[QUOTE=Didi;8044972]
If you ride jumpers that’s great. They are illegal in the hunter ring, though. Other than that, I plead ignorance. :D[/QUOTE]
Hmm I always thought it was “unconventional” not illegal, but maybe I’ve been wrong all these years?
The Pelham was a Mullen mouth and a happy mouth. He hated it with a passion, no adjustability, refused to take contact and very fussy. At least with the loose ring I can get him to accept the contact and work into it, but he still fusses. I’ve not tried a full cheek but think I can probably get one fairly cheaply? He doesn’t have a hard mouth, he has a rather soft mouth. He’s just fussy. He too likes a thinner mouth piece.
I have been pondering a hackamore lately…
yellowbritches suggested a nathe- can you borrow one of those and see if it helps? I use a HS Duo on my TB, who is SUPER fussy in any other bit. It is the only bit he will go well in- and he hated the hackamore I used to ride my old TB jumper in. My friend events two of her horses in one, too- her TB goes XC in a Waterford, but he does his dressage in a Duo because he fusses otherwise. It has a very thin, flexible mouth and it is sort of a miracle bit for my TB.
This is what we both use, but it also comes in a dee version: http://www.doversaddlery.com/hs-duo-loose-ring/p/X1-011925/
[QUOTE=TatteredDaydreamer;8050092]
The Pelham was a Mullen mouth and a happy mouth. He hated it with a passion, no adjustability, refused to take contact and very fussy. At least with the loose ring I can get him to accept the contact and work into it, but he still fusses. I’ve not tried a full cheek but think I can probably get one fairly cheaply? He doesn’t have a hard mouth, he has a rather soft mouth. He’s just fussy. He too likes a thinner mouth piece.
I have been pondering a hackamore lately…[/QUOTE]
It was a pelham. There’s a lot more going on with that bit other than the mouth. It has a curb chain and poll pressure. I would still be very inclined to try a Mullen mouth in a snaffle. There are lots of options (Nathe, Duo, Happymouth, rubber).
If if you think you want to event this horse, you have to find a solution that is dressage legal, at least for that phase. So, while a hackamore might work for the jumping (skeptical…I think they are the trendy thing right now, like Mikmars and Myler combination bits), it isn’t going to be an answer for the dressage.
If i were in your shoes, I think I would start trying different bits, borrowing what you can if your budget is tight, giving each bit a few days. If it still isn’t quite right, borrow a figure eight bridle and see what happens.
[QUOTE=yellowbritches;8048973]
Said it better than me. The bits you mentioned are just a small handful. There are lots more options out there (this is why I do not give up my monstrous collection and buy things I don’t need! You never know what you’ll need down the road). I like pattnic’s bit suggestions. I would also add Nathe or a Duo to that list.
A figure eight very well may help. But it might not.[/QUOTE]
Another excellent suggestion, and I’m ashamed I forgot that! (It’s what I use on my gelding)
Also, +1 for everything yellowbritches just said in the post above me.
OP - Yes, you should be able to find a full cheek relatively cheaply. A new JP is going to run about $35; a new Happy Mouth about $55. A loose ring HS Duo is about $80 (Nathe is about the same) and the dee version is about $175. You can generally find them all on eBay for less. All of these suggestions are nice, soft bits, with no more than about a 16mm diameter, which is probably about the thickest you would want to go for a horse who prefers a thinner bit.
Thank you everyone for the bit suggestions! I will see what I can do about finding a Duo or Nathe!
I’d have a chiro and maybe even a dentist out before you go clamping his mouth shut. Figure 8’s are mostly for horses that cross their jaw. Have you tried a mullen-mouth Nathe type bit? I had a sensitive mare who was fussy with all the “soft” multi-joint bits I tried and quieted down when she had a solid, soft piece of plastic to hang on to.
Another option to think about is a Kinneton noseband that limits how much pressure goes to the jaw, makes a bit operate like a hackamore after a certain point with nose pressure, and there is no under-jaw piece to struggle against. A friend of mine has has a lot of success with it schooling at home with her OTTB.
He regularly sees the chiro and was done by the dentist not long ago with no change…
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