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Junky bit

3K views 42 replies 11 participants last post by  Yogiwick 
#1 ·
Ok, so I know it's probably not as much that I have a crappy bit as it is that Tractor Supply and the other local tack store have an extreme lack of chin straps I can try, but....
So I bought Mav a d ring snaffle a while back since that's what everyone suggested starting a colt on, but unfortunately it is very annoying when he begins chewing at the bit when I pull on it because he's young and having to be pulled on quite a bit,the side of it ends up in his mouth while he's chomping.
I tried poking more holes in my current chin strap, which is actually a curb strap I think, because TS didn't have any regular chin straps, but it was still too big. Quite frankly, I'm sick of fooling with the stupid thing, and just want a new bit. Besides that, I don't think it would be impossible at all for a properly fitting chin strap to end up in his mouth with the bit.
I am starting to think maybe I should try a different bit because this just ain't working. Would one of those full cheek snaffles fix the problem and not be too different? Or should I keep endlessly searching for a chin strap?
I can't really train him NOT to open his mouth until the side won't go IN his mouth very easily... Help?
I could just start training in a hack lol
 
#3 ·
I have a green horse who can get anything into her mouth, and the same bit issue, so I use a leather chin strap without any problems at all. My headstall doesn't have a noseband, so it really does work. Just buy one online. Any and all online tack stores carry them. You'll want a plain *western* leather chin strap.

Also make sure your bit is the right width, and is at the right height for your horse's mouth, as either one being off will increase his desire to fiddle with it. At least it does with my horse.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for both helpful replies! :)
I honestly don't want to buy a chinstrap online... I think maybe I'll try the full cheek, I am not crazy about buying stuff online for some reason lol
 
#6 ·
Make certain your current bit is the right width and is adjusted properly. You can make your own bit strap out of twine very easily if you feel it necessary.

Also, consider how you are using the bit and reins. Rather than trying to pull the horse to get him to respond, try to influence him to respond with a slight give an take action. Do this in a smooth fashion.

You may also find that your horse responds better if you consider how you are sitting and how you are using your body rather than simply focusing on the bit and reins.
 
#7 ·
Maverick is a two-year-old that has only recently been started under saddle, and at the moment he is still learning about turning, walking off, etc, and sometimes he needs me to pull the rein and hold it before he'll turn. He is INCREDIBLY green right now and does not know what he is doing. So, when he gets stubborn and confused and won't walk off, the "give and take" method is not good, because if I pull the rein and immediately let go, even if he stands there and doesn't do anything, that rewards him for doing nothing, and confuses him. Only when he turns do I give release, and sometimes it can take over thirty seconds to get there, as he is VERY VERY VERY green. So, with constant pressure on the bit, and his mouth open and chomping, it makes it easy to let the side of the bit slip into his chomping mouth.

No, I do not ride Pistol (or Dixie, when she's being good) constantly pulling him. That would be weird, and he would wind up going in a circle, and probably eventually get mad and press the ejection button... :lol: because he IS responsive and only needs a tiny tug, a little "give and take", and a release to go on his way. Maverick is MUCH greener and not to the level of give and take yet.
 
#9 ·
If you are pulling on the bit enough to pull it through, it is not the length of time, but the amount of pressure you are applying...

Last year when I started riding Troy, good old solid well broke Troy, he was in a cheeked snaffle. For some reason that was not legal, with its keepers, for Western Dressage, so I swapped him to my loose ring snaffle. For the first couple of rides I was pulling it through his mouth, and that showed not an issue with the bit, but with my riding, two lessons later it was not an issue anymore. The bit set up didn't change, my riding did.

However, if you want a change a cheeked snaffle would work, or as TXhorseman says, make a strap from twine if you really need too.
 
#10 ·
I bought a new bit today, it is a full cheek snaffle that's slightly different, even in the mouthpiece, than the old one, but I think it will do. Can't hurt to try it. :) as long as it's not some twisted wire junk I think it will suit Mav, he isn't too picky.
 
#11 ·
Lily and Pistol, I understand where you're coming from, and that sometimes it's the horse and not the rider. I've got a trainer working with my somewhat young gelding, and the gelding manages to find every difficulty with a bit he can. He loves to chew on the reins, and he quickly snatches them into his mouth. I thought maybe with a Kimberwick cheek piece, it would be harder for him to grab the reins, since they're held in place with the tiny holder. Then, he just realized he could fit the whole cheek piece in his mouth. Frustrating! We tied twine under his chin, and it solved the problem. We had used a full-cheek before, and he couldn't get it through his mouth; so you might want to try that. I personally don't like the full-cheeks because they seem like they can get caught on stuff and shift/wiggle in the horse"s mouth.
 
#13 ·
Thanks! I tried the new bit on him a moment just to realize I'd accidentally somehow gotten it a little twisted putting it on, but I didn't have time to try it back on. But I think he'll be okay with it now I have it fixed properly lol.
 
#16 ·
At first, I didn't like that it had a different mouth piece, but now I think about it, that might be a good mouth piece. In my novice opinion, it looks like it would still allow the relief of a broken/jointed mouthpiece but prevent it from stabbing the horse in the tongue or top of its mouth like snaffles can occasionally do...
 
#17 ·
Oops, the link won't work. Let me try and upload the pic listed on the store site.
This may not be the exact one, since the one I bought said something about "French link" and this one says something about "Bristol mouth" but they look alike.
 

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#18 ·
Ah....see they look alike but French Link and Dr Bristol, or Bristol Mouth totally different.

