playing around!

Question
QUESTION: hi,im brooklyn and my horse likes to play with his bit when iam riding. therefore when he does that his head either goes up or down and he loses concentration. what  do i need to do? When i try to correct him he only trys to buck. please help me ! ! :)

ANSWER: Brooklyn,

When's the last time you had his teeth worked on by an equine dentist?  Many people mistake a horse expressing problems with his mouth by doing what you describe as "playing".  His reaction to correction is to buck which says to me that you are probably causing him more discomfort because I suspect you are trying to correct him with the reins/bit.

If his teeth are OK and his bit fits properly then the other avenue I would suggest is going bitless.  Either a hackamore, side pull or bitless bridle.  You may have to try a couple of different types to see which he likes best.  

I prefer to ride and drive my horses without bits.  Since I'm an endurance rider I need to have them able to eat and drink easily where ever and when ever they get the chance.  I drive my mare in a hackamore and that has gotten a few stares when I've done competitive trail drives with her from other drivers!  

So, have his mouth checked out by an equine dentist.  Generally this is not your normal horse vet.  You need someone who works on hundreds of horses every year and is current on the latest dental practices.  Yes, lots of vets do teeth but most don't do nearly as good a job as a real dentist.  Just like for people there are specialists for animals too.  

Once you get his issues corrected this behavior will stop.  

Lyn

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QUESTION: hey Lyn, this is brooklyn and i have acctually been trying to keep his head up when i ride but when i pull up on the reins, he wants to stop. so what do i do now? should i try a bridle with no bit? and i just got the horse used and so i dont know the last time he got his teeth checked??? thanks, brooklyn
ANSWER: Brooklyn,

OK, before you go any further get his teeth checked out.  I would suspect that they may not have been done in some time.  Once the teeth are done, he may have wolf teeth, hooks, Lord only knows what that could be interfering with the inside of his mouth and the bit. If the bit issues don't stop then I would go bitless.  Even if you decide to go without a bit you still need to have his teeth done once a year to keep him comfortable and able to eat properly.  

Lyn

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QUESTION: thank you so much lyn, i will definatley go and get his teeth checked and i will probably try to go bitless but if i have any more problems i will tell you and i will tell you how he does bitless. brooklyn
ANSWER: Brooklyn,

I'm glad you got back to me.  A horse's teeth grow all it's life and are always wearing down because of the type of feed that they eat.  It's important to have the teeth filed down to keep them even so the chewing surfaces meet properly.  

I prefer to ride without a bit.  Hackamore, bosal, bitless bridles, sidepulls, you name it I've used it.  But my horses still get their teeth done every year.  I have to have the dentist come out for my Mustang every 6 mos. because he's developing a "wave mouth" as he gets into his teens.  My old pony has 2 teeth in the back that are pretty much worn away so I have to keep after the rest of the teeth so he gets the most out of his feed.  

Keep me posted on your horse.
Lyn

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QUESTION: one more question, how much do i feed my horse if he is in a pasture with hay?

Answer
Ah Brooklyn,

Now you've asked a somewhat complicated question.  If he's in a good pasture with access to good hay he probably doesn't need any grain at all.  Just access to salt and unlimited clean water.  

Grain is added when a horse simply cannot eat enough forage to keep up with the work he's being asked to do.  Horses in the wild do just fine on grass.  That's what the equine digestive system is engineered to handle best.  If you aren't really riding him very hard just keep an eye on him and see how he looks.  If you think he's getting too thin then you will have to add some extra calories to his diet in the form of feed.  Get a weight tape.  They look like a measuring tape but are used to give a rough estimate to a horse's weight.  It won't be perfect but if you check him once a week and maybe write it on a calendar then you can see if he's maintaining, or changing, either gaining or losing over time.  

If you do have to start feeding him I would go to the local feed store and talk to them.  I have no good idea what feeds are available in your area.  Local help will be better to actually select a feed.

Lyn