What kind of bit do you use and why?

[Bay Mare]

I've had Saff in a Sprenger Ultra & WH for a while now and she's gone ok in them. Although I'd got a pelham (a la Heather Moffett) I'd never really used it because my trainer was a BD dressage rider.

Anyway ... we decided to try her in it the other day (with double reins) and the difference was remarkable. Although E was barely using the curb she was a lot softer in it and you could see that she was really trying. Her whole outline was a lot better.

I've got her in the rubber mullen mouth at the moment but have got a stainless steel one coming to see what she thinks of that! I just need to find my elastic curb out now and buy some libby's reins!!!


Has anyone else swapped bits and seen an obvious difference in their way of going?

[Joyscarer]

Joy goes in a loose ringed french link because that is what she was in when I bought her and she isn't having a problem with it.

I have bought her a hanging cheek french link to try and persuade her to bring her head down a bit but I can't find it :o

Having said that, in the past week she has really progressed well without (although still not there) and if I had put her in it I would have put this down to the bit rather than the schooling :)

[coss]

Dawn used to be in a hackamore - changed to a really thick loosering snaffle (as i was young and thought it was really mild :rolleyes: - still trying to explain to my dad about it not being mild) as the hackamore brought the cheek pieces near her eyes which she disliked.
I then changed her to a happy mouthe roller with looserings (her current bit) as the snaffle was very thick and i wanted a "kinder" bit with more mobility. a great improvement in the softness although much more schooling is needed :D

Harry was in an eggbutt snaffle, i changed him to a copper eggbutt snaffle that had a narrower mouthpiece (as there wasn't really enough room with the original bit). i changed to copper to encourage him to soften and mouth the bit more. he also improved. i wanted a D-ring as that helps to provide more security and a more consistent contact. couldn't get one so got and eggbutt instead.

[jovi_y2k2]

Star is in a myler forward tilt ported snaffle as soon as I put him in this bit he loved it and the independant side movement realy helps keep him straight. I got this bit because it gives loads of tongue relief and star has a really thick tongue in a tiny mouth

[carthorse]

For schooling Jim has a Myler mullen mouth snaffle with full cheeks. I prefer full cheeks on him because he'll sometimes have a panic & even if I can't stop I have some steering left, which to date has always let me pull up eventually. The mullen mouthpiece seems to encourage him to accept the contact though he can sometimes get a little set on it, also it seems to give a pretty quick precise aid which he finds reassuring. If he becomes too set I'll use a different bit for a short time but it's a real balancing act - he's got a light mouth & is very sensitive to the hand but at the same time he's a big active horse that can take a real hold if he gets stressy.

For hacking I use a pelham with a Myler comfort low port mouthpiece. I always ride with two reins & basically I use it as a snaffle & only take a contact on the curb if I need it. I'd love to have the pelham with the Myler mullen mouthpiece but the one I've got suited him better at the time & he's still ok in it so I can't really justify a new one :p

[chickflick1066]

Stumpy has had an array of bits. She's had:
> a single jointed loose ring snaffle - hated it!
> a waterford snaffle - too harsh for the both of us
> a happy mouth mullen and full cheek mullen - she leant on both of these

And she's currently in a coronet french link full cheek snaffle and she does go beautifully - for everyday riding. She has fab breaks in it, works properly in it etc.

She'll go in a french link hanging cheek for shows though, just for that 'extra'.

I did try her in a double before, and she went beautifully. It just gives that bit more refinement.

[puzzles]

myler and no other ever again, lol! there are three i have my eye on which could be perfect for Puzzles.
- plus the odd use of a hackamore.

[keep the faith]

I use a magic bit. Lady hated everything, plain jointed snaffle, french link, hanging cheek, happy mouth,rubber snaffle, myler. I have more bits than the local tack shop. The magic bit only one she actually liked. After i spent a fortune on the others.:rolleyes:

[domane]

Cherry came with a dutch gag but leant on it, tried a french link snaffle but that was like trying to push a wall down with a feather, upped to jointed eggbutt which was a struggle but OK for schooling and now we are happy hackers on the road I feel safest with her in a ported kimblewick, in case I want to go one way and she decides she wants to go the other....

