New bit

[NewToMini's]

I got a bit for my riding horse today (French link full cheek snaffle). She currently won't take a bit (she does have a Dr cooks bitless) but this one looked perfect to teach her that bits are ok, since it's pretty mild (I think?). I am, however, concerned about the metal hitting her teeth and making her worse. I'm generally pretty good at bridling horses without hitting their teeth, but with nervous horses, I worry (my sister had a hard-to-bridle horse, and the one time I bridled him, when I took the bit out of his mouth, he freaked out and ended up biting down on the bit with it partially hanging from his mouth).

Wondering if I should get a rubber bit to start with, and then switch to the metal one...

Someone here gave me the advice to wrap a bit with sealtex to make it more comfortable, but I haven't been able to find it. Does TSC carry it, and what section would it be in? Is it labeled as sealtex on the package? And is self sticking gauze the same thing?

Here's a picture of the bit, because, why not? ?

I also got a new halter for the filly. Her name's Princess, so I got her princess pink

 

[Strangeaddiction]

As long as you don't bang the bit really hard on her teeth you should be fine. When horses are first learning to wear a bit they will mouth it quite a bit, I wouldn't be too concerned about it, it is just them figuring it out. If you are good at bridling I wouldn't be worried about it

Just put the bit up to her teeth and use your thumb in the corner of her mouth to get her to open it and slide it in slowly (but quick enough that you don't hit her teeth with it). Most horses who haven't worn a bit are going to know to open their mouth for it so they wont do it on their own.

Good luck!

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

A bit is only as soft as the hands behind it.

Every horse prefers something different. My fully HATES rubber or thick bits with a passion. They are too much in her mouth and she throws her head the whole time it's in.

What does she prefer? A super super thin d ring that if I posted a picture of would probably get me a storm of hate mail for having in a 3 year old. But she gets on that bit and won't even accept a rubber or hollow mouth.

 

[Strangeaddiction]

Most people think that the rubber bits are "nicer", but they tend to be very thick around. To put it in perspective, put a pencil in your mouth and then put a fat highlighter in your mouth.... most horses feel suffocated by the thicker mouth pieces and many horses prefer thinner ones.

I agree with above that the bit is only as soft as the hands behind it.

 

[chandab]

They now make flavored bit wraps that dissolve in the mouth, leaving the flavor behind:
http://www.sstack.com/product/lickity-bits-peppermint-bit-wrap/

 

[NewToMini's]

Thanks for the information about the bit wraps, Chandab! I was thinking about using honey, but wasn't very enthusiastic about the mess it would cause..

Also, not bit related, but I'm using an old Dewormer tube filled with honey to give the horses as a treat every night. I can now administer the honey as though it were Dewormer, but we'll see if it's really working next week when I deworm them....

 

[Cayuse]

Sealtex comes in a little box last time I checked. It comes on a roll, like vet-wrap and looks a little like vet-wrap but is rubbery. I have never used it, it looks like it would taste nasty, lol. My old instructor used to use it once in awhile back in the day to cushion a bit. He also wrapped his stirrup irons with it for extra grip. This was before they made all sorts of fancy stirrup pads.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

I've never flavored a bit: it's 'too much' in my opinion and often times too intense of an experience. Mine are trained to drop their head. I run my hand up their neck and pause at the ears as a command, then they drop their head and hold it there so I can bridle. Every horse, even the minis, are trained this so I can avoid hitting teeth. They even drop their head before the halter goes on or off, and when the bit comes out.

 

[paintponylvr]

If you are nervous about bridling, just use the halter as you train your horse to be bridled. Put a clip on the off side of the halter, attach the bit, bring the bit up to the mouth and ask them to open it by using a thumb in the corner of the mouth. Once the bit is seated, use a clip to attach to the near side. Repeat to teach them to "let go" of the bit. One YOU are comfortable, then use a proper headstall and put it properly over the ears.

I'm with FurstPlaceMinis - ours, I try to always teach to drop their heads for the bit. I DO have one that is a "bear" (nice way to put it) about her ears - no matter what we do, no matter how much we work with her. She even went thru a period where she would swing her head and purposely hit you with her head (and it HURT!!) - to make you leave her ears alone. With little people, that would sweep them right off their feet! We just live with it and if she clunks herself with the bit when the bridle is removed and she yanks away because she doesn't want headstall removed from her ears, well, that's on her little ole rotten self. I no longer go out of my way to work with her idiocy. She's purposely hurt us too many times for us to worry about being "nice" and "easy" with her. Funny thing is, when you don't try to go slow and easy - she's usually better!

Personally, I wouldn't wrap that type of bit with Sealtex. Hard to get out of the holes for the "bean" and stickiness would make that bit hard to work/move as it's meant to.

Our TSC's don't carry it, but I have several other horse/tack stores that do or you can order it on line. Here's a link to the box -sold by Schneider's Tack online - sealtex bit wrap.

This pic shows how to wrap a bit like you have. BUT again, it doesn't fix the problem of them pulling away. That takes training.

 

[Minimor]

it is usually human error--carelessness in fact--when a horse bites down on the bit and flings its head or flies back when the bit is being removed. If you are as careful about taking it off as you are about putting it on (i find that most people are not) then you are not likely to have a problem.

