My pony keeps chewing on his bit, can anyone help me find out why and fix it??

Question

Here's my problem. I own a 8 year old quarter pony gelding. Ever since we bought him when he was a 4 year old he's constantly chewed on his bit. Not just softly chewing, but constantly working it in his mouth. Every now and then he's stop for a minute but not for much longer. I always had ridden him in a eggbut snaffle. Recently, I bought a new bit for my two year old filly. It's a three piece jointed loose ring snaffle. The other day I decided to try it out on him. He immediatly slowed his chewing and would stop for periods of time. Do you think the three piece bit is making the difference?? Any insights on why he does this?? It doesn't really bug me, but in any shows he is entered in he would be marked down for that. Any ideas would be appreciated!

Answer 1

sounds like a lot of nervous energy. is he like chomping with it? and yes sometimes switching bits will make a difference, he's learned to anticipate something negative and he takes the nervousness out with the over working of the bit. not that you taught him this, but somewhere he learned to do this. the loose ring snaffle is good in the sense that he can't lean on the bit and you can't balance on it as much because the rings just keep moving, which is why I love loose ring snaffles for young horses. they don't learn to brace on them. so switch back to a loose ring for a while, can't hurt. the other thing to do is tighten your noseband as tight as you can get it, move it so that it fastens higher on his jaw so that opening his mouth is minimal. this helps alot. if that doesn't help get a figure 8 noseband so that it will go over his mouth and that will do the trick. good luck and hope this helps

Answer 2

a 3 piece definitely makes a difference. Some horses constantly worry the bit and won't get over it. We use on all of our horses (15 in varying levels of dressage) an egg butt or loose ring snaffle with the bone shaped piece in the middle. It is not a wider piece, it is actually thinner. I can't think of the name of it, but they all love it and we haven't had problems yet. It might be a nervous habit, try keeping his mind busy, try leg yields, shoulder ins, bending etc. Also, as others said, definitely check to see if it fits right. If your pony has looser skin by his mouth, it may look tighter than it is. Try bringing it up a notch or two and see if it makes a difference.... good luck!

Answer 3

My one mare does this some. Sometimes its a nervous energy. I would use a nose band and that got her to stop. Sometimes w/them learning under training they are nervous but once they get the workout down they relax and slow up on the chewing. Bits do make a differance..unfortanetly it takes money to keep going through all the differant bits. I tried a simple grazing bit and she loved it and quit chewing. Seems she chews more on the snaffles then the bar bits.

Answer 4

i think of bypass and journey her and then make your determination. you ought to sit down down on her and hate her! and to be elementary i think of stuff consistently has a manner of figuring out! and why not a mare!? my mare is the main unswerving, being concerned horse in the international in a manner that a gelding ought to by no skill be. and you dont ought to bathe the stunning sheath. hacking out on my own, although each so often needed, isnt all that relaxing and that i will assure that maximum of your driving time by utilising your self would be in the college. and it may provide something you may artwork with the aid of. you have your purpose :) i bought my horse 3 months in the past, which has became out to be a stunning stunning mare yet shes been clinically determined with a pelvis harm meaning i ought to by no skill be waiting to compete her lower back and to be elementary, identity plenty quite not be waiting to hack out by utilising myself. so some distance as issues bypass...its not too undesirable. From adventure, ive additionally got here across that many horse that arent that happy will lash out and be complete gits, yet you get them living house faraway from whats stressful them and that they could complety make a u turn. and the probability is that if this pony is calling for rehoming with the aid of a charity, shes had a fantastically tough previous. journey her. in case you like her...have her. if not...shop looking :) stable success nevertheless :)

Answer 5

If all else fails try a hackmore. It doesn't have a bit. My mare worked great with this but the gelding keep slinging his head. He didn't like the thing across his nose.

Answer 6

Everything makes a difference when u are dealing with horses...The other bit could have been pinching him in some way..u just have to keep changing until u find one he likes.

Answer 7

horses do this because the bit is hurting or too loose ....try the snaffle bit, try tightening it a bit..if he stops, that's it, if not try another bit.....