How to get a horse to accept the bit.?

Question

I have a horse that jerks her head up when I try to get her to take the bit.

Answer 1

rub her/his gumms :she wont bite u! rub gums and then put bit gently in mouth and quicky put ear piece ova ears so its on and she cant gets it off...hold her head down arm under chin and by her ears...email me im really ghud with horses

Answer 2

Sorry, i didnt read the question properly.

I would suggest getting a piece of apple and rubbing on the bit, to taste, then i would get the lead and halter, for now, use a halter under her bridle. Tie it low to the ground, and then put the bit in. If she resists, put your thumb into her mouth using the hand with the bit, use the otehr hand holding the head piece, grab her ear and poull down, this pus their centre of gravity off, and they stop figesting.

Also, make her listen, if she fidgest, be stern and gruff, use words like woah and settle. or Arrggh

Once you get it in, let her stand and chew on it. The try the other things i have said below, this will help her accept the bit when bridleing her!!



Before you try to change the bit or anything, get the horses mouth checked out by a dentist (equine dentist) also get a chiropracter, asmnay problems are to do with teeth and back or muscle problems.
If the problem still persists, try to use a softer bit with a bit of a curb shank. This uses leverage rather than pressure.

I would also get th ehepl of a trainer or coach more so, as a trainer my self, i can not really give you a good description of teh tools etc, and its best to have some one there with you. But you can use a tool, similar to dray reins, but only one rein from girst to reins.
It will stop her pulling her head up and make her lower it. A coach shoudl ride it first, as she may get upset and get hard to handle.

Also, dont use too much hand, when you want her to accept the bit, squeeze teh reins, rather than pull or lift thenm, then squeeze your legs and push forward, at first she will go faster, so slow her down using your seat and voice, and get her to slow in front and move forward in back, this is how you get a horse rto round. And this means a horse that is looking good, working under himself and accepting the bit.

I hope this helps, and get a coach, they are great!

Answer 3

Hey Joe,I also have had problems with getting some of my horses to take the bit. It sometimes takes a lot of patience. Rub her gently all over her head every day. Let her smell the bit. Never try to jam or force the bit. Sometimes rubbing molasses on the bit and letting her taste it every day and gradullaly introduce the bit gently. Once the bit is in her mouth then quickly but gently get the headstall over her head being careful with the ears if she is sensitive, Just be patient and practice everyday. I f all else fails then get you a bosal. There is no bit involved and you still have great control unless you have a very stubborn horse. The best of luck to you.

Answer 4

Address the problem of throwing her head first. By applying pressure to the top of the head, between the ears, have her lower her head to about your thigh. This could take several sessions to teach. After she submits easily, then start working on accepting the bit. By placing your thumb and forefinger of your left hand on both sides of the bit and your right hand on top of the brible, apply pressure to the corners of the mouth and open your horses mouth.
A horse is just like a child and must be taught by repetition. It is not a natural thing for a horse to open its' mouth to accept a foreign object, no more than a child would. With trust and kindness, your horse, and you, will learn what each other wants and needs.

Answer 5

Hi Jo. Has she always done this? I have a few things to check out, first, have a vet check her teeth. She may need to have some wolf teeth pulled or may have other dental problems. If she does have dental issues she may have started to associate the bit with pain. If that is not the case, the other possibility may be due to handling. Have the teeth been bumped by the bit? Bumping a horses teeth trying to bit them can lead to behavioral issues, also associated with pain. If these are not the case, as like stated here before. Easy handling, light coating of molasses on the bit and patience. Not all horses respond well to a hackamore, but, if really want to ride while working on the issue, you may want to see how she reacts to one while you continue to work on the bitting process and cause.

Good luck!

Answer 6

The Molasses idea is the best, I did have to do that for a young horse I broke and It works just great. The most important thing is that you do this stress fee. Just hold the bit to the horses mouth so he can smell it and GENTLY put your finger to the back of his mouth and he will open up and you gently place the bit in, once he tastes the sweetness its all over. your done. But be patient.

Answer 7

Now when you say take the bit, do you mean when your putting in their mouths? Or when riding her. Well you should use a snaffle. Even if you cant control her a lot in a snaffle, it teaches horses to give into bit pressurse. Then you can also put draw reins on her to keep her head down. But do it later when she accepts the bit more or she WILL rear and can flip over (atleast thats what happend to my horse). If she doesnt take it in her mouth, all I can tell you is to basically put honey on the bit. THey will suck the bit clean so it wont matter!

Answer 8

You can dip it in molases for a while so she will be willing to take it. You should also try to stick your thumb into her mouth where the bit would go and tickle it a little bit. I have worked with horses like this and recently fell in love with a horse who practically puts the bit on herself!

Answer 9

At the side of the horses mouth use your finger and rub the gum it will usually open it's mouth so you you can put the bit in it's mouth. Also rub your horse and pamper it so it will enjoy the time. Maybe just warm up the bit in your hand just a bit so the bit won't be as cold.

Answer 10

Here's how i would do it:

i personally rarely use a bit, but i understand that sometimes they are required for competitions and the like. i would suggest putting some molasses or honey on the bit to make it more enjoyable. use a gentle, tasty bit, such as a sweet-iron snaffle, to make the bit more enjoyable. also horses enjoy bits with copper inlays.

i believe a horse should never be forced to do something, and using a twitch is harsh and forceful. it will only make the horse harder to bit over time. try the above methods, and work on asking the horse to lean down and taste the bit, and then gently put it in his mouth. it may take awhile, but with patience, and molasses, it works.

Answer 11

I have a horse who absolutely hated having a bit put in his mouth. Try using no bit, if she isn't headstrong. But I swear by this method: use minty toothpaste! Horses like mints, especially the horse I was working with. I put toothpaste on the bit, and it worked! If your horse doesn't like mints, try peanut butter, butter, or a tiny bit of molasses. All of these have to be put on in small amounts, because you'll have a sticky bit on your hands afterwords!

Also massage her gums ( I know it sounds crazy but horses also have sensitive mouths like humans). Try sticking your thumbs in the back of the mouth where no teeth are and she should open her mouth. If she doesn't, put peanut butter on your thumbs and repeat the previous method.