[Vez]

Willow uses a hackamore bridle at the moment but I'm going to start introducing her to a loose ring snaffle again because I can't get a proper contact in a hackamore. If she doesn't accept bit I'm just going to keep her in hackamore!

[kirstie]

Amba has just one bit french link hanging cheek, shes a lot happy in this and she does go quite nicely in it, she was in a full cheek eggbutt snaffle but didn't like it much

[coss]

take time vez to try and get a contact, i'm still working on dawn and gradually getting there.

[BeachRiding]

I have Willie in a full twist because he won't go well in anything else.

Gitcha is in a snaffle roller, but hates it so I am going to put him in a french link;)

[Joyscarer]

For those of you with an excess of bits, try wacking them on ebay and get some money for them so you can finance buying something else to clutter up your tackroom with :D

[Bronya]

Loose ring French links for both girls.

When doing xc or sponsored rides if we haven't done any for ages and Mysti's likely to get seriously over-excited, Pelham with two reins. Use that for schooling sometimes too, as she needs to be used to it, wouldn't just stick it in after months and take her jumping! Sunny just needs a martingale and grackle if she hasn't done xc in ages as she is well aware that if she opens her mouth and raises her head the bit is useless so she can bomb round at her own (very fast) speed and have fun!

[tasha]

I seem to have quite a collection! The only ones I use on Kal though are a loose ring copper ball link which she loves (its similar to a KK) and the pelham that Bay Mare describes, which she does go well in, but for some reason she doesnt like it for flatwork anymore. So we just have it in for jumping at shows now. Although Kal is strong she is also very sensitive in the mouth, so needs a nice mild bit that wont hit the roof of her mouth. At the moment she also has a standing martingale for hacking as she protests against slowing/stopping in canter by throwing her head about. SM means she argues against herself and not me. Its slowly teaching her that she wont get her own way, and I hope to downgrade soon.

[Jetstreem]

I have Tigger in a happy mouth loose ring snaffle with the roller in the middle. He goes brilliantly in this bit, he is really starting to accept contact and work much better. He used to be in an ordinary dutch gag, then I changed to happy mouth dutch gag, which gave some improvement, then to a HM dutch gag with roller, and then to the loose ring with roller. I still use the dutch gag for XC and going to the beach, but I find he gets very behind the big when schooling in it.

Roana currently has the HM gag with roller in her mouth with the reins on the large ring, she has this purely for the mouth piece as she doesn't particularly like the single jointed bits anymore as she has a very sensitive mouth from being a RS pony most of her life- doesn't like inconsistent contact. She goes really well in this, although she can go in the other bits as long as you keep a light contact otherwise she shakes her head up and down.

Has anybody tried a Wilkie snaffle? I had though about this bit for Tigger for XC because it would give me that little bit extra control without being as harsh as a dutch gag.

Cerys :)

[Lgd]

Peri has a tranz link eggbut snaffle which does for both snaffle and the bridoon in her double. I was using a schulung in her double but she seems to prefer the tranz. Her weymouth is a low wide port with fixed cheeks.

Tavia has a verbindend snaffle. Her weymouth is one made specially for her - it is a mullen mouth but with the mouth piece pitched up through 90 degrees.

[Daffy Dilly]

I have three different bits - pelham, full cheek snaffle and loose ring snaffle, all with a copper enriched eliptical link mouthpiece.

Pelham was used earlier to ensure I had breaks on a hack, although I didn't quite when trotting behind another horse, so I think my reins were too long. I think I need a different (ie leather/gel) curb for that though, as he keeps trying to catch the shank in his mouth. He can work really really well in the pelham when asked, although today was the first time he'd worn it since September, and I was more bothered about preventing any tanking off.

Full cheek snaffle is used for flexion/long reining work, where I find it useful to encourage bending. He doesn't need it as much now though.

