Re: RC: BITS: to Tracy

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Hi, there.  Actually, he is very supple with nice lateral flexion.  I have
changed to a French link and ditched the flash for a cavesson, and he is
working better, not brilliant, but better.  I think once he realised he's
not going to get hit in the roof of his mouth any more, he'll relax.  With
lots of schooling at the walk, and lots of lateral work, I should soften his
mouth.  He's worked this way for a long time, so I don't expect overnight
solutions.
-----Original Message-----
From: guest@endurance.net <guest@endurance.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Date: Monday, May 08, 2000 4:33 PM
Subject: RC: RC: BITS: to Tracy


>Barb Peck bpeck@together.net
>Barb Peck
>bpeck@together.net
>
>Tracey:
>
>Did you have all 4 molars pulled? I assume because he was
>taking ahold of the bit with his teeth?
>
>You said he has a shallow palet.  If this is coupled with a
>fat tongue:   when you use a loose ring broken (snaffle) mouth
>piece with a dropped nose band it's going to jab his palet
>when you pull on the reins (if his head is where you want it to be.)
>
>A horse learns that if his head is raised, broken at the poll, with
>parallel to the ground, nose up.. "star gazing"
>exactly the opposite of what you want)
>there's less jab on his palet.
>
>
>If, as you describe "it's like pulling on concrete", then I bet
>his neck is rigid and you can't turn him left or right either.
>
>Well... depending on how long he's been going like this
>(years or months?) will probably determined whether you
>can "train" him out of it.
>
>He already knows how to evade quite nicely, and it's hard to know whether
>to go to a more severe bit or not.  You need to know your horse
>here.... a restricted head + more mouth pain sometimes = being
>bucked off or flipped over. So before I tied his mouth shut, or
>and or/restrict his head, I'd try a Mullen-mouthed straight bar
>bit, or Dr. Bristol, or french link snaffle..
>
>If those don't work  then I'd try a hackamore.
>Not one of those 9" shanked bike chain nose band jobbies
>you can break their nose with, but
>maybe a 6"-7" shank, with a flat linked chain curb strap, wide leather
>noseband.
>
>Good luck.
>Barb
>
>
>
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