One of the queries I am asked regularly on the advice line is how to care for rubbed or sore lips. The sore parts can result from a variety of reasons: some owners report that their horses are very sensitive and the mouth will split regardless of bit design or what it is made from, others get sore for more obvious reasons, for example, when the rider has had to hold on too much round a cross country course. Sores can appear at the corners of the lips, inside of the lips, outside the face above the lip corner and even quite high inside the cheeks (often as a result of lips being squeezed into the teeth). Most of the time with discussion and further investigation, a logical reason can be found as the cause. This can range from an incorrectly fitted bit and/or bridle through to the horse being overdue for the dentist. Often we find that the horse is in a bit that is slightly too large, and the rider has therefore sat the bit too high in the mouth – this means that the lips corners are already “in contact” before the reins have even been taken up. When the rider then takes hold of the reins, something has to give and unfortunately it is often the corner of the lip resulting in splits. Care must be taken to ensure the sores/splits have plenty of time to heal – even they appear visually to have healed I would always advise to wait a few more weeks before using the mouth again to ensure the full healing process has taken place.
If the horse must be ridden during this time, sometimes it can be appropriate to use a hackamore or a bitless bridle and I would always suggest that advice is sought as to the most suitable design. Although this type of equipment does not use the mouth, it works on a variety of pressure points including the nose and, as with all new tack, will need to be introduced slowly and methodically in a safe environment. As with most things, prevention is better than cure so next time you bridle up, have a good look at how your bit is fitting and check if any adjustments need to be made.

Republished as still quite a big issue!

One of the main topics on the advice line recently has been the fitting of the bit.  Often when I am speaking to a client, it sounds like they are in what should be the best design of bit for the horse and the level they are training at but somehow things just aren't going quite right.  After all of the usual checks (dentist etc) have been ruled out, the next topic is does the bit actually fit?  More often than not, it seems it doesn't. 

If your horse is in a loose ring, say with a lozenge for example, and it is snatching and grabbing or leaning on one rein, it may just be worth checking that the bit is the right size and not too big.  If too big, we often find that this can be quite uncomfortable for the horse, even if the bit is a very good design.  If too big it could be sliding back and forth across the tongue and that is often the reason the horse tries to grab it and lean on it it; to keep it still and to stop the discomfort.  

Too small a fit can lead to more obvious issues such as bruising and cuts to the inside of the cheek pouches, the lips and also externally at the lip curl.  The horse can sometimes be accused of not wanting to take the rein forwards when the bit doesn't fit and once we understand why this is, at least it can be rectified with a good fitting bit and training can then be resumed.