filly and first bit
- Thread starter annaz
- Start date
norseofcourse
Herd Master
Yes, get her comfortable with you handling her mouth. It will be good if you can touch and rub her all over her muzzle without her getting mouthy or nippy. Also put a finger inside her mouth, at her bars where the bit will go, keeping it still until she is comfortable with that, then rubbing her bars and tongue a little (she may grow to like that).
Teaching her the cue to open her mouth for the bit might be a little difficult without the bit, but you can try that too (I used a small stick the first time or two, partly because I used it to measure for the correct bit size).
You can also teach her to lower her head on command, the most common cue for that is a bit of hand pressure on her poll. That makes putting a bridle on a horse much easier, and is a good thing for a horse to learn.
Just curious, what bit is your trainer recommending for her first one?
Teaching her the cue to open her mouth for the bit might be a little difficult without the bit, but you can try that too (I used a small stick the first time or two, partly because I used it to measure for the correct bit size).
You can also teach her to lower her head on command, the most common cue for that is a bit of hand pressure on her poll. That makes putting a bridle on a horse much easier, and is a good thing for a horse to learn.
Just curious, what bit is your trainer recommending for her first one?
CritterZone
Chillin' with the herd
I don't do anything special before I put a bit in a young horses mouth for the first time. It is really important to make sure the first time you ask her to take the bit that you are slow and gentle and be mindful of her teeth. Don't over do it - ask her to take the bit and put the bridle on all the way. Let her mouth the bit, play with it, chew on it and just feel it out and when she settles down, remove it, again being mindful of her teeth. I like to pony my young horses with a bit in their mouth before I ever attach a lead rope or reins to it. My first few rides are always in a side pull - no bit. I also like to ground drive them several times in a side pull until they understand what I am asking, then transition to the bit.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thank you! All makes sense. I could ask our trainers, but sometimes I like to give them a break from our questions. LOL. Not that they mind.norseofcourse said:
The bit...mmmm...it breaks in the middle, that's all I know. DH is the one that is doing it. I usually watch and send on info.
We have found the snaffle bit with a 3-piece mouth, to be more
comfortable to the young horses. This mouthpiece folds differently
than the single joint and not hit horse in the upper palate when
reins are finally attached to the bridle.
We are like CritterZone, don't
do a lot of extra fussing, though horse has gotten regular mouth
handling previous to being bitted. They have their teeth checked
by the Vet or horse Dentist on a regular basis from weanling age
onward. Has your young horse been seen by the Vet or Dentist before?
My big reason for this is to make sure horse has not got any
Wolf Teeth in her mouth, and has had all her baby teeth caps
removed. Not always, but sometimes a baby tooth doesn't fall
off as usual, so it needs to be popped off the adult tooth. And
mares get Wolf Teeth that need removing, not just male horses.
In fact only ONE mare of all the many we owned, didn't have Wolf
Teeth that needed removing. Wolf Teeth are more easily removed
from very young horses, are usually much smaller than they can
get if not removed. Anyway, the young horse NEEDS to be
checked for these issues, so she has NO EXCUSES to act badly
when she gets bitted.
Bit hitting a Wolf Tooth which then hits a molar, can be VERY
painful, cause horse to over react, BADLY to the handling of
reins. Doesn't always happen, some horses never have wolf
teeth out, ride fine. Me? I don't want surprises, so our horses
get checked thoroughly for Wolf Teeth, get them removed young
so we have no excuse for young horse to be naughty when
bitted up.
A tip for easier bitting, getting mouth open, is to wrap the mouthpiece
with Fruit-Rollups, Fruit-by-the-Foot, squeeze it on tight, for horse to lick and
enjoy. Within a couple bridlings, our young horses have mouths
wide open for their bit!! The fruit also pads the metal, so
if fumbled, the bit is slightly padded if it bumps the teeth. Doesn't
hurt horse, plus instant reward with the fruit to lick on. I stick
my finger in the horse mouth to get it open, before dropping the
bit so it comes out easier. Some horses lock their jaw, then bit
bangs teeth, unbridling gets to be a fight.
You want your young horse to work the bit, get used to carrying it
and be comfortable. We let our young horses eat supper with the
bit on, some hay, get drinks, until they quit playing with the bit
and hold it quietly. We probably do this for a couple weeks, once
a day, and bridling is no longer a reason for excitiement. Horse
is quite comfortable wearing their bit, then is ready to move to
the next lessons, using the bit with reins or long lines for steering.
comfortable to the young horses. This mouthpiece folds differently
than the single joint and not hit horse in the upper palate when
reins are finally attached to the bridle.
We are like CritterZone, don't
do a lot of extra fussing, though horse has gotten regular mouth
handling previous to being bitted. They have their teeth checked
by the Vet or horse Dentist on a regular basis from weanling age
onward. Has your young horse been seen by the Vet or Dentist before?
My big reason for this is to make sure horse has not got any
Wolf Teeth in her mouth, and has had all her baby teeth caps
removed. Not always, but sometimes a baby tooth doesn't fall
off as usual, so it needs to be popped off the adult tooth. And
mares get Wolf Teeth that need removing, not just male horses.
In fact only ONE mare of all the many we owned, didn't have Wolf
Teeth that needed removing. Wolf Teeth are more easily removed
from very young horses, are usually much smaller than they can
get if not removed. Anyway, the young horse NEEDS to be
checked for these issues, so she has NO EXCUSES to act badly
when she gets bitted.
Bit hitting a Wolf Tooth which then hits a molar, can be VERY
painful, cause horse to over react, BADLY to the handling of
reins. Doesn't always happen, some horses never have wolf
teeth out, ride fine. Me? I don't want surprises, so our horses
get checked thoroughly for Wolf Teeth, get them removed young
so we have no excuse for young horse to be naughty when
bitted up.
A tip for easier bitting, getting mouth open, is to wrap the mouthpiece
with Fruit-Rollups, Fruit-by-the-Foot, squeeze it on tight, for horse to lick and
enjoy. Within a couple bridlings, our young horses have mouths
wide open for their bit!! The fruit also pads the metal, so
if fumbled, the bit is slightly padded if it bumps the teeth. Doesn't
hurt horse, plus instant reward with the fruit to lick on. I stick
my finger in the horse mouth to get it open, before dropping the
bit so it comes out easier. Some horses lock their jaw, then bit
bangs teeth, unbridling gets to be a fight.
You want your young horse to work the bit, get used to carrying it
and be comfortable. We let our young horses eat supper with the
bit on, some hay, get drinks, until they quit playing with the bit
and hold it quietly. We probably do this for a couple weeks, once
a day, and bridling is no longer a reason for excitiement. Horse
is quite comfortable wearing their bit, then is ready to move to
the next lessons, using the bit with reins or long lines for steering.
