parrelli/mylor craddle combination bit

[dalesnfellfan]

Emerald wasn't very settled with a bit, constantly fiddling and went around with her mouth open and seemed to resent any pressure although she wasn't hard to stop just didn't like it.  I had tried a straight bar happy mouth, a French link fulmar and both a sweet iron French link and a NS shaped peanut, she was better in the NS but still not happy.  I had wanted to try her in a bitless bridle but hadn't quite got the confidence fearing I wouldn't have brakes or steering, never having used one before. I had liked the idea of the Parrelli cradle bridle/Mylor combination bit which puts pressure on the nose and/or poll first and only goes to the mouth if they don't respond to light pressure, it also has varying levels of tong relief  depending on which option you buy, but at £120 for the bit or £200 for the whole bridle it was quite expensive to try not knowing whether it would work or not.  Then I saw the bit  on Equine Superstore reduced to £42 so thought I'd try it, I chose the C2 which gives medium tong relive and medium tong contact  as I thought this was likely to give enough tong relive and still give her some support.

It arrived the next day and after the first few minutes chewing on it she settled and went forward freely with a quiet mouth and no open mouth, she quickly learned that if she responded quickly enough it left her mouth alone so she's happy in it and I'm happy that I have no resistance and the safety net of the bit if we need it.

[valerie n scout]

Hope she continues to like it, Scout hated everything so we ended up bitless x

[dalesnfellfan]

Which bitless bridle do you use, and was the transition easy? I havn't really ridden bitless except on a ridding holiday in Turkey where all horses were wore English hackamores which I think are quite severe, and I worry about not having brakes or steering in an emergency. I know whatever you use is only as good as the hands using it but there are so many different types of bridle and not having any experience of bitless I would struggle to know which one to try, I feel she would really be happier with no bit and what we've got at the moment is a bit of a compromise.

[valerie n scout]

It's a Micklem, Scout made it easy....it was easier to do without it's hard riding a Giraffe ! Lol
It has a couple of different combinations we use the first setting, he loves it, he is fast and pulls but is easily stoppable in it, perhaps it's because he is happy too x
Best of luck x

[harleydales]

I'm bitless too - Lady goes in an English hackamore and loves it; we also have a cross-iver bridle which isn't quite such a good fit, and a headcollar style hackamore, where the straps only tighten under the nose - haven't tried that one yet!

[mickey]

Glad I've read this thread- Tally is a headshaker and I got talking to my vet the other day. I've tried a few things and dont have oodles of money to throw at investigations and he suggested trying a hackamore. Tried one today- wow. No headhshaking. It may be a coincidence that the weather and pollens have changed, we'll see. I've borrowed it and have been told its a german hackamore. Quite tempted to try a micklem bridle though...
The combi bit is definately worth bearing in mind if she needs more for jumping. She is very forwards but not strong

[dalesnfellfan]

I sympathise with you and Tally, my Sec D Briallen was a headshaker which was manageable at first but got so bad that it was the reason she was put down in the end, as she was in pain in the field with nothing on her head. It really is such a miserable condition for horse and owner, the micklem bridle is worth a try as it is shaped so it doesn't put pressure on the facial nerves which are often the cause of headshaking.
It is the time of year when headshaking usually gets better, Briallen was fine in the winter unless we had an unseasonably warm day.

I have put Briallen's old comfort bridle on Emerald with shaped and padded headpiece and extra large browband and she seems more comfortable in it and is accepting the bit a lot better now, the first bridle I used for her was quite a snug fit round her ears so I think was adding to her discomfort with a snaffle bit.
This comfort bridle was a really nice fit on Briallen but didn't do anything for the headshaking so if your thinking of investing in a new bridle I'd probably try a micklem, I don't know whether there is anywhere you could hire one first to try, but you probably won't know for certain if it works until next spring when the weather warms and pollen is more prevalent.

Hope you can find a solution that makes things manageable for you, incidentally I had several 'breakthroughs' when I thought we had found the answer and then found it was just coincidence and due to weather/pollen/fly conditions, it is so disappointing when this happens.

[mickey]

Thanks, she's rideable in summer with a full face mask ( looks stupid but I dont care- it helps!) and she doesnt headshake when jumping. funnily enough the lady who has lent me the hackamore offered to let me try her micklem as well so that's another option. Its a horrible problem

[harveydales]

I feel for all of you with head shakers. I've had 3 over the years of varying degrees of severity so know what a horrid condition it is. Nothing helpful to add unfortunately......

[dalesnfellfan]

Yes I also rode Briallen in full face mask too, I didn't care about how we looked, I did have a few comments though, one man told me I was cruel riding in a mask because it restricted her vision, which it didn't. This spring though when the weather warmed up and I put the mask on again she couldn't tolerate it and she started shaking, rubbing and striking at her face as soon as the mask went on. In the end she went very quickly from the headshaking being manageable if unpleasant to uncontrollable and dangerous with her striking at her face hard with her front feet and her getting totally distraught.
I do hope you manage to find some lasting relief for her.