I recently acquired a new horse. I have tried EVERY bit imaginable on him. He hates single joints, french links (although he does salivate well in a french link). He leaned on a happy mouth. Did not like a black rubber D bit. We tried loose ring, D ring, eggbutt. He hates rollers of any type.
He is very mouthy and tongue sensitive. He is an OTTB.
Recently I acquired a mullen mouth Kimberwick with a low port. For the first time ever, he reached down and into the bit while lunging. So I rode him. He went well and quiet with it as a snaffle and stopped decently well, and accepted the contact. But he also really yielded his head with it as a curb. With every other bit he refused to yield his head and often braced against the bit as well as mouthed it constantly… But, this bit isn’t legal.
so…
Please give me suggestions for legal bits that offer stability and maximal tongue relief.
we will continue to school in the kimberwick at home.
try a mullen mouth snaffle
you’re lunging in a kimblewick?
SMH
As others have mentioned in your other threads, you really need a new instructor
Oh, and I agree w/ Janet- try a mullen mouth snaffle
I was lunging him with NO curb action to try the mouthpiece out on it.
i don’t have an instructor yet. For many, very personal reasons. I have only just began to look.
You don’t need three threads on this. Ask your trainer.
I am asking for advice because this is my first OTTB, and he’s a rescue. I compete in dressage, eventing, and hunter jumpers. So legalities differ in each and I wanted a wide range of opinions but thanks xx
Your horse is uneducated to contact. What is legal depends on discipline. He leans because that is how OTTBs are taught.
That being said is his education from a prominent dressage trainer or do you not know his history? Please pick one because you said both. Either way, I love French link eggbutts. One horse went in a Myler Pelham only out x-country, in an arena he went in the eggbutt. My current horse goes in the eggbutt as well.
Both needed to be educated on contact and the outside rein.
ETA: When he braces drop the contact. Let him fall, he will figure it out.
OP, please listen to the people here. What you’re saying here, plus on your blog and blog site, really don’t match up with the experience you are claiming to have. Your horse looks like a lovely chap who is really keen to learn from you, so you need to make sure he is comfortable with these early stages of his (re)education
I’d use the least bit you can and work on having the horse accept contact. Some of the behavior sounds like a green horse who just doesn’t know/accept contact yet. And have teeth checked. My mare was very mouth fussy and head shakey and we tried every bit imaginable. Afters a year (it’ll be a year at end of May) of working with a dressage trainer, working on contact and acceptance, the fussiness stopped. Yes- it took a year of patience, solid training. It was a combination of her being sensitive, her not really knowing how to accept true contact (and not wanting to), my riding and finding the right bit.
She is actually getting her teeth done today. We tried every bit imaginable, she ends up liking a d ring 2 jointed sweet iron with the curved bars.
Personally, I hate jointed bits especially single jointed. For horses with shallow palates, they can make them quite uncomfortable. While it sounds like you could do with asking a professional (assuming you are not), I would highly recommend a Myler bit. Completely changed the game for me and many others I know who had fussy OTTBs. While they are jointed, they’re more of a fixed joint, and come in levels to best suit your horse. Personally I ride my horse in a loose ring, level 2 myler and if ever a majikal bit existed for him, it’s this one!
I’ve had success with mouthy horses using a: Nathe, Myler level 1 loose ring wide barrel, and the Neue Schule Turtle Tactio.
But very sensitive and mouthy horses also require tactful riding. Educated eyes on the ground are invaluable.
"Merrygoround—Quote from the Hunter Forum
You obviously do not like the responses you got on the Dressage Forum.
Again you are posting different statements in different posts on different Forums
No mention here, on the Hunter Forum of lack of condition, lack of saddle, etc."
I do hope you note that you are getting similar comments on this, the Eventng forum, and take it to heart.
Get proper help!
