Addressing a problem often requires some sort of 2 way communication between the parties. Speak the wrong language and you might be able to resort to sign language to at least make some progress.  Fixing problems related to animals such as horses brings on a whole new challenge, just ask any vet.

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 not only are you inheriting the horse you are inheriting the fall out of possible bad habits of the previous owner.

Getting the horse to behave the way you want mayrequire a little behaviour analysis and  sometimes the odd 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 big list of horse behaviours that are highlighted as “bad”. 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 has teeth problems so a trip to the dentist may be necessary.

Fixing real behaviour problems related to the bit is possible. Or at least one should remove the obvious issues. If he just flatly refuses to take 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 to get the horse to associate the bit with a joyful experience! You cannot yet buy fruit flavoured horse bits but you can buy sweet iron bits that some horses love. 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 for example the shanks on a curb bit for example are to long and just generating too much force even if you ride with light hands. Once size fits all does not apply here .

Check that the bit is wide enough, there should be at least a half an inch clearance on each side. 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. Bit guards are an option to reduce this chaffing.

Be aware of the effects of broken bits such as the jointed pelham bit where the bit breaks in the centre.  These bits also possibly causes 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. Think about it, if you were expecting a painful jolt at any time whilst you were running around wouldn’t you be somewhat distracted.

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.