Sky has been showing me that she was unhappy with her bit. She was chewing it excessively, gaping her mouth, putting her tongue OVER the bit and pushing into it most of the time.
So I thought maybe she would like some tongue relief. I did some research and came up with the Arch Mouth Butterfly Bit. It came a yesterday and today I had a chance to try it out!
It’s a very pretty bit. I got the German Silver mouth piece and she seemed to like it just fine. When I first offered it to her she grabbed it right up. Then I had to adjust the bridle a bit because her mane is so big and floofy right now, so I had her drop the bit. When I offered it to her again she reached right out and grabbed it. I think she thought it was an interesting taste! The curb chain is too big, but I don’t think I’ll need it, so I just took it off.
I took her around and ground drove her a bit. She isn’t a horse that likes change so I wanted to check it out without the cart attached for the first time. She was super responsive and soft in it. She mouthed it lightly but mostly had a nice quiet mouth. When she got anxious she did put her tongue over it, but only one time and immediately put her tongue back under it. I think that is because the bit itself doesn’t press on her tongue at all and she found comfort in that!
I plan on keeping Sky home for a few months this spring, meaning that I’m not going to drive her out on the road, but am going to be practicing some exercises I’ve learned from Andy Marcoux over at Coachman’s Delight. I’m thinking this will help her start to be less anxious when driving. I’m also going to be building lots of confidence building obstacles to practice with. Anything to help her feel more calm and connected when driving. Plus all this will help prepare Zorro too!