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Help with BIT

2K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  clippityclop 
#1 ·
I have a 4 year old mare that is chowing her bit and it is rubbing her cheeks.
I bought the bit guards and it is still rubbing. I am using a basic black o ring snaffle bit. When I bought her she was trained in a chris cox bit. Does anyone know what I should try? also when she is wanting to really go it is hard to stop her with that bit. I have tried a tom thumb and a D ring snaffle and I dont think she likes the copper.
Thanks so much:)
 
#2 ·
Two issues: one is the bit fit and one is training.

Is the bit big enough for her? I suspect it is too short and no matter what you do, it will always rub. Measure her mouth, measure the bit. I always allow another 1/2" width which give 1/4" on either side. Use a piece of clean rubber tubing (a chunk of old garden hose works well) to measure. Put the rubber hose in your horse's mouth and mark both sides flush with her mouth. Measurement + 1/2" is your required bit size.

Changing the bit for more power control as opposed to more finesse control is not something I would do. She is still on the young side. It sounds like she missed a bit of training or it hasn't been reinforced. Work at halts at a walk until those are down pat, then move to trotting and transitioning down to a walk and a stop. Don't move to the next gait until the first is solid. Ensure that your riding is meeting her training -- does she respond to your seat or only to your hands?

Until you have the stop solidly in place, you won't get more finesse anyway. I am always a fan of milder bits. You might consider D-rings instead of O-rings.
 
#10 ·
It might just be a cheaply made bit and could be actually pinching, not rubbing...

Just because you had one good ride with a halter and lead rope doesn't mean all of them will be good... do make sure you have control of her and she understands your cues. You certainly could try a hackamore if you'd like, but if the issue is that she has a very soft face, a hackmore will rub just like a bit does.
 
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#11 ·
Try a plain stainless steel bit of some sort and see if the rubbing stops. Once she finds something she can hold in her mouth and keep quiet, then work on the rest - don't forget to rule out teeth as well - that could be an issue in itself.
 
#17 ·
Hopefully a dental exam will give you more information. If you decide to switch to a hackamore, be careful. They can be very severe as well, just as the wrong bit can be very severe. Also, depending on what you want to do a hackamore may not be appropriate -- eg. in the show ring, I'm not sure what the rules are for that. There are also bitless bridles that some people have had success with and others hate.

The other thing you can look at is the fit of the whole headstall. Perhaps the bit is not lying in the correct position.
 
#18 ·
well I am wanting to do barrels on her (my girls one day) That is the reason we hate to get her into the hack I feels like we have more control with the bit but she just does not like the bit! when we got her they was using the chris cox bit I am not sure if we need to get one of those. She has been taking the black snaffle o ring bit for a while and we have tried others and no luck on anything
(tom thumb, copper D ring)
 
#19 ·
Well, one thing at a time. See what the vet says about her teeth and if that pans out OK, maybe post a pic of her with her bridle on. Sometimes fresh eyes see something that you may have missed. Also, O-rings are not as stable as D-rings, but I wouldn't buy anything until you have more information.
 
#20 ·
yep - wait for the dental checkup and then go from there - it is possible for a 4 yr old to have a mouth full of sharp molars - I've seen it a million times.

i had a 4 yr old that still had a cap and it had rubbed an ulcer on the inside of his cheek! That was years ago, but since my life pretty much revolves around Murphy's Law, I've learned to always expect the unexpected.:D
 
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