Posted 2007-05-03 9:00 PM (#60383) Subject: Horse taking hold of the bit
Regular
Posts: 66 Location: Maryland
I have a walking horse, that takes a hold of the bit every time I ride him. I have tried different bits, but he seems to do it with all of them. I do use a 6 inch shank on him, he seems to like a medium port bit, but still takes a hold of it. When he does this I have no control of him. Does anyone know why he would do this, or what I can do to stop him from doing this ? He is 10 yrs old.
Posted 2007-05-04 9:01 AM (#60397 - in reply to #60383) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Years ago I had a QH that would do that, I switched to an English bit (I think it is called a Weymouth bit) - it could have double reins, but I only used a single rein. It had a loop that you could run a piece of leather through the chain and he couldn't get his bottom lip around the shank anymore. He would try to grab it and after awhile pretty much forgot about doing that rather irritating habit.
I showed western pleasure and couldn't show in the english bit, so I would school him in the english bit and then switch bridles just before the class. He wouldn't realize he couldn't grab the bit, but I always went back to the english bit after the day was over.
Posted 2007-05-04 2:10 PM (#60411 - in reply to #60383) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
A friend of mine has a Tenn. Walker that he shows that would do this. He finally figured out why. He looked at his tongue in the back of his mouth where the bit would fit and saw a scare where he had been cut with a wire bit because of someone snatching on the bit. He placed the bit farther back in his mouth and problem solved. Hope this helps.
Posted 2007-05-05 11:41 AM (#60430 - in reply to #60426) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Expert
Posts: 1989 Location: South Central OK
Floating is a great first line correction. Next time he's in the vet's office you might have them look around inside his mouth/tongue for any clues. A cracked tooth/cavity/abscess or tongue scarring/blisters. I fed some really bad hay one year to my older pasture ornaments, it had spear grass in it. The little spears imbedded in my older App's lips and tongue. It looked like little wart like pimples all over his mouth. I never got him back in a bit after this point. I found just riding in a side-pull or hackmore even the occasional halter suited him just fine. FYI, this was not a show animal so my course of action might have been different if this altered his career.
If the problem is behavioral it will be difficult to correct it completely by yourself. Try and find a trainer in your area that has experience with your breed and this specific behavioral problem. (Any idiot can put a bit in a horse's mouth and yank...this isn't training.)
You could just bypass the whole bit problem by riding without a bit.
Posted 2007-05-05 12:03 PM (#60431 - in reply to #60383) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 378 Location: Nebraska
The only thing a leverage bit does is teach him to keep his head straight and scares the heck out of a horse. Unless you are showing I wouldn't use a leverage bit. I would ride in a snaffle making it easier to get back control of your horse. Sounds like you need to start training all over.
Posted 2007-05-06 9:26 PM (#60482 - in reply to #60383) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322 Location: Fort Madison, Iowa
The trainer I worked with said you can't control your horses feet through the bit so training is probably part of the issue.
I have a horse I tried several different bits because he'd chew on the bit and shanks. Went back to the basics and have him in a D ring bit and he does fine now.
Posted 2007-05-06 9:31 PM (#60484 - in reply to #60383) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Location: KY
You might want to try the English hackamore, see that at http://www.countrysupply.com/ .....if you want to cotinue with a bit, then go to a one piece walking horse bit with no moving parts. see that bit at http://www.showstoppertack.com/ or go with the medium port pinchless bit at www.nationalbridle.com The 6 inch shank puts a lot of pressure in the mouth; the 8 inch works more on the curb chain and the poll....
Posted 2007-05-07 3:08 PM (#60521 - in reply to #60411) Subject: RE: Horse taking hold of the bit
Regular
Posts: 66 Location: Maryland
Thank you for the information, I will check this out, I have owned him since he was 3 weeks old and have only used a medium port copper bit with no wires, but it does have 6 inch shanks on it. Thank you again for your help.
Horse taking hold of the bit