The French link is a lovely mild bit, the extra link lays flat on the horses tongue, and just alleviates the nut cracker action of the single joint snaffle. I will always have a French Link in my bit bag.

The Bristol is designed so the centre link is edge on to the tongue, and therefore has much more of a 'bite' it is NOT a bit I would be using on a youngster in training, if that is what you have I would take it back and exchange.

It is easy to confuse the two because they look very alike, but your horse will feel the difference, and he does not need the Bristol.
 
#21 ·
Agree you (or whoever) needs to work on the riding portion.

He just needs to learn. Put his bridle off take the reins off and let him loose (supervised). He needs to learn about the bit. Now some horses are mouthy regardless.

My area is mostly English but has some Western and I'm pretty sure I've never seen a chin strap in person, it's really not (or shouldn't be) a necessity. Nor does it need to be fancy, as said twine will work just fine.

I think swapping to a full cheek was a smart move as you continue to work on things. Don't be anti-regular snaffle though. I think people are leaning away from them because they can have a downside (doesn't anything?). Ultimately all that matters is what the HORSE likes.

As said make sure it'd adjusted correctly.
 
#24 ·
I am well aware he just needs to learn. Letting him walk around with it on wouldn't help anything as he doesn't give a crap about it being in his mouth when it's left alone.
 
#22 ·
Lily...did you do any work on the ground teaching this young horse to give his head prior to riding? Teaching him to be supple I guess you would say. Stand back by the shoulder and apply pressure to get him to bring his head around. Each time he gives, you immediately release the pressure. I am probably not explaining this well. My two mares were both mature when I got them and had no clue. Doing this with them made a world of difference.
I would not even be riding this young fellow until I could bend him and move him around from the ground.
 
#25 ·
Yes. I have. It's not that he doesn't understand how to turns and when to do so, but like all of us he occasionally has "duh moments".
I can bend him just fine, he can flex his neck around or turn, he knows how to relieve the pressure.
I am not trying to be rude but I must ask you all to not assume that just because he occasionally goofs and had duh moments and such that I haven't worked with him on these things.
That's beside the whole subject anyway. This post was about having trouble with my bit slipping through my horse's mouth and him chomping on the cheekpiecs due to it. And quite frankly, it used to happen on the ground too, I just couldn't see it as well because I could only see one side of him...
 
#23 ·
I've broken hundreds of horses in my lifetime and never once used a chin strap or had the bit pull through the mouth
You need to listen to the advice you're being given about using correct pressure and release and maybe get someone to show you how to long rein/drive line
Also a Dr Bristol is not a mild bit - look for one of the double jointed bits that's got a 'lozenge' in the middle
The full cheeks and 'D' rings are OK but they can just encourage a horse to brace against them if not used properly - as in part of a correct training program
 
#26 ·
Well, no offense, you also have not had Mav...
I am listening, and I can tell you when I'm working with him 1. I actually do gently tug and release, and if he doesn't do as I ask I do it again. In the movements he decides to be stubborn, all those little tugs add up when he's chomping on the bit because he's agitated that he is confused and so on, and eventually the bit gets screwed up. Especially if we work on one direction for a while and then the other a while.
 
#36 ·
Well, I goofed and forgot to bring my phone to the barn! Whoopsies. Tomorrow for sure! Unless I forget again... Or can't clear up phone storage... :P Sorry!
 
#34 ·
Are you asing him to turn from a standstill?

It sounds like you need to go back to groundwork as he clearly doesn't yet understand.

Can you describe you tug and release? How much movement are you doing? Flexing you wrist? an actual tug?

It isn't normal for the bit to be such a problem esp from the ground as well. I don't now the bit you were using before.
 
#35 ·
Okay... Yes, I am asking him to turn from a standstill. He doesn't know the command to walk off yet as he was literally started with actually being given commands from the saddle like three days ago.

Coincidently, we did groundwork today because it was raining and he was too wet to saddle.

Oomph. I can try. Um... Normally just flexing my wrist, or that's what I intend to do from now on anyway and what I did today. If he gets particularly stubborn I occasionally will move my hand back in a 1/2 to 1 inch tug.

The bit I was using before was a regular D ring snaffle.
 
#37 ·
Never bring your hand back- bring your hand OUT "open the door" (back is fine for a well trained horse but with a baby you want to be SUPER obvious and then some).

You have the idea of sort of pulsing with your wrist (or even just squeezing the reins) vs tugging with your arm. Make it uncomfortable so he thinks "how do I stop this" but not too uncomfortable where he gets upset.

I was picturing you pulling then stopping then pulling then stopping- you need to do this action (I call it a "pulse" so you get an idea of the regularity) until he responds, anytime you ask and then stop it doesn't make sense to him. The tricky part is getting him SUPER responsive on the ground THEN translating that to under saddle. A knowledgeable ground person would help. Also, he's not being stubborn at this point so asking harder isn't necessarily the correct response.

Don't ask him from a standstill. He needs to learn to walk then turn, that's your problem I bet.
 
#38 ·
I ask about the bit because in your photo album it looks different then I expected.

Here's what I would use for a green horse (basically the same as a full)


Here's what I think you were using


Then you have the more common


All D-rings but not all equal. If I am right then I'm not as surprised it was pulling through, the top one would be better.

I wouldn't worry about it just use the full cheek, just curious :)
 
#40 ·
The middle one is like the old bit.

I've never seen a bit like the first and last before! :oops: I guess maybe the TS doesn't carry them.

Thank you.
 
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