It’s all in the mouth – why dental problems and mouth confirmation are so influential!
Hands up if you’ve ever had a bad toothache or dental infection. It’s utterly miserable experiencing pain in an area of your body that you can’t massage, stretch, ice or just rub to ease the discomfort! Now imagine being a horse and not being able to speak to tell anyone you have a sore mouth and being unable to ease the pain in any way!
Regular dental checkups are essential.
That’s why as bit specialists we advocate regular visits from a qualified and experienced equine dentist. You can then know what’s normal for your horse, ensure that any developmental or age-related changes are tracked and know that you’re safe to put a bit in their mouth.
Without regular dental care, issues can arise including infection, sharp edges, retained caps and wolf teeth emerging. As well as causing them pain, these can impact your horse’s way of going and quickly make them resent bitting or bridling. A horse with a dental problem may be reluctant to take the bit at all, shake its head when being ridden, or resist contact due to discomfort. A dentist can help rule out pain or discomfort and so that you can get your training back on track.
Knowing your horse’s mouth confirmation is key.
Another common ‘mouth-related’ issue we see is when owners aren’t sure of their horse’s mouth confirmation. That puts them at risk of bitting them with a design that causes the horse pain without the owner knowing. For example, some thoroughbreds have a very small mouth whereas warmbloods and cobs tend to have very fleshy lips. The result could be subtle, such as a fussy, inconsistent contact that gets chalked up to poor training or the horse being ‘naughty’. If you’re not sure about your horse’s mouth confirmation, or you have a new horse or pony, it's worth taking a look. Never assume that the bit they come with is going to fit them or be perfect!
How to assess mouth confirmation
Ideally do this when you’re not about to tack up, so your horse is relaxed and isn’t holding its tongue strangely! Gently part their lips at the side and see where the tongue is sitting. If it’s bulging at the bars, then they likely have a larger tongue. You can also gently pop a finger in via the bit seat to feel how low (or not) the palate is. Then, pop your bridle on and see how much space they have with the bit in. Take up a contact and check to see if this squeezes the sides of the tongue excessively or makes the bit touch the teeth or the palate (roof of the mouth). If your horse has a large tongue, you might want to choose a slightly ported or mullen bit if you ride in a straight bar. If you prefer a jointed bit, a low-profile style such as those from Fager could suit really well. A low palate will make a single jointed or ported mouthpiece very uncomfortable, so you could choose a French link or thinner straight bar mouthpiece to see how they go in that.
Use our trial service to try before you buy!
If you’ve discovered your horse’s mouth confirmation or dental history means you’d like to try a different bit, don’t forget you can try the vast majority of our bits on a 30-day trial. Just click to the product page for the bit you’re considering - if it has a 30-day trial option it will show as a drop-down menu under the mouthpiece size! That way, you can experiment with different styles of mouthpiece until you find the one that fits your horse the best. Good luck!