horse wont take bit and scared of bridle

Question
I have a 4year old arabian mare that we are keeping for a 30 day trial to make sure she is what i want and she is fine except for she won't let me put a bridle on her she seems to be scared of the bit when we did get it on her once and she reared up and fell back can u give me any suggestions because we even went and got a gentler bit and she is still scared. the lady we got her from claims she had the bit in her mouth last summer but i'm wondering if that is a lie. i am 16 years old and a beginning horse rider.

Answer
Hello there.

I think the first thing you need to do with this mare is have a vet/dentist check her teeth. It really sounds to me that she has very sore teeth. A good indicator if this is if she spills a lot of her grain from her mouth while eating. However, you cannot know for sure unless her mouth is checked by a professional.

If she checks out fine, then she will need to be started from ground zero... you need to start by rubbing her face and mouth, and just getting her to open for you when you place a finger in the side of her mouth... no bit at first. If she is okay with this, then you need to get a properly fitting snaffle bit and bridle, and just bridle her while brushing, etc.

IF she continues to throw herself over and be a total wreck when you bridle her, then she is unsafe for a beginner to work with. A horse like this, who has been checked for pain and bad teeth, etc. needs to see a trainer who can work her through this. A horse that throws itself over backwards is very dangerous.

I hope that all she needs is a bit of mouth work, as I would hate for this sale to fall through for you. Good luck. :)