Horse's Bit Problem?

I bought a six year old morgan mare two weeks ago that has been ridden very little. She rides with a hackamore but I really dislike it and she refuses sharp turns or stopping quickly. I tried a basic snaffle bit and a highport (for my Peruvian Paso) on her, and for the first 15 minutes she was perfect. After she had her fill on the bit, she wouldn't walk straight and got extremely cranky and tried to buck. I'm an expierienced rider and don't mind a cranky horse - but is there any one who has trained a horse who will not accept the bit at all? Any suggestions on how to make her walk straight and/or calm her down under the bit? She has had her teeth floated (which I found useless in a young horse) and has no dental or mouth problems.

Horse's Bit Problem?
You know, she just isn't use to the bit. That's all there is to it. You can go to a feed shop and see if they have a rubber snaffle. It is a better training bit, not as harsh as a completely metal snaffle. Eventually, she will be able to be moved to the paso's snaffle.





I love pasos and morgans! You are so lucky!





Good Luck and Take Care





P.S. rub the rubber part of the bit with something sweet the first few times you use it.
Reply:try using a kimberwick bit for now. it's a little heavier but not to harsh. it will make her pay attention. but only use this if you have quiet hands, otherwise you'll just piss her off and hurt her. i use a snaffle ALWAYS but i had a horse that was a little strong handed and used the kimberwick for TRAINING only, (i ride dressage) and used the snaffle for shows (that's all you're allowed to use anyway in shows).








oh by the way - try not to do sharp turns with a horse that isn't well trained. you need to build her muscle and balance first. you'll end up creating bad habits and hurting them. good luck
Reply:Try the wonder bits, thats what i used on my horse. When i first got her i could only ride her with the hackamore, and i was ok with that until one day when she got really barny(wanted to go back to the barn) and then she took off in a gallop in the direction i wanted her to but she made a sudden turn which almost through me off and did make me lose my concentration for a minute, during that minute she ran me into a tree and took off for the barn with me only half on. Good thing i got control b 4 i hit the barn entrance or there would have been serious trouble. Since then ive tried several kinds of bits, and she reacted pretty rotten to all of them.. but since i started using the wonder bits she has not acted up one bit...well not unless its feeding time, and i can still keep in control of her. So i would definitely try the wonder bits. Good luck.
Reply:go to www.tackoutlet.com then go to bits, stirrup's and spurs and look under training bits
Reply:What kind of hackamore? most horses respond well to them for turning and stopping when they run through a bit. I haven't had one refuse a bit but I'd try working on a lunge with side pulls on a snaffle. Or try ground driving. Either is a good way to get her working on a bit while giving you good control to steer and halt acurately. If there's no mouth trouble she should get over it, she probably fussed at the former owner and got a hackamore and wants her own way now. Good luck
Reply:Put the bit in her mouth and tie up up for several hours while she gets use to it with the saddle and all on her.
Reply:you should also check the fit of your saddle maybe that's why she doesn't want to turn and is cranky etc.also if you have the money have a equine massage therapist come out and see if she has any sore spots.its sounds like this mare could use a bit of retraining.make her mind on the ground then work ur way up into the saddle.try ground driving and longeing her.
Reply:The first bit we use on green horses after the bosal is a french link snaffle. It is a plain snaffle with a rounded link in the middle of the bit. It does not poke them in the roof of the mouth and spreads out the pressue on the bars and tounge of the horse.


It is fairly mild and a great starting bit.


Most of my OTTB's go in them all the time.
Reply:I don't think her attitude has anything to do with the bits you put in her mouth. "Ridden very little"? I'm guessing this horse has no training and because of this you shouldn't be asking for sharp turns or quick stops, much less putting such an advanced bit in her mouth like a high port (I hate those with a passion! High ports are a crutch for poor training). With no training she has no balance, especially at the age of 6. In fact, I doubt she was ever properly trained to a bit. Balance is integral for well executed turns and stopping quickly.





Unfortunately you do have to go back to basics as much as you probably don't want to hear it. From what you've given us, I would consider this mare so green, she's barely broke. Teach your horse to lunge and teach her voice commands. Walk, trot, canter and the most important voice command "whoa". If anything else, just teach her "whoa" on the lunge.





Go back to the simple snaffle or get a Jr. Cowhorse bit, plain jointed bar (no wires, no twists, be nice). I like the cowhorse bits because if you have snap/clip reins you can easily slip from a plain snaffle to a pelham action for when she gets evasive without ever having to dismount. For example, my ex-race horse wouldn't respond to the right rein for obvious reasons, so I would connect my right rein to the pelham ring, but my left rein would be on the snaffle ring, so her correction comes on the right, and not on the left or you can do both pelham's if she's being particularly stubborn.





While lunging she'll get use to the bit while being preoccupied with work. If she's stubborn, you will have to work through her bucking, attitude problems. She's gotten away with being bull headed and getting the riders off or shortening the ride time in the past, so you have to be more stubborn than her.





Once your mare is working off the lunge, she'll be ready for you to long line her. This is the tried and true method to break a horse to accepting the bit. If you don't know how to long line, I'd suggest you get a trainer to show you how for the first couple of times.





Once you get past long lining you can get in the saddle and switch to a new bit, a full cheek. The long side bars will help direct your horse's whole head in the desired direction. Even then when you ask for turns, exaggerate your movements and bring your hand out to the side to lead her in the correct direction. Don't pull down or up or back, just nicely to the side, opening your elbow and keeping your wrists straight as if you're asking, "Follow the leading rein."





Take breaks often where you don't touch her mouth at all and instead just keep her moving forward while letting her mosey around and enjoy the ride so she doesn't become sour.





Good luck and if all else fails, please do not go to a harsher bit. It will solve nothing and only create resentment towards riders, particularly you. Find a trainer to help you.
Reply:Go to your search engine and type in "Sylvia Scott Natural Horsemanship Training" and then add her to your favorites! She is excellent, she trains horses for a living and answers you right away. She has a whole bunch of questions others have asked that you can check and see if this question is in there, I think it is, hurry go check her out! lol
Reply:PLEASE!! I just read one person's response and the last thing you need is a harsher bit. I agree with the first answerer. Definetely give her a treat after she letss you put it in her mouth too(sugar cubes and peppermint are great for this. Licorice is too, except it might get the bit gross)


NOT A HARSHER BIT!(I'm guessing you know better anyways since you are an experienced rider) All this does is make them dislike the bit more AND hurt and dull their mouth's. Horses may be big but they ARE super-sensitive


Switching to a bridle with a bit sounds like a good idea though, but you might want to make sure she does what you want in a hackmore(using a hackmore for trail rides is nice for the horse sometimes, gives them a little break from the usual^_^)


Good luck!!!! It sounds like you're very patient!
Reply:has she been ridden in a bit before? how long has it been? she may just have forgotten. put a headstall with a bit (no reins) on her. Preferably a light loose ring snaffle. The let her stand in her stall with it on for about a half an hour in the morning and in the evening. pretty soon she will accept a bit and then you can move up to a heavier bit. Until then use a bridle that has a hacklamore and bit in conjunction and at first apply pressure only to the hackamore reins, while keeping contact with her mouth with the bit reains. Gradually over weeks, switch the amount of pressure from the hackamore to the bit. If this doesnt work, then I suggest finding the help of a professional trainer.
Reply:Well your Morgan is six yrs. old and if trained to a hackamore she will dislike the feeling of a bit in her mouth a snaffle can be a little easier than other bits just take your time as you are essentually rebreaking the bit .. Good luck



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