The Bit Fitter

Part 1- how to make a home made mouth measure for your horse 📏 📐

🌡️🌤️🌩️ Is it cooling down? It feels like it’s cooling down!!!!! 🤞🤞🤞 Bit fitting has taken a back seat in the last few months due to the weather. If you’re after a booking, make sure you get in touch sooner rather than later. My wait times are often 8 weeks and I don’t want to make you wait forever! And as dentistry is still my main job, I’m booked pretty solid with that too. How to book Step 1- fill out online booking form. Step 2- I’ll be in touch to work out a date Step 3- Pay the $50 deposit Step 4- Keep horse sound until the fitting date! I’ll pop a link to the booking form in the comments.

🐴 ‼️🐴 Bit wounds and where to find them! These little purple/pink pinch wounds are really hard to spot unless you know where to look. I’ve seen loads, none of the riders knew about them. When I see these wounds, I already know with some certainty which bit has caused them. The oversized double jointed snaffle. If a bit is too large, the lateral movement of the bit causes it to slide sideways and pull the joint into the fleshy lip tissue. The joints then grab and pinch the really thin mucous membrane. Please check your horses regularly for these types of wounds. They are by far the most common ones I see and can be easily prevented. Don’t fall into the trap of getting the next size up so the rings don’t pinch the outside of the lips. That kind of injury is far less common as the skin on the outside is much tougher and not as easily damaged. These bits are usually 1/2 to 1 inch too big. Just because you have a 17hh thoroughbred, doesn’t mean he has a 5.5” mouth. I often fit thoroughbreds in 4.5” bits! Should you discover a bit wound, don’t bit your horse until it’s completely resolved, and check your bit size! If you want to learn more about mouth wounds, correctly measuring and fitting for a bit, my online course digs right into those topics. I’ll pop a link in the comments. A picture of the wound is also in the comments. 🚫any negative comments will be deleted. This owner was kind enough to let me film her horse so we can all be a bit better educated.

Spots are filling fast for 2023!

Seasoned professional who wants some other options? Or First time using a double bridle? I can help

She’s heeeerrrreee!!! The unboxing of the Telerein for you guys to see! I’m so excited to be able to introduce this into my bit fittings. One step closer in the direction of horse welfare

Great fun bit fitting a super talented Showjumper!

This brings me great joy! Sound on 😂 A friend riding Alfie my Welsh Cob says “Oh my god… maybe I want a pony”! It’s taken me several years to get this pony so soft in the contact, supple in the body and following the rein. Just pop your leg on and off you go. Give him a cuddle with leg and he stops from tension in my abs (what little there is of them!) It makes me so happy when someone gets on and comments how soft and supple he is, and what a pleasure he is to ride. He’s just the best little guy, tries his hardest with everything. #ponydressage #ponies #poniesarethebest

A bit fitting on a Showjumper I had last week. Description is in the post, but essentially a big strong yet very sensitive horse and a tiny lady. #bitfitting #showjumping #bitfitting4horses #trustequestrian

Need a more effective Cross Country bit? I can help!

A few weeks ago I was asked to do a fitting for the lovely Cooper. It was his first time in a double bridle and his rider wanted to get it right. A very smart way to go! A negative experience in a double bridle can cause anxiety and really upset the training trajectory for a lot of horses, so I take many things into consideration. 1. Is the horse physically ready, is he strong in his work and not weak in the back or thoracic sling? 2. The horses mouth shape. What bits will fit best according to the limited space we are working with? 3. Capability of the rider. As Dr Andrew McLean once said- “Putting a double bridle in bad hands is like putting a razor blade in the hands of a monkey” 4. The horses level of training. Is the double bridle being used to communicate or control? If it’s for control, then the training needs to improve to so the horse is in self carriage. I have a good chat with riders before I attend a double bridle fitting, this rider has ticked all the above points, so we were ready to go! Have a watch if the video to see Coopers first trot in the bridle. He accepted it well and was still responsive to the leg, not sucking back or feeling like the ‘hand brake’ was on.

Noseband Taper Gauges- what are they for!? First developed by the clever people at the International Society for Equitation Science, these little doorstop looking things measure the tightness of a noseband. Countless studies performed in relation to the negative effects of a tight noseband have all pointed to the MAXIMUM firmness it can be, without causing physical damage and excruciating levels of pressure. And that is, around 2 fingers. But…. 2 of who’s fingers?! A 6’6” 250kg man probably has bigger fingers than a 5’3” lady. So, the noseband gauge has been developed for the size of 2 average fingers to fit between the nasal bone and noseband. I do believe this should be made mandatory part of gear check at competitions, especially pony club. We KNOW the effects of a tight noseband and they are BAD. Why are we still allowing it to happen? Why are there not safeguards in place to protect our horses? Why are horses being subjected to pain and it’s not just overlooked, but PERMITTED and sometimes EXPECTED?! As a sport, we need to do better. I don’t think we can change things from the top down, but the ground up. My wish is to have every child who puts a noseband on their horse, to have one of these to use. I wish that this would become standard practice in my lifetime. So we can get one of these in the hands of every horsie kid on the planet, I have made them cheap, just to cover cost of materials and postage. If you want one (or 5) for yourself or your club, head over to my website and they’ll be in the shop. You can order from there. https://thehorse.com/181140/noseband-tightness-study-the-two-finger-rule-is-just-about-right/