This month's edition of Local Rider Magazine featured a bitting feature from our in-house expert Lucy Nicholas. If you are based in the South East read the full article by picking up a copy of the fab magazine today available from good equestrian retailers in the South East!
Lucy says...
"We recently helped a customer whose horse can be very fussy around the head, and doesn’t settle very well when being ridden. He doesn’t like his ears being touched and wasn’t very comfortable in his single jointed snaffle and conventional bridle; here’s what I advised, to help him settle."
Young and sensitive horses and ponies can often be reactive to the pressure created by the bridle or the bit, creating a common issue for horse owners. This sensitivity can be innate, a natural part of the horse’s personality, or it could have been created by previous owners or trainers. However, the initial thing to rule out is a physical problem.
Firstly for a query such as this, I would ask whether the horse has received sufficient equine dental treatment. The bridle and the bit place pressure on the tongue, the bars of the mouth and the poll, so the first thing I would want to rule out is a dental problem! If you have a sensitive horse that hasn’t had his wolf teeth removed, this issue could may be the culprit, as the bit can interfere with the wolf teeth, causing pain. Ask a qualified vet or equine dental technician dentist to come and assess your horse’s teeth if you haven’t done so already, and keep up regular assessments and treatment to rasp any sharp teeth or hooks, and assess for unhealthy tooth matter.
The Micklem
Providing that all bases are covered in terms of dental care for sensitive horses, and that there are no further veterinary complications such as ear mites or pain in the poll region, in terms of a bridle, I like the Micklem.
The Micklem has been specifically designed for those horses that don’t conform well to regular tack. Designed by trainer William Micklem, the innovation is based on increasing comfort in a range of different avenues, as it is designed from the inside out, following the shape of the skull itself instead of the outward appearance of the head.
In particular, the Rambo Micklem Multi-Bridle avoids pressure on the facial nerves, the projecting cheek bones and the upper jaw molar teeth. This prevents the potential pressure put on facial nerves and the sensitive tissues lining the cheeks inside the mouth by tight fitting cavesson or flash nosebands.
The Rambo Micklem provides a great solution for the many horses that resist because of pain around the bars of the mouth, hate significant pressure on the tongue and as a result fight the contact or get their tongue over the bit. The headpiece of the Micklem has been widened and padded to reduce pressure and is ideal for a horse that is difficult to settle, particularly if changing the bit has not worked.
Myler Comfort Snaffle
In terms of bitting, I also suggested a Myler Comfort Snaffle. There are various versions available. These bits do not pinch like conventional bits can, and wrap around without the conventional nutcracker action, allowing independent side movement. Many of the mouthpieces in the range limit poll pressure, ideal for a sensitive horses, or those with a large or fleshy tongue. Ask an expert which version would suit your horse - if your horse likes a loose ring style, the Loose Ring Myler is also very nice, and has a sweet iron mouthpiece and copper inserts.
NOTE: Because we rarely encounter problems with our horses' ears, we often take them for granted. However, discomfort, headshaking or resistance to the bridle can in some instances be caused by ear mites. These cankerous little parasites are small insects, white in colour, and less than 1mm in size, so are only just visible to the naked eye! Ear mites can produce a waxy plug in the ear canal, reducing hearing and irritation. If ear mites are bothering your horse, the vet may need to use sedation in order to examine the deep ear canal, and recommend relevant medication and treatment!
To find out more about the Rambo Micklem Bridle and the Myler Loose Ring or Comfort Snaffle available from The Saddlery Shop or if you have a question visit the website www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk or contact our team via the website or on Tel: 0344 880 6900
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