# Is it normal for a horse to chew on the bit?



## CountryGirlAtHeart (May 2, 2013)

Hi everyone,

I'm "training" a 6yr old standardbred gelding to saddle. I say "training", because I don't have a lot of experience in the saddle. I have been working with standardbreds for 5 years but was only able to start riding lessons 2 years ago, which have unfortunately been very intermittent. Hence, I am not training this boy by myself! He's going very well so far, but I would like more opinions on whether it is normal for him to be chewing the bit while I am riding? And if this is good or bad?
I lunge him in the saddle and bridle before riding him, and he doesn't chew the bit then. He's wearing a loose-ring snaffle and I ride him with a reasonably loose rein.
Any advice/comments are appreciated  Thanks!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Some horses do play with the bit more than others. If the one you are riding is responsive and doesn't show any other behaviors related to the bit, I wouldn't worry.

Enjoy. I really like STBs, too.


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

You mean chewing with the bit in his mouth or actually chewing on the bit itself, if he is doing that it will make a distinctive sound usually?


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## CountryGirlAtHeart (May 2, 2013)

AnrewPL said:


> You mean chewing with the bit in his mouth or actually chewing on the bit itself, if he is doing that it will make a distinctive sound usually?


I can hear the bit clinking/sqeaking so I think he's chewing on the bit?


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

Ok, may not necessarily be that he is chewing on the actual bit, he might just be chewing and moving the bit around and making it make noise in his mouth. Its generally a good thing for a horse to chew and play with the bit in its mouth, so like Boots said, probably nothing to worry about; in fact I tend to be happy when I have a horse that does it. 
What I was thinking of is a horse I had, or trained, or rode as a station horse once, cant remember which it was exactly, anyway it had a habit of actually biting the bit, and I remember it as it used to make a loud hollow thudding sound. I think it was getting the bar of the bit between its molars and biting down and letting the bit slide out and its teeth chomp together. The bit was in the right place in its mouth, the horse was actually pulling the bit up and doing it deliberately, just got a kick out of it I guess. 
Anyway, I suppose if your bridle is adjusted right and the bit isn’t in the wrong spot and knocking against the horses teeth, and so the horse isn’t trying to alleviate that kind of thing, I wouldn’t worry about it.


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## CountryGirlAtHeart (May 2, 2013)

Thanks for your help. I did think he was chewing on it because he moves his mouth quite a lot when he does it, so that's what it looks like... but from what you've said and your example, it doesn't sound like he's actually chewing on the bit. Thanks for making things a bit clearer for me.


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## AnrewPL (Jun 3, 2012)

Oh yeah they can move their mouth around a lot, and there can be a lot of saliva too, it might even foam a little, and they still might not be chewing on the bit itself. Its usually, at least I’ve always regarded it so, a good thing, chewing means a nice wet mouth, which means it should be reasonably supple, so it wont tend to dry out and chafe.
Even if he is chewing on the actual bit like that horse I was riding years ago, so long as the bits in the right spot, I doubt its a problem, the horse wouldn’t do it if it was hurting them. The thing to be sure of in a situation like that is to ensure that the horse isn’t doing it because the bit is causing discomfort in the first place.


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## Pattilou (Jul 8, 2010)

I have a SSH and he chews on the bit when he is nervous. Look at the rest of the horse when he is doing this. Is his neck tense, does he seem a little rushy, is he trying to understand something you are telling him ? Remember the mouth is attached to the rest of the horse, so look at the whole horse.


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## oobiedoo (Apr 28, 2012)

I have a Standie and she can't seem to keep her tongue in her mouth just stands around like she's playing with it. Same thing with her bridle on, lots of mouthing. I did ask the vet to check her teeth when I first got her and saw this, they said she was fine but Lord she does look silly standing out there playing with her tongue. LOL.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

When my mare was started under saddle she did that a lot. I figured it was just because she was still getting used to it.

Two years and 20+ bits later (and a huge chunk of money buying all of those bits), we now ride in a hackamore. She just hated the bit and no matter how much training on acceptance and no matter which bit, we never got anywhere. She wasn't mouthing it, but straight up stressfully chomping on the bit. We tried adjusting the bridle snug, loose, everything. Her teeth are fine. It was just something she couldn't tolerate and I wasn't going to force her to wear something that she hated so, so much. We even changed our discipline to something we could do bitless. No only is she so much happier in a hack, but she is 10X more responsive. 

So, the point of this long and pointless story, some horses are more active with their mouth and play with the bit. It is usually not a problem unless they are aggressively chomping. A little movement of the jaw is normal (and a good thing!), but stressful chomping is not.

And no, I'm not a bitless fanatic. :lol: I wish we could go in a bit and do dressage, but my horse's comfort is more important than my wishes. My final bitted ride on her was a couple weeks ago, and now we're done. Maybe we will try again as she gets older and more experienced, but until then we will keep on riding in the hack.


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

It seems like horses just tend to move their mouths a lot with loose ring snaffles too, IME. We have an almost 5 year old gelding who we started about a month ago who chews like crazy on the bit. He's very soft and supple, but constantly feels like he needs to be fiddling with it. We leave him alone. He does it most in his sweet iron loose ring with rollers, but he's also the softest and most responsive with that bit. Go figure


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