Is Your Horse Bit Hurting Your Horse?

Addressing a problem often requires some sort of 2 way communication between the parties. Speak the wrong language and problem resolution will be difficult or even impossible.  However when it comes to addressing problems between man and beast just ask any Veternarian, communication takes on a different challenge.

Horses have been ridden for many centuries for business and pleasure and getting the most from the horse has always been a challenge. For professionals that train and race horses they have systems to ensure the horse can reach its full potential. 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  maybe the occassional 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 bad bit use by previous owner. Maybe the horse simply has bad teeth so a trip to the dentist may be necessary.

Bit based behaviour issues are addressable. 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 so that the horse associates the bit with pleasure and not pain! On the subject of taste you can of course buy horse bits with sweet iron mouth pieces or copper snaffles that pander to the tastes of the horse. If he just seems to hate the bit then the bit might not be the right bit.  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. Based on how light your hands are and how much control you need to get the horse to respond, choose your curb bit carefully .

Check that bit width is correct, typically around about half inch each side should ensure it is neither too tight or too loose. 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. Using bit guards can help and are often a simple and effective solution.

Be aware of the effects of broken bits such as the jointed pelham bit where the bit breaks in the centre.  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. Remember the horse may not just behave badly when you engage the bit. The thought of a jolt of pain coming from your pulling on the reins at any time would be enough to cause the horse some issues don’t you think.

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 thinking outside of the box might be the only way to go.

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