we got a old mare. but the problem is i'm not sure what bit we should use on her. she has a bad habit of comping and mouthing and pulling on the bit.we got her last aug. and since then we started in a curb but she direct reins and does not neck rein at all. so we put her back in a o ring snaffle which she did ok in for awhile but then she started pulling on it pretty good so i switched her to a full cheek snaffle but she's still pulling pretty hard on the bit and she has a pretty slow reaction time to the bit also. any suggestions on what bit i should try....i have a tom thumb lying around but i'v read mixed reviews on those
background:
daughters currently training her for 4-h speed events and also pleasure she is 22 was a brood mare and race horse for most her life so her training is pretty basic.
I'm thinking she was okay with the snaffle at first, but was getting pulled on too much and now she is pulling back because she was getting pulled on. That's just a guess though as I have no idea how she is being ridden. I honestly don't know what to recommend though.
Before you can move on after the snaffle to a stronger bit, her mouth needs to be trained, which it sounds like it isn't. The horse & the rider need some instruction, then you can move on from there. If I suggest a different bit, it is going to be stronger, then after that, you will need a stronger one, & so on. This is not where you want to end up.
It sounds to me like the mare needs some training. Like Ware said, going to a stronger bit just to get control without correcting the base problem that is causing her to act up will only make her worse in the long run.
Also, have you had her teeth floated? Being the age that she is, it really should be checked at least 2 times per year and floated as necessary.
No to disagree with anyone, but you know, I've never found the "once you go to something stronger you can never go back" thing to be true in my experience.
As a matter of fact, I will often ride in a curb but then when fooling around or if the horse has been ridden a lot I will often ride them in a snaffle now and then. What I find tends to happen is that the rider/horse are not understanding/communicating to begin with. And then after you've ridden them a bunch and really gotten to know them, you can ride them in most anything. That's been my (albeit limited) experience. It's kind of like once you get your communication down, the kind of bit becomes almost irrelevant.
Of course I guess that also kind of proves the "training" argument, doesn't it? But anyway, if someone isn't heavy handed, I don't see why you can't switch back and forth between a snaffle and a curb or experiment with whatever bits you may have on hand to see how the horse does in them.
Everyone on here hates tom thumbs, but I've actually had good luck with them. But to each their own I guess.
I would rather ride in a curb and not have to pull on the horse than ride in a snaffle and have constant heavy contact. I'm not so sure it isn't kinder to ride in a stronger bit and let the horse have some release than to ride in a snaffle if you have to be lugging them around.
Of course you can go to curb & back to a snaffle & so on, on a trained mouth. I can ride in whatever bit I want, even a spade if I so choose, because my horse's mouth is trained and so are my hands. I ride in a curb for showing, I have to. I ride in a snaffle at home, I sometimes ride in a kimberwick in english classes, just depends on the finesse I want. On a young horse, I would not do that, on a horse that has not given properly to the bridle, I would not do that, it's only basics, then on from there. On every horse I've owned, I've ridden snaffle, curb, you name it, once they are broke (broke, meaning resistance is broken, eg - they give to pressure).
Exactly. The problem with upping the bit for more control is that people don't address the underlying cause first. I am all for an experienced horseman using a twisted bit or a harsher curb to re-mouth a horse that came to them ruined or a person swapping out bits on a nice, broke horse....but to bit up a horse because you no longer have control in the snaffle without first finding out why you no longer have control in the snaffle will just cause more problems.
i know she needs some training like i said she seems to know only basics, no leg ques or body positioning, no flexing, just turn, go forward, not even how to back in a bit. voice ques she good on. but shes always pulled/and mouthed on the bit since we got her so i had her teeth floated hoping it would help but it didn't seem to at all. even at a stand she'll put her mouth straight tords the ground and pull and comp.I was wondering if this could be a learned behavior from her racing days. the lady we got her from only took her out a few time said she just rode in a halter and lead with other horses for her to tag along with then put out to pasture, she spent a brief week with a friend of mine while we put up her pen, that put her in a curb and a rolling curb which she like to play with but I'v always thought those bit are for horses that neck rein since they apply pressure across the mouth. I'v been teaching my daughter to ride on her and so i thought it best to put her in a light bit and hopefully soften her mouth and also in case my daughter was heavy handed which she hasn't been till lately as the mares gotten harder which i am trying to correct my daughter on. I'm hoping this summer i can work on her more myself right now where just fitting in rides between the storms, snow and mud.
