Have you tried going up a bit size? My one mare has very fleshy lip corners and an oversized bit is a must for her. Mine still will get pinch marks if she decides she is going to be crazy strong one day but generally we have done well with an double broken lozenge eggbutt sized up.
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UPDATE: horse and I are old now and due to life issues, I have no competition goals presently.
I have pretty much quit using snaffles. She goes very nicely in a curb. I have a Linda Tellington Jones roller bit and I put together a ābastardā full double bridle for dressage schooling. I have the Weymouth on the bit hanger of her bitless bridle. The bitless bridle gives me the lateral flexion and the Weymouth the longitudinal flexion. I got this idea from Karen Rohlf. I just have not found a snaffle of any kind that she is very happy with. I may get a ride or two but then the resistance starts to show up. I do use a Myler ported mullen mouth for the occasional ride but never several rides in a row.
If we both are still physically viable in 5 years, I might try a Century ride and will figure out something when the time comes.
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dry mouth causing friction? do you use bit butter?
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I thought this discussion was fascinating - Tristan Tucker and Wouter Demey, equine dentist with advanced degrees and training. So much to consider for oral health in the horse:
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Thank you yes I have tried going up a size but after my recent equine dental visit we determined sheās been biting her lip inside with her molars. I switched to a baucher which doesnāt allow her to grab it and bite her lip and finally sheās great!
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I use bit butter and she was grabbing the bit in the loose ring and biting the corner of her lip inside with her molars. Iāve switched to a Pelham with a lozenge with a curb chain and she canāt grab it like a loose ring, will switch back to a baucher double joint with lozenge for shows. I worked with my dentist to figure it out and we determined itās become a habit.
Thanks I worked with my equine dentist and turns out my mare was grabbing the bit in the loose ring, pulling it up to her molars and biting her lip inside out of habit. She also bites her lead rope out of habit. I switched to a baucher and havenāt had her grab it. She even would do it on the lunge, with my trainer, and with me if she were in a loose ring double jointed kk, an eggbutt kk, bomber happy tongue, stubben goldwing, I had a professional bit fitter as well. Turns out it became a habit just like the way she grabs her rope. My equine dentist is wonderful.
I feel your pain! My Morgan pony just chomps on the bitā¦ every bit Iāve tried. She will work out of it sometimes, but I think itās a nervous habit. Teeth are fine.
She goes fabulously in a Little S hackamore on more contact than one would normally want with a hackamore. I think her dressage days are over, so the hackamore is great.
When I first started using the hackamore, sheād start chomping, but then stop when sheād realize that there was nothing in her mouth to chomp on!
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My mare had gone quietly before I switched to the micklem and HS kk ultra loose ring, we think she started the habit then as the cheek pieces of that bridle were loose, and the loose ring also allowed her to grab it. She tries to also grab the hackamore or rein or anything randomly so thankfully the baucher seems to be the trick!
Iām glad you found a solution. Lola is constantly trying to get the reins, throatlatch etc into het mouth. In fact, the horse end of the reins on the Little S are wrapped in vetwrap, so if she does chomp on them, she wonāt bite through them.
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Itās interesting to read this and think back on my new guy. He wanted to chew on the lead rope end, the butt end of the longe whip, brushes. Turns out he had an abscessed inscissor and ended up needing a root canal. That was last summer.
What just dawned on me is he barely ever now wants to chew on things.
Just an observation.
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