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Putting a bit in, help

3K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  manhirwen 
#1 ·
Since I got Wiski a month and a half ago I haven't been able to get a bit in his mouth more than once without help. He clamps his teeth, moves his head up and down or away from me and whatnot. With help I've been able to get a bit in his mouth two other times. He REALLY hates it. I'm waiting for a new bit with copper on it to come in the mail. It's a D ring snaffle so maybe that will help a little. I'm also working on homing in my riding skills but when I can't ride him how can I do that, right?

So I was wondering how I go about riding him either without a bit or is there a way to get him to accept a bit? I hate having to struggle for an hour every time I want to ride him just to get a bit in his mouth and be too ****** off in the end to actually ride. So I have a few options I'm thinking about.

First option is to forget about the bit and just ride him in a rope halter with reins attached to the loops.. only problem with that is the rope halters all seem to be somewhat loose on his muzzle so it might move around a lot.

Second option is to try to figure out how to train him to accept a bit, hopefully the new bit will be more to his liking than the one (curb bit?) that came with the head stall. I'm also waiting on a new headstall to come in the mail.

Third option is to forget a "bit" and go with a hackamore... not much he could do to argue having that put on right?

So I was wondering if anyone knew a good way to train him to accept the bit? I've tried to put the thumb in the side of his mouth but he moves his head away every time and it's so awkward maybe I'm doing it wrong. Any suggestions are welcome at this point.

Side note :Remember to be nice and courteous with your replies as sometimes when people rude about giving advice it prompts people to not ask for it as often from those people.. (not that I've had any problem yet)

Thanks in advance for the help
 
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#3 ·
Teeth were just done a few weeks ago

The bit is what came with the bridle (only bridle available in town) buying a new bit and headstall, just waiting for the mail to come with it.

Last time I rode him with it he seemed fine but he grabs the reins a lot.

He likes to try to toss the Bridle off his head every time, we've been working on that.. I've been trying to make him wait till he stands still for it or lowers his head without trying to toss it.
 
#4 ·
One of the schoolies at my old lesson barn stoped taking the bit once, ended up he needed his teeth floated. But it's probably not that, most horses I think will accept the bit even if they need there teeth floated, it's just when you begin riding them that they get angry since there sore and all.

A trick I used on one of my horses was putting molases(sp?) on his bit, he liked it alot after that lol. Another thing I did (in the winter or whenever the bit was really cold), was warm the bit up before I put his bridle on.

I'm sure theres some other options too though, incase these don't work for you.
 
#8 ·
When I have a hard-to-bit horse. I put the bridle in the right hand, hold their nose with the right hand, and brace his cheek/jaw against my shoulder. With the head in this position, it's hard for them to get going and knock you aside. With the left hand, I take the bit and hold it against his teeth, I may have to tickle his tongue or gums a bit, but eventually he will open his mouth. With my left hand, I slide the bit in, and then pull the headstall up with my right.
Make sure you always put the bit in gently and take it out nicely; a bit banging against the horse's teeth once can cause them to be afraid of it happening again.
 
#9 ·
I posted in another thread about putting some molasses or rubbing an apple of the bit. No I don't think he will expect it all the time once he realizes your not going to hurt him.

What I would definitely try is working on him lowering his head. Part of basic training is that when you put pressure on the poll the horse should lower his head. He may of had some rough handling in the past.

With mine, I jiggle their lead rope and say "head" and they drop.

A horse that is tossing his everywhere and generally being a butt head is not only a pain with the bit, but what happens when you need to medicate him? Think broader that just a bit problem, it's a hole in his training.
 
#11 ·
In the mean time you could ride with a hackamore but I think that you really need to get your horse over this whole bit thing.

Putting your arm over your horses head like this may help with how your horse keeps putting its head up into the air. I would use this in combination with putting your thumb in the corner of your horses mouth.
I wouldnt reccomend just riding in a rope halter. You could try going here: Bit-Less Riding I know this lady personally. She makes everything by hand and its really quality stuff.
 
#12 ·
Ok so today when I went to the barn I had two goals. First one was working with getting him to lower his head with pressure on the poll... still working on that, he pulls his head away or walks away from me when I try.

The second was working on the bit problem. Well I bought some molasses and a brush and put a little on the bit. Let him lick it the first time while his nose was through the nose band. The second time I did it same thing, he didn't want to put it in his mouth either. But the third and fourth time I got him to put the bit in his mouth (he started backing up and I just followed him around LOL) and I got the whole headstall on him. He's a little bit of a butt to take it off, I have to make him wait every time he wants to just take it off.

But hey, SUCCESS FEELS GOOD!
 
#13 ·
Just a post script...

I wanted to ride him SO BAD today!!! But I figured getting him to put the bit back in his mouth was work enough for him and he'd just finished eating a flake of hay and half a scoop of grain so I held back LOL
 
#14 ·
Haha, glad you have self control. It's hard training a horse... you want to ride SO bad... and their back is just inches away....

ANYWAY :D

I ride young horses bareback in the pasture with their halters/leads tied like reins. I've done it with a rope halter. It seems fine for the horse, just that I wouldn't reccomend it, because you have little control.

But hey, just sitting on my horse while he grazes and walking him a few steps is still fun to me :D
 
#15 · (Edited)
#16 ·
my horse was exactly like this and it drove me insane but i fixed it. i first lunged her for a while tried putting in the bit if she didn't accept it lunge her trie again if she didn't accept it send her right back out. also u can put ur thumb along the side of her mouth then slip it into where the bit rests and push up the horse will then open its mouth able to slip it in. hope that helps.

and congrats on finally getting the bit in :) my horse would sometimes take up to 3 hrs and after that i just forgot about riding putting the bit in was hard enough work lol.
 
#17 ·
Good stuff.
Theresi absolutely nothing wrong with riding in a halter and getting your horse trained in a halter...
HOWEVER
I strongly urge you to work on the bitting thing; I always say and still maintain that a horse should be able to work well in a bit (unless the horse has had an injury rendering the bit harmful) and whatever you do above and beyond that is up to you.
If you ever need to sell Wiski, potential buyers will be turned off the bitting problem.
 
#18 ·
All very good points. Thankfully I've figured out how to get a bit in his mouth where he only struggles a little at first. That molasses thing worked very well actually.

Hopefully I'll never have to sell Wiski. I surely hope that I can learn enough to get him tamed back down for me. Three years out in the pasture was apparently a lot for this particular horse. Though he knows how to be ridden, he would rather do anything it takes to be lazy I think.
 
#19 ·
It's good that you have found something that works pretty well. Am I mistaken or did you say that he is being ridden in a curb bit? Is he green broke? I would suggest first to get a regular snaffle to ride him in. Then after you get him bitted, let him out to graze or give him a couple of handfuls of grain with the bit in. Horses can become bit sour just like anything else; bit=work=bad. Do you bridle him over the rope halter? If not, you might try that because that gives you something to control his head with when he starts to throw his fit. Just be patient and keep working. He will get better with time.
 
#20 ·
He's not green broke but he's been out to pasture for the last three years and just needs a refresher. I do have a snaffle on order and it should be here on the 30th of this month so I can ride him in somethilng a bit more gentle. Thanks for all the help with it!
 
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