Do you know how how many ways an uncomfortable bit can affect the horse?
There are many mouth evasions the horse may show to indicate that something isn’t right, most riders are aware of these and they are easy to spot: Open mouth, tongue over the bit, mouth sores, chomping, tongue poking out, resistant or crossed jaw, lack of response to rein aids. When noticing these common evasions, we would usually seek advice. But there are also some other less well known signs throughout the body that perhaps indicate a change of bit is needed, such as stiffness, becoming unbalanced, tucking behind the bit, lack of thoroughness, short strides, head above the bit, unwillingness to move forward, leaning, lack of bending, on the forehand, ignoring rein aids, hollowing and sore muscles from an unnatural posture.
Now, some of these problems mentioned above can also be attributed to training issues, and indeed some can be corrected with changes in training. However, if the bit is causing these issues, then advancing in training will become frustrating as you’re not changing the one factor that could be causing these problems – the bit.
It’s a little bit like having a poorly fitting saddle that is uncomfortable for the horse and asking the horse to still perform to their best ability – we simply wouldn’t expect that of the horse, we would fix the factor that’s causing the issue. So why don’t we consider the same with bits?
Making sure your horse is comfortable with their bit is just as important as bridle and saddle fit. The bit is in contact with the most sensitive structures of the horse – inside the mouth, and if the mouth is uncomfortable then the rest of the horses body will follow with evasions and physical issues. If you’re struggling with evasions and lack of performance, book a consultation see if your horse is comfortable and what improvements can be made.

#equinebittingsolutions Creating Harmony and Connection With Your Horse❤️

Bit fitter covering Kent, Essex, Surrey, Sussex, London and Norfolk.