Question about Bitless Bridle???

[Dressage59]

Hi, My husband’s horse - Dawn is about 24 years old. She’s ridden about 6 times a year. In the last couple years, she’s been tossing her head and mouthing the bit. It’s the same bit we’ve always used for her (we’ve had her about 20 years). It’s a snaffle bit. Would a bitless bridle help? Any suggestions? If it helps, she was originally trained to be a cutting horse.

Thanks,

[KIloBright]

[QUOTE=Dressage59;7877754]
Hi, My husband’s horse - Dawn is about 24 years old. She’s ridden about 6 times a year. In the last couple years, she’s been tossing her head and mouthing the bit. It’s the same bit we’ve always used for her (we’ve had her about 20 years). It’s a snaffle bit. Would a bitless bridle help? Any suggestions? If it helps, she was originally trained to be a cutting horse.

When has she last had dental work done?
That is the first thing that comes to mind when a horse that has ridden fine with that bit for years, suddenly has those reactions
If she has dental issues, bitless would help, far as her discomfort being ridden, but it will not fix as to what is wrong in her mouth, and older horses need to
have all the help they can, far as ability to process feed correctly.

[beau159]

I second that suggestion.^^

If she has not had dental work done, I would suspect she might have dental pain that is causing her “protest” in the bit.

[AmarachAcres]

Third vote for dental work. Check for abscesses and all that.

IF everything checks out, see if the bit still fits her mouth. Maybe it isn’t comfortable anymore. Remeasure what size bit she should have and look and see how it is sitting on her tongue.

There are lots of bitless choices. Hackmores, Bosals, side pulls, cross unders… Research those if you want to try one.

[GotMyPony]

I long used a Dr. Cook bitless bridle with my mare who had mouth issues due to a “wry” (rye??) nose. She did very well in that. I recently lent that bitless bridle to a friend whose QH had some really bad teeth issues (requiring removal) and wasn’t comfortable in a bit anymore. So far she’s had good luck with it and says he seems relaxed on a ride for the first time in a long time.
If your horse has tooth issues and you/vet can’t get them resolved, I’d say the Dr. Cook BB is worth a try. For me personally, I felt it had more “communication channels” than just a halter, side-pull or bosal. See if you can borrow ones of various types to try one before you commit to any particular style.

[Dressage59]

Thanks for all the ideas.
We usually have her teeth checked/floated annually. The vet is coming soon and I’ll ask him to do a thorough check. We’ll also check the fit and adjust as needed. I’m going to look up the Dr. Cook BB - that might work.