🦄 the horse gets tense on the contact
🦄 tosses its head
🦄 pulls behind the bit
🦄 becomes strong or disappears from the contact

Normally, the cause of these problems lies in the suitability of the bit, although naturally the rider's riding level, hand usage, and the horse's general physical condition and power production also affect things in addition to the bit.

The two most common reasons for these problems are incorrect bit pressure or a mouthpiece that is too harsh.

🦄 the horse opens its mouth
🦄 the horse hangs its tongue out
🦄 the horse throws its tongue over the bit

Restlessness in the mouth is quite common, but usually a relatively easy problem to fix. However, solutions are very individual per horse, but often very small fixes and adding enough variety can lead to progress.

The biggest reason for restlessness is often too hard a material, too thick a bit, and too little bit variation. For horses with restless mouths, a bit fitting visit or online fitting is the best way to correct the situation, so that we can see the horse's reactions to different pressures and mouthpieces. This is important for effective correction.

🦄 The horse starts to get excited already when putting on the bridle
🦄 The horse spooks, startles, is difficult to relax
🦄 The horse may even get overly excited, taking off / spurting
🦄 When ridden, the horse bolts, repeatedly gallops away from bit pressure, or refuses fences

A horse's tension is always a clear sign of a problem - in a normal situation, the excitement can be brought down relatively quickly, but if the horse does not trust the bit, relaxation cannot occur.

Often, the bit is too harsh, possibly too unstable, or the bit material may even be completely wrong.

🦄 the horse mouths the bit back and forth
🦄 the horse constantly lifts the bit with its tongue when the bit is in its mouth
🦄 the horse grinds its teeth audibly during riding
🦄 the horse chews the bit when bridling or riding
🦄 the horse's first cheek teeth are worn round

Many may suspect that constant movement or mouthing of the bit is normal for every horse. Slight movement is normal, but if this occurs throughout the entire ride or drive, the matter should be investigated more thoroughly.

The most common reasons are too little variation / lack of a variety bit, the thickness of the bit, or an overly unstable bit.

🦄 the horse chews the bit back and forth in its mouth
🦄 the horse lifts the bit with its tongue when bridling and shakes its head in the stable
🦄 the horse immediately starts chewing the bit already when it's being put on
🦄 the horse evades the bit or bridling
🦄 the horse doesn't want the bit in its mouth or tenses up because of it

When bridling, the horse should be calm and leave the bit alone when the bridle is placed in its mouth. Constant chewing, tightening of the eyes or expression, and resisting bridling are not normal. When the horse is stress-free with the bit, it will have a relaxed, content expression and will not start gnawing at the bit but will keep its lips and mouth relaxed.

1️⃣ Oral and anatomical assessment
2️⃣ Analysis of the current bit
3️⃣ Testing different options
4️⃣ Individual recommendation
5️⃣ Follow-up if needed

Bit fitting is not based on guesswork but on a professional assessment and the individual needs of the horse. We observe horses in motion for tens of thousands of hours a year, allowing us to establish cause-and-effect relationships between various problems and solutions, and to notice potential physical issues.