[jacksydneyellen]

Hi
I have a three year old gelding who I backed and rode about five times last year and I am just bringing back into work now after giving him the winter off. I have been using a double jointed happy mouth bit which has a kind of peanut in the centre.
However he seems to play with it by lifting his head in the air and shaking it up and down. He has always done this and I thought that it was just the newness of it but he is doing it again this year (I long reined him a couple of times before riding him and he does it then as well). He is a playful type of horse so I think that he is just playing with it as even if I have a really loose rein, he still does it so it is not because I am interfering with it in any way. Do you think that I should try a different bit? If so do you think I should try one with a single joint? Or do you think that i should carry on a little longer with this bit to see if he stops doing this. This is the first horse that I have started from scratch myself so I don't know whether this normal or not.

[Nevada_Silk]

It wouldn't hurt to try a single jointed bit....some horses do prefer them over the double jointed.

[haunani]

If you do try a single jointed, I recommend trying a JP bit, which has the nice curve to help it fit the mouth better.

Mars is a lot happier in his JP snaffle (single joint) than he was in his happy mouth.

[jumpthemoon]

He is probably doing that just because he is not used to having a bit in his mouth. Give him time. That is a perfectly fine bit.

You also need to get his teeth checked if you haven't had that done within the past 6 months. The most critical age for dental problems is between 3.5-5 years of age as the permanent teeth come in. This can cause a lot of behavior issues which are directly related to the dental issues that often go unchecked.

[jacksydneyellen]

He has had his teeth checked. He was doing it last year as well and he was bitted many times last year but I thought that he would get used to it and stop but he doesn't seem to have. He is not a problem to put the bridle on at all so I know that he doesn't hate it or anything and he really just seems to be playing with it.
I think that I will try with a single jointed bit and see how he gets on with that. I did try him once with a rubber straight bar bit and he hated that. He makes it very clear when he is not happy about something.

[iridehorses]

My new mare does not like a French Link bit at all. She chews and bobs her head as long as the bit is in there and she seems very tight in the body. Right after riding her in the FL I switched bits to a simple D ring and she was a different horse - calm and soft.

[jacksydneyellen]

Originally Posted by iridehorses

My new mare does not like a French Link bit at all. She chews and bobs her head as long as the bit is in there and she seems very tight in the body. Right after riding her in the FL I switched bits to a simple D ring and she was a different horse - calm and soft.

Right, you have convinced me. That is exactly what he does. He nods his head up and down as though he is shaking the bit around in his mouth. I don't think that he is tense though. I am going to try a single jointed copper eggbutt snaffle so there is less play in it.

[JBandRio]

Certainly a double-jointed bit is not for all horses. Some don't like all the play. Some don't like the bean but prefer a flatter joint (ie typical French Link). Some double-jointed are too thick but the horse does well in a thinner d-j.

But, there are lots of things to look at before a different bit. Teeth, particularly wolf teeth. Your contact with his mouth. The fact that he's THREE and has next to no training. His behavior is very very common for a just-backed young horse.

5 rides is nothing. *I* would give him at least double that to become acclimated to whatever new things you try.

How many times has he had the bit in his mouth? Only the 5 times you've sat on him/ Have you ever done groundwork with the bridle on?

[jacksydneyellen]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

Certainly a double-jointed bit is not for all horses. Some don't like all the play. Some don't like the bean but prefer a flatter joint (ie typical French Link). Some double-jointed are too thick but the horse does well in a thinner d-j.

But, there are lots of things to look at before a different bit. Teeth, particularly wolf teeth. Your contact with his mouth. The fact that he's THREE and has next to no training. His behavior is very very common for a just-backed young horse.

5 rides is nothing. *I* would give him at least double that to become acclimated to whatever new things you try.

How many times has he had the bit in his mouth? Only the 5 times you've sat on him/ Have you ever done groundwork with the bridle on?

He has been bridled many times before he was backed and I also longlined him while wearing his bridle last year. This year he has been bridled a few times and longlined a couple of times to see what he remembered all while wearing his bridle.
He shakes his bit whether I take a contact or whether I allow him to walk around with no contact.
As I said I have not started a horse on my own before and didn't know whether I should persist with this bit for a little longer to see whether he gets used to it as I realise that it is all new to him or whether I should consider changing to a different bit to see if it makes a difference. It doesn't seem to upset him really and when I tried him with a rubber bit I could tell immediately that he wasn't happy with it so I don't want to change it and upset him as things are going really well but at the same time if continuing with this bit will end up making things go wrong....

[Dawn]

Did he do this last year when you first introduced the bit?