The bit seat

Eliminate tooth-based behavior issues.

Thankfully, horse enthusiasts are realizing the benefits of total and thorough horse care, and its performance-enhancing effects.

Consequently, the industry is calling on the expertise of professionals such as equine dentists who work under veterinary supervision to provide detailed and concentrated care for your horse.

If you’ve never realized the important role an equine dentist can play, Dr. Phil Ratliff treats problematic horses frequently and finds that many behavioral problems are directly related to the teeth—from bad turns in barrel racing and spins to head tossing, running off, and fighting the head set.

1. First, what you may not realize is that in order to turn right or turn left, your horse’s lower jaw needs to be able to move freely from side to side, unrestricted. For example, to turn left, the jaw has to flex left like this. If he can’t make this movement fluidly, instead of being able to make a nice, quick turn, depending on where he’s locked, he’ll give you a big, wide turn as he braces against the pain.

2. It’s the same to the right. If a horse can’t flex his jaw to the right, you might get a six-foot turn rather than a three-foot turn. When you’re asking him to flex, you’re applying pressure to his temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is tender, so naturally he braces and goes wider. Things as simple as tooth wear that’s too high on one side or the other can create this.

3. To collect for a turn or to give his head downward at all, a horse must be able to slide his jaw forward and back (here the lower jaw is extended beyond the upper jaw). Teeth that have developed hooks, for instance, can prevent this. The horse may need six steps to slide his jaw versus two.

Try this yourself, for a good example. Relax your jaw and touch your chin to your chest. Now, clench your teeth to lock your jaw and try the same thing. This should feel much harder and even hurt your neck. A horse feels the same thing.

4. Finally, let’s talk about the bit seat. It’s an area we can design in these first teeth (upper and lower to maintain occlusion) for the bit to go up in, which releases the soft tissues to fall back into the mouth. It allows for decreased tongue and lower-bar pressure.

From the rider’s standpoint, it makes a horse’s face softer by eliminating pain when soft tissue pinches against a tooth without a bit seat (see opposite side in photo four). This pain can cause a horse to refuse to turn or flex for a proper head set. From the horse’s standpoint, it also improves his ability to take food in and chew properly.

The bit seat can be great for youth or beginners who may be heavy-handed, or in a situation where one horse has multiple riders. I’ve seen the bit seat prevent wrecks in that way; if the rider jerks on the horse, the bit slides up the bit seat rather than pinching that soft tissue and causing pain and panic.

Don’t be afraid to visit with an equine dentist about installing a bit seat, even in your young horses, to prevent training obstacles.

By Doreen Shumpert with Phil Ratliff, C/EQD

Printed in the November 2006 issue of Appaloosa Journal.

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