Youngster Chews on the Bit

[snaffle1987]

Need a little advice and insight. I have a coming 5 year old who chews on the bit constantly. He does not stop and it drives me insane. He has had a bridle on virtually his entire life as he has been shown a lot since he was just a foal. He will start knawing away on the bit the minute you put the bridle on and he will not stop until you take it off. He is in a plain D ring snaffle so I am not thinking it is harsh or that it causes pain. He is a busy-body, has the attention span of an ant (although he is improving drastically as he ages). It almost seems like a nervous-nelly behavior.

He is in light work 3-4 times per week and he has a break every other day. I do not like to push youngsters especially if they are still mentally not quite there. He is turned out all day, every day with time spent inside only if the weather is inclement. I do not think it is a pent-up energy issue.

I have thought about putting a flash on him to stop the knawing but I think it will only mask the problem. Have thought about switching to a rubber bit but again, I think it will only mask the problem and he will continue to chew on the bit all of the time, I will just be able to hear it less

Have thought it might be wolf teeth but he doesn’t appear to be in pain… and if it was painful, you would think he would chew less! He just chews, chews and chews on the bit with his front molars. He is very distracted by doing it; especially on the lunge line.

Any experience with this, thoughts? advice?

[findeight]

Have you tried other types if bits on him? Fussy horses get fussier in bits with moving parts, they bounce them around. Try a Mullen mouth.

Some horses have a low palate and single jointed snaffles hit the roof of the mouth so they keep trying to spit it out. Try something like a Mylar Comfort snaffle with tongue relief (a low port) and no joints.

Some horses have a very shallow mouth and bits sit too low in their mouths or sit too high so the 2 wrinkle rule doesn’t apply. Try raising or lowering the bit in the mouth. Some horses like snug, some like looser so they can pick it up and hold it.

Some horses cannot stand a big, fat mouthpiece that looks like it’s soft and kind. But they can’t get their mouths closed around it so keep trying to spit it out. They aren’t fussing, they are trying to get rid if it. Have seen that a lot with the Happy Mouth bits that look like they’d be comfortable to us but the horse disagrees. Try thinner mouthpieces.

Just a matter of experimenting to find something the horse is comfortable in. Need to put any preconceived notions of what’s comfortable aside and find something the horse is actually comfortable in.

That said a few are just fussy and drive you nuts. It’s a fault, something to consider when buying horses for subjectively judged competitions. You can’t train everything out, sometimes it’s just them, bet it was their mothers too. I swear some of that stuff like a tendency to fuss is genetic and an oddball mouth shape that makes bits uncomfortable certainly could pass to offspring.

[Inclined]

Findeight is exactly right. Another option you might consider is a leather bit like this:https://squareup.com/store/winterpast-farm/item/the-pacifier-d-ring-round . It has the advantage of having no joints and will mold to the horse’s mouth.

[ecileh]

@findeight;8636303

Have you tried other types if bits on him? Fussy horses get fussier in bits with moving parts, they bounce them around. Try a Mullen mouth.

I have a Myler “jointed Mullen” (https://www.toklat.com/Products/BP/89-21315) that has helped my mare with this same behavior. She has always put her stress into her mouth and I tried all sorts of mouthpieces, looking to be as kind as I could. Finally, I figured out she has a low palette and went to a regular mullen, but it was not quite enough to jump her in on courses. The Myler has reduced the chewing and chomping to almost nothing (she still does it when really stressed, though). It has a very slight arc to it, but no crack like a snaffle. The ends swivel, so you can use your hands independently.

I have hunter paced her in this bit and it is almost enough for that. I bought a second version of it with hooks and slots to try hunting her in this season, as even the lowest port mullen kimberwick bothers her. We’ll see whether it’s enough bit or not–I may wind up in the next county.

[fourfillies]

As findeight says, it’s in their mother too. My foundation mare did this for her entire 20 year show career (3 to 23yo). Drove me nuts! Tried everything. Ultimately lived with this as her only significant flaw. Thankfully once she got to serious flat work or o/f it stopped. On the ground it was hopeless. One of her 3 daughters does it too. Ironically she’s the one that shares her Mom’s amazing brain and heart so I’m older, wiser and hope I get another 20 year career of bit chewing.

[BostonHJ]

Sorry to hijack, but a question for everyone on a related-but-different issue. My horse “smiles” much of the time while being ridden - his teeth are closed but he pulls each lip back maybe 1/2". He does it in a figure 8, cavesson and even without a noseband. It doesn’t seem to distract him and he is super soft in the bridle. Any thoughts? His teeth are done every 6-10 months and are in good shape and he’s generally not a worried or tense horse. It doesn’t hugely matter since his primary job is as a jumper, it’s just kind of weird - like the smooshed up face I make when I’m concentrating.

