Posted by Sandy
on 10/13/2006, 2:58 pm, in reply to "Head Throwing"
205.188.116.67
Dear Debbie,
Your post states that your horse's head tosses are not a big problem when he is without a bit. You seem to have narrowed down the possible causes of throwing his head to sharp teeth or an ill fitting bit. I have seen some horses with sharp edges immediately after the tooth floater did his dental work, so checking for any places left with sharp edges is a good idea. Bits fit horses differently. Try changing the with of your bit. Don't settle for one if he is still throwing his head. Keep trying, rubber bits, thin or thicker bits can all influence your horse in different ways. Using a bit that you already have, pull the bit through the horse's mouth, so that the cheek on one side lies flush against the horse's face. You should then be able to fit one to two fingers in between the cheek of the bit and the horse's lips on the opposite side. When sizing the width of the bit alter the cheekpieces until the bit lies in the correct position in the horse's mouth, which usually means a small wrinkle or two at each corner. A common mistake is fitting the bit too high, so that the horse has a huge grin. It should not be too low either, otherwise the bit can bang on the horse's teeth. Thickness plays a part as well. If the horse has a large fleshy tongue or shallow pallet, the available space in the mouth won't accommodate a thicker mouthpiece and will result in a squashing feeling if you use one. Therefore, when faced with a large, fleshy tongue or a shallow pallet, a slimer mouthpiece is the only option. Trial and error is time consuming but perserverence in fitting the bit correctly can do much to find the solution to your problem.
Message Thread:
« Back to thread