Pelham Too Thick For Horses Mouth?

[karen]

I've been riding my oldenburg, Atlant, for a few months now in the hard rubber mullen mouth pelham, and he is going really well.  Not so resistant as before.  However, he seems to be opening and closing his mouth quite a lot whilst being ridden, which is not a good sign, as far as I know.  My trainer was riding him last week, and I commented about his mouth.  My trainer did not have a strong contact with his mouth at all, and in fact at one point gave the contact away alltogether as a test.  He still opened his mouth even with no contact.
That got us thinking..could the bit be too thick for him.  I think he has quite a large tongue.  I was wondering if the hard rubber pelhams come in different thicknesses, or should I try him in a metal bit or a happy mouth or something?  Or is there any other reason why he should open his mouth like this?
Also, can anyone tell me what difference a jointed mouthpiece makes in a pelham?
 

[Cobstar]

Hi Karen

My mare hated the rubber mullen mouthed pelham.  She's a big cob with quite a fleshy tongue and I think it was just too much of a mouthful for her.  If you can borrow some bits experiment with a metal mullen mouth pelham or a jointed one.  Of the three types my mare was happiest with a mullen mouth metal pelham - as the jointed pelham with an elastic curb chain she didn't seem to register at all.

I've returned to a french link snaffle as she never entirely settled with the curb chain on the pelham.

[karen]

Thanks cobstar. I think it is probably the same problem with my horse.  I can't borrow bits here, but I think I will try to buy a metal mullen mouth, and hopefully he may be more comfortable in that.  I don't want to put him back in his snaffle, as he does go a lot better in the pelham, apart from the mouth opening.

[lulu]

Have you thought about borrowing one from the bit bank before you buy one?

I use a Happy mouth mullen pelham with my mare which seems very happy in (not that she's got a thick tongue - so doesn't really help you?!)

[karen]

Hi Lulu

I live in Thailand, and we don't  have a bit bank here.  Even buying one is going to be difficult.  I will have to order one from overseas.

[Heather]

Hi Karen,

You will probably find that the thinner mouthpiece of the metal pelham does the trick- Fanta is happier in one. He squeaks on rubber all the time and drives me mad! Also chews them so is less fussy in the metal one. i think that overall a lot of horses do like the rubber ones better, but there are exceptions to every rule!

Heather

[karen]

Thanks Heather...I'll get a metal one when I am back in UK in Oct.  Hopefully that will do the trick.