Your top bitting issues, solved!

When it comes to the bridle, bit and saddle that you choose for your horse or pony, we know that the vast majority of owners are aiming for comfort. Searching high and low for equipment that allows their horse to work, compete and enjoy their job in comfort while balancing the need for communication with the rider. When problems crop up with contact and communication, maybe leaning on your hand, snatching at the bit or head tossing, they’re often labelled as naughtiness… But, in reality, many of these behaviours aren’t bad habits, but a horse’s way of showing that the bit they’re wearing isn’t quite right for them. After all, they can’t speak to tell us that they don’t like that much pressure on their tongue/bars/poll, so what else can they do?

At The Horse Bit Bank, we believe that understanding why these issues occur and exploring bitting options tailored to your horse’s individual mouth conformation and way of going is vital. That way, you can unlock comfort, clearer communication and a happier partnership. And who wouldn’t want that?

In this blog, we’re going to take a closer look at the top bitting issues you might encounter and share practical solutions to help you find the right answer for your horse.

1. Leaning on the bit

Does this sound familiar…? Your horse feels heavy in the hand, pulling hard on the reins or leaning against the contact. This can make it difficult to ride with balance and can be exhausting for you if you’re in the saddle for long periods of time. There are lots of reasons that a horse might lean on your hand, for example it can be linked to how they’ve been ridden (on the forehand and not engaging their topline properly) and using the rider’s hand for balance or it can be a sign their bit isn’t right for them.

It can be worth trying them in a loose-ring snaffle with a double-jointed mouthpiece or a roller. The extra movement the loose rings give will help stop the leaning, and a roller gives the horse something to play with. You could also try different materials, like sweet iron or copper, which encourage a softer mouth.

2. Head tossing or shaking

This can be very frustrating, especially if you’re working on a regular rhythm in the school or jumping, and your horse frequently throws or shakes its head when a contact is taken. This behaviour often signals discomfort, with the horse trying to evade bar or poll pressure, a single-jointed bit hitting their palate or sharp pain from pinching cheekpieces.
A good place to start is to assess bridle fit, and make sure there isn’t pressure on any sensitive facial nerves from the headpiece, cheekpieces or noseband. Then, make sure you know what your horse’s mouth confirmation is - do they have a small mouth, a low palate or very big tongue. That will help you check whether you need to select a bit with a small port, a thin profile and so on! An ergonomic design that follows the natural shape of their mouth is a good idea, as is experimenting with softer materials.

3. Putting the tongue over the bit

If you’ve ever been riding a horse and it fully gets its tongue over the bit, you’ll know that it can leave you with little or no control. This is a classic sign of a bit that applies too much tongue pressure or a mouthpiece that doesn’t give enough room for a chunky tongue. Horses may do anything to relieve discomfort, so simply strapping their mouth shut with a flash noseband is not the answer!

Instead, try selecting a bit with a slightly ported mouthpiece to provide tongue relief, and see how they go. If they’ve been resisting a full metal bit, you can look at designs with a gel or plastic coating that’s gentler. If you think the issue is a small mouth as well as (or instead of) a big tongue, you can take a look at thinner mouthpieces, like those from Fager.

4. Opening the mouth or crossing the jaw

It’s not a nice sight and it almost certainly indicates discomfort - a horse or pony opens its mouth wide or crosses its jaw to evade the bit. These evasions are often linked to pain, pinching or uneven pressure, such as a single-jointed bit acting like a nutcracker and applying severe pressure to the tongue and bars. Other culprits can be gag styles with a high port that touches the palate (roof of their mouth) and the combination of that with poll pressure means a horse will try to move the bit by crossing its jaw and raising its head.

Ports can be a good choice for giving tongue relief but beware of large ports that can damage the palate. A fixed ring or full cheek combined with a kind mouthpiece can work wonders in horses that have learnt to panic when a rider takes contact in a severe bit.

5. Reluctance to take the contact

If your horse avoids the contact altogether, dropping behind the bit or stargazing and going above the bit, it can be very hard to make progress as a partnership. This one can be trickier to diagnose, as a horse may back off if the bit feels too strong, if there’s too much leverage or if they’ve had a negative experience in the past. Plus, physical discomfort, from dental issues to back pain, can also play a role.

We’d advise a dental check to rule out sharp teeth or other issues, and getting their back checked by a physio or osteopath. Once you’ve ruled out pain then it’s worth trying a softer mouthpiece, for example a leather or gel design. If you’d prefer to stick with metal then some horses love the taste of sweet iron or a copper roller, and you can even try smearing it with honey.

6. Snatching or running through the contact

A little like a reluctance to take up the contact, the reason why a horse is snatching or running through the hand can be trickier to pinpoint. But unless you think it’s over excitement (let’s say from arriving at a competition or hunt meet!) it’s worth getting to the bottom of.

Again, rule out pain first, and then start to work through mouth confirmation and bit designs to see if the horse is struggling with sensitive bars or tongue, or needs a different material. Choosing a bit that provides very clear signals, such fixed cheek snaffles, or a Myler bit that allows you to give independent rein aids, can be a good place to start.
Remember, we have a wide range of bit designs and brands to choose from, many with a 30-day trial option, and our free bitting advice line is on hand to give you a steer. By combining practical experience with decades of knowledge, we take the guesswork out of bitting and help you find solutions that work for both you and your horse. Just call 01609 765 324 to get started!