[merrygoround]

To the OP:

1. Have you checked its width?

2. If not too wide, try raising it in the mouth.

[findeight]

[QUOTE=BostonHJ;8636923]
Sorry to hijack, but a question for everyone on a related-but-different issue. My horse “smiles” much of the time while being ridden - his teeth are closed but he pulls each lip back maybe 1/2". He does it in a figure 8, cavesson and even without a noseband. It doesn’t seem to distract him and he is super soft in the bridle. Any thoughts? His teeth are done every 6-10 months and are in good shape and he’s generally not a worried or tense horse. It doesn’t hugely matter since his primary job is as a jumper, it’s just kind of weird - like the smooshed up face I make when I’m concentrating.[/QUOTE]

I have no idea. Never seen that. Offhand, does he do it if the bit sits looser, dropped a couple of holes? It might pinch the corners of his mouth just enough to bother him, especially if its a single jointed mouthpiece with nutcracker action like a typical snaffle. Have you tried a variety of mouthpieces on him like the Mullen, low port, rigidly attached sidepieces with no movement? Maybe a leather bit as mentioned above or a bitless bridle/hackamore? Something bugs him even if he isnt in pain. More like an uncomfortable annoyance to him.

Check the width on your bits too. Forgot to mention that. Most wear anything from a 4 3/4 to a 6. It can pinch if too narrow, wallow if too wide and prevent the bit from sitting in the mouth as designed and functioning properly either way. It’s not always obvious either. Do you know what width bit your horse wears and what it should be wearing?

[snaffle1987]

The bit appears to fit perfect in his mouth. not too wide and definitely not too small. I did raise it up one hole the last time I had him out and it did appear to help but it seems 10x harder to get the bridle on his head now like I am gagging the poor thing. Its not pulling his mouth open too tight but there is a definite difference trying to get the bridle on his head now.

I definitely need a bit with some control to it as he is a youngster and can be unpredictable. The snaffle has seemed to work thus far but the chomping 24/7 leads me to believe he isn’t comfortable in it.

He is a small thoroughbred with a dainty head so he is wearing cob size bridle. I will get a measurement on the bit tonight and see where it’s at.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=snaffle1987;8636272]

Have thought it might be wolf teeth but he doesn’t appear to be in pain… and if it was painful, you would think he would chew less! He just chews, chews and chews on the bit with his front molars. He is very distracted by doing it; especially on the lunge line.

Any experience with this, thoughts? advice?[/QUOTE]

Has he ever had his teeth examined?

If he has not, that would be the first place I would start.

[snaffle1987]

yes, he gets his teeth done regularly. I was thinking it could be wolf teeth but typically if they are painful, you wouldn’t see chomping on the bit all of the time; as that would hurt. The vet is scheduled for spring shots next week, I am going to have them just take a look to make sure.

[HP_sblueskyenterprise]

[QUOTE=Inclined;8636608]
Findeight is exactly right. Another option you might consider is a leather bit like this:https://squareup.com/store/winterpast-farm/item/the-pacifier-d-ring-round . It has the advantage of having no joints and will mold to the horse’s mouth.[/QUOTE]

Not to hijack but I have a really dumb question, is the bit leather covered or leather all they way through? Couldn’t the horse just chew through it? It would be super bad to be in the middle of riding and have your bit fall apart! :lol:

[snaffle1987]

I was thinking the same thing on the leather!

[findeight]

The leather is treated differently then you are used to seeing, they used to make armor out of it and make rock hard dog chew toys but offhand I’m not familiar with the process.

But yes the bit is all leather and no they don’t chew through it.

[luckymaverick]

I thought chewing was a good thing and a positive during work/training.

[findeight]

There’s a big difference between the chewing and the moist mouth that means a horse is relaxed and the never ending fussing, fooling, messing around with the bit generally with excessive slobbering OP and others are talking about. Which is a deduction in subjectively judged competitions in any discipline.

[Small_Change]

[QUOTE=findeight;8638839]
The leather is treated differently then you are used to seeing, they used to make armor out of it and make rock hard dog chew toys but offhand I’m not familiar with the process.

But yes the bit is all leather and no they don’t chew through it.[/QUOTE]

There are also leather bits with a nylon cord or thick metal wire through the centre to be safe, just in case the leather did snap or wear through.

[ybiaw]

My friends new horse grinds his teeth with the bit in his mouth. She bought these gumbits things and gives him a handful before she puts the bridle on and they help him salivate and soften his mouth and keep him from grinding. Maybe something like that would help?

http://gumbits.com/

[costco_muffins]

My young horse chews at the bit. He doesn’t like a rubber single jointed snaffle, a french link, a happy mouth mullen. He does like a loose ring nathe (but chewed through his) and he liked a single jointed myler with hooks. Weird horse.

He is turning five, still has one of his 4.5 y/o caps, and has erupting canines. His wolf teeth were removed. He chews on everything and loves putting pressure on his teeth and gums as in he rests his mouth on things while pressing into them. The dentist said it is all related to him and his mouth maturing and to do whatever we could to help him NOT FIND THE HIGH from cribbing. If we look at patterns, he has had a quieter mouth from time to time and a more active mouth from time to time, so it seems to be related to what is going on with his teeth.

[beau159]

[QUOTE=snaffle1987;8638712]
yes, he gets his teeth done regularly. I was thinking it could be wolf teeth [/QUOTE]

I guess I am confused. If he’s had regular dental work, his wolf teeth should have been removed a long time ago, and they shouldn’t even be a thought.

What do his dental records say? They should clearly indicate if wolf teeth are present.