Does Your Horse Hate His Bit?

Getting to the bottom of any problem typically requires a degree of communication between the parties involved. Speak the wrong language and problem resolution will be difficult or even impossible.  Fixing problems related to animals such as horses brings on a whole new challenge, just ask any vet.

Horses have been ridden for many centuries for business and pleasure and getting the most from the horse has been a continual challenge. When we consider professionals in industries such as horse racing there are proven systems that counter the most common issues. However for the average horse owner often they are not training the horse from a very young age. A lot of horses are pre-owned and the new owner will of course be inheriting the good or bad results of that prior owners training skills.

Fixing your horse problems mayrequire a little behaviour analysis and  sometimes the odd bit of bribery to get your way.

One of the most important aspects of riding is choosing horse bits. The communication between the rider and the horse often relies on trial and error to arrive at a satisfactory outcome and there is a whole catalog of horse behaviours that are considered problematic. It can be that some of them are due to a poor choice of horse bit. Shaking their head, refusing to take the bit, clenching their teeth, being unresponsive due to hard mouths often caused by poor bit choice or riding skills of the previous owner. Maybe the horse has teeth problems so a trip to the dentist may be necessary.

Fixing real behaviour problems related to the bit is possible. Or at least one should strive to address the common issues. If he refuses the bit maybe you need to try a little cunning. There are a few stories of wrapping the bit’s mouth piece in a “fruit roll” or covering it with molasses to get the horse to associate the bit with a joyful experience! You cannot yet buy fruit flavoured horse bits but you can buy sweet iron bits that some horses love. If he just seems to hate the bit then maybe the bit is just plain wrong.  Is it the wrong size? Are you guilty of “over bitting” your horse where the bit is too extreme, maybe with huge shanks that generate too much force. Once size fits all does not apply here .

Check that bit width is correct, there should be at least a half an inch clearance on each side. Check that the bit is not pinching the sides of the horse’s mouth and it should sit loosely in the horse’s mouth after letting down the cheek pieces. Bit guards are an option to reduce this chaffing.

If you have inherited a broken bit that breaks in the middle such as french link snaffle bits do think about what it is doing for your horse.  You can also get a nutcracker effect by squashing the tongue and also even stabbing into the top of the mouth. Some horses respond well to this but others no so much. Don’t forget the horse may not just behave badly when you engage the bit. Think about it, if you were expecting a painful jolt at any time whilst you were running around wouldn’t you be somewhat distracted.

If you have the luxury of trying different bits out then do so but also be sure to follow the basic rules. Start of simple with basic snaffles and take it from there. If you are dealing with engrained issues in a pre-owned horse then a bit of scientific trial and error can get you on the right track.

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