i have had him almost a year, at first everything was fine he started to lift his head out of my reach , side step,.rear up the whole nine, i fiqure Pain , vet came checked his teeth ,floated them , still a fight , once or twice will stand and then well he dont want to work, he basically is a very good horse has some quirks that had to be addressed, bad feet ,split hoofs ,not fed properly, i have been the only one to bridle him so I know he was not handled roughly here any suggestion how to reintroduce the bridle gently and to build more of his trust? oh i bought him from an auction I have had to bring him around once or twice to trust me its like he forgets Im a good guy
Answers:
No one has said this yet, so I'm gonna suggest... check his ears. One of my favorite school horses absolutely hates to be bridled and it's not because of the bit... she's absolutely wonderful for everything, but she acts up when you bridle her and it's because she has a fungus in her ears and she knows that if she takes the bit, you're gonna lift the bridle over her ears and it's gonna hurt. I tried taking the bridle apart and setting it over her head first, but she still has that idea that taking the bit makes her ears hurt... I think if everyone took the bridle apart like I do, she'd eventually learn that it doesn't hurt anymore.
So my advice is to check your horse over again... it might be something really random that's hurting him and it might have absolutely nothing to do with the bit. Try touching his ears when he's just standing with you and see how he reacts. Try taking the bridle apart and setting it on him before putting the bit in his mouth. If you decide that it is the bit that bothers him, the hackamore is a pretty good idea.
Good luck!
If he's 15 years old and never been bridled, why not just work him on a hackamore?
Even if there's nothing wrong with your horse's mouth, bits can be irritating on a horse that is not accustomed to them.
If you're an English rider, this may not be an ideal solution, but there are English style hackamores available. If this is not good for you, then try a lighter bit or a rubber bit (or perhaps a roller bit to distract him) and ease him into a heavier bit until you find one that works for both of you.
I would get an actual equine dentist to float his teeth, I had my vet float my horse's teeth a few years back and he actually make them worse!
So, I got an equine dentist to do her, and she felt 110% better!
Not all vets have actually been taught the correct way to float teeth.
Also, his poll could be sore for some reason, or he might need equine chiropractic work done on him.
I hope I helped,
Happy Horse keeping!
i always worked my horses in a hackamore. when i did find it necessary to put a bit in my morgans mouth it was always a fight. like you i had the vet out he checked out completely fine. i started putting a sugar and water coating on his bit, he was taking it but was throwing his head and pawing the ground so i knew there was still a problem. and like another post here i had the equine vet out and she floated his teeth properly and we never had a problem with him taking the bit after that.
Hackamore! There great, bitless and much more comfortable for your horse. I bought an Arabian stallion from a girl who got him at an auction. She didn't want him because he would not let anyone near him, he was so hard to catch. First time we rode him he was crazy, bit his lip on the inside of his mouth (because of his bit), he was so unrulely. We put a natural hackamore on him, he's been so good ever since. He even runs to greet me with the other horses, instead of running away.
Yeah. Just start working him in a bitless bridle. One that deals more with pressure than just pulling on his mouth. If that doesn't work, find a local trainer and ask them to help you work out the problem.
without seeing you try to bit the horse up i can not tell you what is going on there could be many factors causing him to act this way
the bit, the person, sore mouth, wolf's teeth,ect
also you never explained weather or not the horse was rode in a bit before or has he always been rode in a hack?
when you buy a horse from an action its buyer beware maybe he was kept under weight for a reason... maybe he was sold becasue of his additude...
Try to put molasses, honey, syrup or bit wipes (flavored) to get him to take the bit. Or, you mite want to consider a hackamore. But first, poor whatever you use on the bit and just put it up to his lips and let a little get on his lips. It may get sticky the first time!
I had a problem like that
It turned out my horse worked better bitless
Try it in a round pen to see if he responds to it
melt sugar cubes and spread it all over the bit...it will smell it and wont be able to resist..problem solved!
its going to be alot of work but get a simple bridle that you can unhook at the top. put some honey or molasses on the bit and once he takes it put it behind his ears while unhooked and then hook it as soon as its on him instead of forcing it over his ears. i had a horse once that was terrified of anything going over her ears so that they may your geldings fear too. if you just keep doing this over and over he'll start to realize you dont want to hurt him and the bit wont hurt him either. it may take a WHILE and a lot of PATIENCE but horses just need to earn your trust 100%. Hope this helps. I know how frustrating it may be but hang in there! =)
put in the bit then give him a apple.
He might have been mishandled with the bridle when he was being trained. You can tell if he expresses fear, aggressiveness, or severe avoidance toward the bit or you when you're handling it. If this is the case, I am sorry. I don't mean to sound so blunt, but it is alot easier (both mentally and financially) on both you and the horse if he is not re-trained on the bit. Instead you may want to introduce him to a hackamore, which has the same results as a bit would-though not always as attractive. Either way, best of luck to the both of you!
Have a pro show you what you are doing incorrectly.
Try never to buy a horse from auction...They are usually being sold there for a reason...Sound like the horse you got was neglected before, and most likely abused in some way..its going to take a soft hand to get him to trust you. Obviously he was rough handed from the previous owner...It will take time but ease him back into something he is more comfortable with...Experiment.But in your case start with a hackamore...then to something else...
ok here's what i do all the time cuz my horse won't take the bit either.SMOTHER it in molasis. then don't ride him in it do do anything in it. just let it sit in his mouth for like 10 minuets. do this for about a week. the still put molasis on it after that but gradually start wokring him in the bit. if he resists at first, ride him long rein. just walk him in the bit for a while. after you and him are doing well at a walk after a few rides, gradually work into a trot, then a canter, ect. just work him into it. also, lunge him with his bridle on. hook the lunge line on to one of the bit rings. that will get him use to moving around with it in also.
Take a lariat rope and tie it around its nose and tie the other end to the gurt and when it walks around and raises its head it will rub its nose and make it a little sore and you will be able to put a bit in its mouth after about 2 weeks of this. It does not hurt the horse. But, will train him.
Have you tried not using a bit for a while? Even though it isn't his teeth, having a chunk of metal in your mouth isn't going to be comfortable. Let him know that not all the time you'll have a bit for him, that might help.
I try to go without the bit as much as possible-- most of the time I attatch rope reins to Nik's halter and just ride him that way. I think there's a lot more trust between us simply because he knows that while I ride him, I'm still going to make him as comfortable as possible.
Use the bit more and more if you still feel the need to use one at all. Reward him every time he takes the bit, and make sure he knows you're happy with him when he does good.
It sounds like your horse was mistreated in the past and has some issues, but with time and patience he'll be just as good as any other.
Put the bit into molasses first or rub apples or mint onto it. Gently introdue his bridle to him and get him interested in the bit, the rest will follow naturally.
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