To take the bridle off do it EXACTLY as you do to put it on, only in reverse. Problems happen most often when the person removes the bridle expecting the horse will agreeably open his mouth and "spit out" the bit.

 

[amysue]

The rite aid pharmacies around my area carry sealtex, maybe you could find it there if you need it. Although I agree with other's comments that it may not be necessary to wrap this bit, but to better train the horse to accept it over time.

 

[NewToMini's]

I recently read that if the horse has wolf teeth, the bit will bump them on the way out. The horse that threw his head back when I took the bit out of his mouth did have wolf teeth (my sister refused to get his teeth checked, but did eventually get them checked and his wolf teeth removed).

I don't believe this horse has wolf teeth, but I will have her checked before I put a bit in her mouth, so hopefully I won't have that problem with her.

 

[paintponylvr]

We had an 9 month old colt with 2 wolf teeth last year and an 11 month old colt with 1 in this year (checked when castrating them). The 11 month old colt will have to wait until the 2nd is in and then both will be removed before he is bitted. The other colt had his removed a month after his castration and is now ready to be taught to accept a bit/bridle/bridling and removing such. It was quite the surprise to find either of them had wolf teeth soooo young! Neither their sire's nor dam's did - in fact the 2nd colt's sire is now a gelded 5 yr old and STILL doesn't have his wolf teeth in... His dam had hers removed in 2013 - when she was 6 yrs old. She'd had no problems up until 1 month previous to pulling - when she suddenly started throwing her head around a lot while being driven. Neither her owner nor I felt or saw them while bridling/unbridling her.

I just had a 4 yr old mare checked who isn't holding her weight well. She neither has wolf teeth nor needs a float - so several other recommendations made for weight gain and told that bridling/bitting and ground driving can be continued.

We started bitting our full size horses about 18 months of age. We always had their mouths checked first, to make sure that they not only didn't have wolf teeth but also no sharp edges which can be made worse while working with a bit in their mouths. Some had to be floated and some needed wolf teeth removed, but usually not too many for either. That's why it's been a little surprising to have Shetland youngsters 2 yrs in a row who need wolf teeth taken care of with the Shetlands.

*********************

Even with removing the wolf teeth, the horse will still need to be taught how to open her mouth/drop the bit when the bridle is removed. Same as they have to learn to open their mouth to accept and seat the bit when being bridled.

In your very first post - you mentioned that she didn't accept a bit. How did you mean? Maybe we should all be asking that!

 

[NewToMini's]

I couldn't even get the bit in her mouth the time I tried. She needs lots of training and desensitizing to her mouth being handled. When I got her, she didn't like her mouth being touched, and when the girl that sold her to me got her, she was worse. Now, she just doesn't like the corners of her mouth being touched, but she's fine with me touching the front of her mouth.

She was neglected and possibly mishandled in her past.

 

[Strangeaddiction]

I think it will just take time and patience letting her know that you aren't going to hurt her. I don't think a wrap on the bit or flavoring will change that she's sensitive about that area, just keep handling her and touching that area in a way that lets her know it's ok and it's a good thing for you to be there.

 

[paintponylvr]

I agree with StrangeAddiction and it really changes our responses when that ? is asked, LOL. Totally different than where I was headed.

Can be lots of work, think you are on the right track.

Sometimes a horse has not been abused. So many people these days assume that right from the beginning. Some horses just do not like the sensations of having their heads, mouths, eyes & ears handled. Just because they take exception to that (sometimes VERY violently) doesn't automatically mean they've been roughed up. I've owned more than 1 who would strike or even bite as well as shy violently when you tried to handle their heads and it didn't matter how much or how little you did. I also have had a mature Paint Horse line, Arab horse line AND a a Shetland line (current - Mare is terrible and all 5 of her foals by 3 different stallions are TERRIBLE) that this seems to be automatic right from "babyhood" and continued into adulthood. Those horses/ponies were ALWAYS a lot of work - but they've also been worth it. They have also been horses and ponies that would never work for a novice owner or non-proactive trainer to get and keep good handling "ethics". Only the one son of the pony mare has gotten over having his head handled BUT he injured his left eye as a yearling and we were literally going out EVERY hour to flush and clean his eye (I took a full week off of work to take care of him thru the night, then needed a 2nd week to get my sleep/health back after caring for him - was worse than mare watch). After castration, he also became a little different - that "little bit more" laid back seemed to add to making his head easier to handle. However, if someone he doesn't know just reaches out to touch his head, he'll still react a bit sharply - even on the side with his good eye (he did lose his eyesight in the left). I've been doing a lot of handling with him this week, as I plan on taking him to a petting demo next weekend. He's better!! And he does enjoy getting out and about - this isn't his first little petting demo, LOL, but it makes a difference when I do concentrated work with him first.

Both my SIL and one of our granddaughters have taken a "shine" to Ranger, and I believe we will actually get him going under saddle and in harness this summer. BUT we will do EXTRA work when doing his bitting/bridling work (he's actually worn harness but NOT a bridle yet) as I want him to REALLY drop his head and bring it around to you when you ask and we'll train him to do it from both sides not just his "good" or "blind" side...