what about a double jointed snaffle? i'v never used them but still a mild bit.
i dont want to use a curb its been my experience and learning that curb are to be used on neck reining horses especially if they are solid. on all my horses i'v only ever used single joint snaffles and one pieces curbs and yes trailhorserider i have also used tom thumbs back in the day and had succes but it was also on a young well trained horse too. so i'm kinda leaning against on putting one on this mare.
SMROBS:"I am all for an experienced horseman using a twisted bit or a harsher curb to re-mouth a horse that came to them ruined"
this is contradicting, isn't this what you would call a "ruined" "hard mouthed" horse..
"but to bit up a horse because you no longer have control in the snaffle without first finding out why you no longer have control in the snaffle will just cause more problems."
I never said she was out of control in a snaffle i said she pulls and mouths the bit. if she was out of control i would not put my 4 yr old on her in a snaffle, or any other bit for that matter.
I am not asking for a harsh bit to "correct" the problem. I Was just thinking she may like a diffrent kind of snaffle better that may help ease her mouthing and pulling.
SMROBS:"I am all for an experienced horseman using a twisted bit or a harsher curb to re-mouth a horse that came to them ruined"
this is contradicting, isn't this what you would call a "ruined" "hard mouthed" horse..
Yes, but if the horse's mouth has been ruined, sometimes it does take a harsher bit to remind them that they need to respect the bit. If they are really hard, often times a nice simple snaffle just won't have the umph to demand respect.
The thing about those harsher bits is that you really need to know how to use them in order to avoid making the problem worse and that's why I said "experienced horsemen".
"but to bit up a horse because you no longer have control in the snaffle without first finding out why you no longer have control in the snaffle will just cause more problems."
I never said she was out of control in a snaffle i said she pulls and mouths the bit. if she was out of control i would not put my 4 yr old on her in a snaffle, or any other bit for that matter.
I am not asking for a harsh bit to "correct" the problem. I Was just thinking she may like a diffrent kind of snaffle better that may help ease her mouthing and pulling.
Then I apologize, I apparently read your post wrong and made the assumption that you simply didn't have enough control and were wanting options on which bits would give you control.
The pulling is likely something that remains from her previous riding experience and will need to be addressed with training on how to properly give to the bit. Unfortunately, she's probably never been taught that.
And if it seems to help to have something in her mouth to fiddle with but the rollers just don't seem like enough, you can get one with keys Green River Tack
One thing to watch out for though with those pacifier bits. Some horses get so engrossed in playing with the bit that they begin to tune out the more subtle cues from the rider.
No apology necessary, it seems everyone thought i was asking for something harsher, She just is constantly pulling and mouthing even at a stand even times when no ones on her thats why i figured it was possibly learned during her racing career and/or was probably not taught to give at all. she has a few other bad habits also, shes cinchy, she sways and paws and will stand in her corral and toss her head and comp her mouth when shes hungry (which is always especially if she knows your watching her LOL sometime i think she's a cow)or your late feeding.shes not high strung but seem like these have been learned stress relievers for her. but beside all that she is a good horse and good with the kids, just needs to be worked with. she is by no means going to be a reining champion for sure.
I have never seen a snaffle with keys like that it is very interesting i am going to look into it more but i think it may be too much. i like the snaffle with the roller i will look into that more considering the rolling curb pacified her a little this may be a good combination with the snaffle for her. and this will work as a double joint snaffle am i correct?
I think a little pacifying wont hurt her, cause as it stands right now she pays more attention to her mouthing then her cues.takes her a minute to catch up.
thanks guys for the suggestions looks like i have some stuff to look into now i appreciate it and if you think of any others let me know....
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