“My wonderful foxhunter doesn’t pull, but once in a while I need a little more braking,” writes a subscriber. “I have been using the elevator bit with great results until recently, when he started tossing his head quite frantically out hunting, and snatching at the bit. Back home, I felt inside his mouth and found that he was biting the inside of his mouth.
My vet, an equine dentist, says his teeth aren’t sharp, but the damage happens when he opens and closes his mouth, and the elevator bit squeezes the sides of his mouth in, causing him to bite the inside of his cheeks. Without cranking the bottom of the flash nose band really tight, how can I continue to use this bit without him chewing up the inside of his mouth? Alternatively, what bit would approximate the elevator bit?“
We posed this question to Paul Striberry, a professional horseman, teacher and trainer in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Paul foxhunts with his clientele in the winter and teaches clinics around the country in the off-season.
“A jointed three-ring elevator is an unstable bit in the horse’s mouth and particularly so when used with a single rein on the lowest ring,” says Paul. “I would replace the bit with a solid rubber mullen mouth Pelham. You can use the snaffle rein to bring his head up and the curb when you need to collect him.
“Perhaps some flat work is indicated. Remember to employ your seat and leg. The downward transitions will improve when you resist his forward motion with the reins, and at the same time engage the horse’s hindquarters and balance him with your seat and leg. With a little practice you can get you horse coming back to the word ‘steady’ and halting with a ‘whoa.’ Of course these results take time, but it’s the least we can do for a wonderful foxhunter.”