I am posting here because I do not think the other forums would understand the breed and their training,
My horse, who we adopted in October, has been doing really well. He never raced; only an Amish buggy horse. We walk and trot him around the ring, go for walks and work on the long lines. When he is ridden his mouth is very busy. Saddle has been checked, chiro done and ridden easily 3-4 times a week. Is there anything else I can look at to solve his mouth issues?
Thanks
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Teeth float? Probably long over due, if you haven’t had them done.
What kind of bit are you using?
Vet just did his teeth, He is in a copper loose ring snaffle.
How old is he? How long was he an Amish buggy horse?
Sometimes a stoic horse will be restless in the mouth if they have pain or discomfort in their body or hooves.
Did you do a Pre Purchase Exam
W/ a vet?
He is 14 and all we know is that he was with the Amish all his life. They breed him too. Appears he was in some kind of accident, based on scars on his hind legs.
He was vetted well when I got him. Had a little hiccup on the left front but the xrays were clean and he has been sound since we got him.
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FWIW my stb was also busy in the mouth and unsteady with her head.
While I’m not going to say the problem is totally solved, two things that helped considerably were changing bits and taking up more contact. I was riding her in a loose ring snaffle on a loose rein and I think that was totally different than what she was used to from driving. I have her in an eggbutt snaffle now, and I really think I’ll see even better results in a mullen with more of a cheek.
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Some of us Standardbred riders don’t drive, so Off Course would have been a good forum to choose as well. I don’t drive personally but had a sweet boy I rode. Some Standardbreds are just play with their bits regardless of what bit, but possibly try a more solid bit like a D-ring that has less movement. Sometimes horses get busy with their mouths with a loose ring. Agree with @Texarkana a more steady contact might be helpful as well.
Enjoy your boy. We’d love to see pictures.
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I would love to share but I do not know how to load them… ugh He is so sweet and tries so hard for us
There are a couple of ways to share pictures. You can copy and paste a screenshot, or click on this 
and you will get this:
I went to Browse and selected a picture in my files.
And then click on upload.
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I hope it works
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Some Amish do ride as well as drive their Buggy horses. So your guy may have had time U/S.
But the contact from Driving lines is different than when ridden.
Do you know what kind of bit he was driven in?
You can try a riding bit like a Pelham that comes close to the action of the Liverpool a lot of Drivers use.
Or, as @Texarkana & @jvanrens said: he might just have a busy mouth.
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He is lovely!
I used to ride my mare just like that: loose ring, loopy rein. Then I started taking driving lessons and learned that you keep quite a bit of hold on the horse’s mouth while driving. Plus they are usually going in a bit with leverage and not a lot of play.
I started riding her with driving contact and more of a closed hand, and she was like, “THANK YOU!” And like I said before, I keep meaning to pick her up a mullen mouth D or kimberwick or even full cheek because I think it will make a world of difference for her.
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Depends. Many are used to a half cheek snaffle. A lot of the Amish I have seen around NYS seem to use one. Most of our STBs race in one. Again a bit that won’t move around as much as a loose ring.
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I tried him in a fullcheek nathe and chewed it too. Maybe he would be better in a Baucher?
I have been having trouble riding him at the trot. Not like anything I have ever ridden before.
I do long line him so that has been funny. He only liked to go in straight lines! Thank God for an outside rein!
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The baucher is probably a better option. Anything more stable. I was shocked at how much better my mare went in anything but a loose ring.
My girl’s trot is funny, too. I have to sit WAY back and while it’s not bouncy, it’s tiring to ride. She has a canter, but she’ll only pick up her right lead and can’t hold it very long under saddle.
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Are you putting his bit in his mouth like a driving bridle? Meaning, does it sit in the same place or is it lower/higher?
Was he driven with an overcheck and martingale? Were side reins also used?? He may not be used to holding a bit in his mouth properly.
Remember, lots of Amish are hard handed and not as light as us english people.
edited; spelling
He is bridled as any normal riding horse would be. We assume he definitely had a check rein but other then that we don’t know.
He likes to hop over xrails. They are little and he could walk over them if he wanted to.
However long it takes it takes.
Dream is to be able to w-t-c and go on trail rides… we will see…
Thanks for the info
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I second this. My gelding for the first couple of years being ridden would constantly move the bit around in his mouth and move his lips. I think trying a few different bits on him till we found something that fit and he liked and taking more contact helped a ton. He still will move his bottom lip a little when we ride but is a lot more relaxed.
When I bought him he was going in a happy mouth snaffle and I honestly think it was too big for him. Since we have switched to a myler level 2 snaffle, a loose ring snaffle with a lozenge, and finally settled the same snaffle mouth piece as the loose ring but with full cheeks. It took time but he finally settled.
My retired racehorse goes in a rubber mullen mouth D ring. When I started riding him after his retirement from racing he was very busy with his mouth. He too is happier and moves so much better with more contact but will putz around on a loose rein. Giving him a more stable bit is what finally got him to be less busy with his mouth. I know what he raced in (quite a lot of gear) and when he came to me i took him back to no gear first and he just wasn’t as happy as he is now with this bit change. Give your guy time, sometimes they will be more busy as they get used to being a riding horse rather than a driving horse.
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It could be tension coming out in the mouth. What you’re describing is not uncommon. They are used to being driven, not ridden - it’s a whole new language with new weight, expectations, and feel - it takes a year or so for them to really settle into their new job description. My two cents.
Share more photos!!
My STB does well in a baucher, but I’ve tried all sorts of bits on him. He is one of the rare ones that doesn’t seem to have a strong preference as long as the bit rings are fixed.
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