer tongue relief. While not something for long term, it might give you direction on where to go next as it offers several different things–lots of stability with the fixed cheek, tongue relief with the port, it’s up off the bars, and a stable solid mouthpiece.

This is the kind of bit I’m talking about. This is the traditional pelham I’ve always used. If you have a single jointed pelham, don’t bother–you already know he doesn’t like a single jointed bit.

If you find he likes stable, a micklem bridle is also a good option. Paired with a mouthpiece he likes and a stable cheek, it offers a LOT of “stillness.”

[cayuse]

You probably have tried this already but sometimes adjusting the bit a tiny smidge higher or lower than what looks correct to our eye can make a difference. Right now have one that wants the bit low, lower than what I thinks looks correct, but he is happy with it like that, so I don’t rock the boat. I have tried to adjust it back up several times and he reverts back to fussing. His teeth are fine, its just notion of his we had to adjust to.

[NoSuchPerson]

My 'fiddly mouth" mule likes a Bomber Happy Tongue bit in a Micklem bridle with the bit clips. It turned out that the solution wasn’t a bit that offered him more opportunity “fiddle,” but rather one that offered plenty of tongue relief AND remained still in his mouth. With the Miklem plus bit clips, the bit doesn’t move around in his mouth.

I know the bit clips may not be legal for showing, but hey, one problem at a time.