I cant get my horse to take her bit

Question
I'm new at the whole horse thing and getting them geared up to ride. Ok so I have tried to put the bit in my horses mouth so I can ride her and I have succeeded a few times but those times I can't ever get the rest of the gear over her head so the bit ends up falling out. So I always try again but then so doesn't take it again and she always throws her head. What do I need to do to make her take the bit ever time.
Thanks for your help

Answer
The first thing I would address is how you are approaching bridling the horse.  When done properly, you stand at the side of the horse's neck and hold the bridle in your right hand as well as the horse's nose.  This prevents the horse's head from going to high.  Then using your left hand, place your fingers in the sides of the horses mouth below the chin.  You will feel a small groove there and gently press.  This causes the horse to open it's mouth and slide the bit in as you pull the rest of the bridle over the horse's head.  If your horse continues to put it's head up too high, standing on a small step stool may help.

There are a few reasons the horse may be skittish to bridle.  The first and most common is that the horse is headshy for one reason or another.  To help a horse get over this, just continue rubbing the horse's head all over until she relaxes with it.  It may take a few weeks, it may take several months, but she will improve with time.  For some odd reason, mare's tend to be more headshy than geldings and stallions.  It seems they take offense to rough handling a bit more than other horses.  Also, if this is a recent occurrance (for instance, she used to be okay, and now is giving you trouble) and especially if she tosses her head frequently when riding her, she may be in need of having her teeth floated.  Horses can develop sharp edges on their teeth which must be rasped off, otherwise they can cause cuts to their tongue, cheeks, and gums which can be irritated by a bit sitting on it.  This typically needs to be done every year, but it depends on the horse.  Some horses may require it every six months (especially if they are a parrot mouth or have poor mouth structure or are older) and some younger horses may go as long as two years, but should still be checked yearly or if problems develop.  Also, if the bit you are choosing for her is pinching or is too harsh (or if you are heavy handed when riding) she may do this to avoid the harshness of the bit.  

There area a few solutions you can try to improve the situation.  The first and best being working to improve your position to ensure you are not frequently hitting her in the mouth when riding causing her discomfort.  This is best achieved on the longe line doing balance exercises with someone else controlling the horse using the longe line.  It will also help greatly with your confidence in riding.  Next, you can try riding her with a milder bit and making sure the one you are using is not sliding excessively or pinching the corner of her mouth, as well as being properly adjusted in the bridle.  I personally ride the majority of my horses in a full cheek snaffle as it does not allow the bit to slide completely through the mouth as do other types of bits if pulled enough.  It should be of medium width.  The fatter the snaffle, generally the milder the bit, however, if the horse has a small mouth, a thinner bit is more appropriate.  To properly size a bit place the bridle on your horse's head without the bit, tie a piece of string to one side of the cheek piece, bringing it through the horse's mouth, and tie to the other cheek piece.  This will give you a good estimate as to the size of bit you will need for the horse.  Remember, just because the horse came with the bit does not always mean it is the bit best suited to them.  Finally, if all else fails or to further entice her to take the bit, you can put a bit of honey or molasses on the bit.  She will then start viewing the bit as more of a treat and begin taking it more readily.  I use this method with most of my young horses and they all bridle quite nicely now.  

I hope this helps you.  Good luck and enjoy the wonderful world of horses !