Loose ring snaffle is our general bit - if we're just schooling, this is the one we use, and i hope that when I have a snaffle, I can go back to hacking out in it without any running off.

[Daffy Dilly]

Has anybody tried a Wilkie snaffle? I had though about this bit for Tigger for XC because it would give me that little bit extra control without being as harsh as a dutch gag.

Cerys :)

Yes, but he didn't like the mouthpiece, and it was a £35 bit. :rolleyes:

Not to mention the show pelham I had made, which was £80, but I'm hoping that if I change the curb chain on it he'll stand to be ridden in it. It has shorter shanks than his other pelham, so he can hook the ring at the bottom over a tooth and I have to stop him to remove it. But it looks nice on. :p

[MelanieD]

Fatty has a JP snaffle and she's much happier in that than anything else I've tried her in, she hates any kind of french link or lozenge bit and likes plain stainless steel. Unfortunatly the little madam is finding it far too comfortable and easy to ignore when we're hacking out and she wants to go so I suspect there's going to be a change of bit to something a little bit less easy to ignore by the summer when we're hacking more and she's fitter. Tried a pelham once and had a stroppy tanking off pony with her ears up my nose :rolleyes:

[ClaireBear_nz]

Sparky has a hanging cheek snaffle for every day schooling. It's the bit I've found that she enjoys the most, and I don't end up with an overbent half-rearing, or completly manical pony. She just has a normal cavesson on the flat.
For jumping, I use a loose-ring with a flash and a running martingale, when show-jumping, she tends to get overexcitied, and the flash stops her utterly tanking through the ropes with me, as does the running martingale. I also like the RM cross-country, as it would make it harder for the reins to flip over her head.

Tally for basic schooling has a D-ring snaffle. I'm not 100% sure why a D-ring but he likes it, and goes nicely in it, so I won't change it!
For jumping or fast work, he has a pelham. I'm going to use double reins, but the first time I took him out (to the beach!) I put on roundings, as I didn't want to be coping with a hyped up new horse, and two sets of reins at the same time. No martingales, and just an ordinary cavesson for him.

[katiecuckoo]

Hi Lynne - what's up, you say you're damaged and sad - is that still current?:o

[puzzles]

I am practically married to the Myler range: whoever invented it, watch out! :-)
they have:
- independant side movement (of cheeks)
- sweet iron mouthpiece
- extra tongue room
- distributed pressure, specialised to certain places for different effects
- bits adapted to 3 different training levels
- bits designed to encourage salivation (and therefore relxation of the jaw and breaking at the poll as the bit and contatc is acepted)
- loads of different mouth and cheek pieces
- . . . plus are worth every ha' penny.

:D)

i respect any bit designed for extra comfort for the horse and a greater connection between horse and rider.

[keep the faith]

Try telling that to my mare! lol:eek: she hates mylers. I went to a myler clinic with her and they tried quite a few bits on her and she hated everyone.lol. Theres me thinking i was being a nice mummy buying her a comfortable bit.:D Guess she's one of these spoilt children that gets everything and doesn't appreciate it.lol.

[Lucyad]

Just an eggbut french link - first port of call, and haven't needed to upgrade to anything else!

[mayoguinness]

None..................but I'm sure everyone in the world knows that by now :p hehe

[puzzles]

None..................but I'm sure everyone in the world knows that by now :p hehe

Heehee, that's very open-minded of you. :D

Even though i do love mylers, every bit to its own i say; each comes in to its own in time of need. And no bit would exist if it were not comfortable and effective in one horse or another at least. :)

Keep the faith :eek: must go and lie down!

x

[Waikato Valuta]

I use a no bit bridle. And love it.

I may need to introduce the bit again if I want to be able to compete.

[mayoguinness]

sure is Puzzles :D I'm VERY open minded when it comes to bits :p:p:p

[svenja]

None..................but I'm sure everyone in the world knows that by now :p hehe

:D :p that made me chuckle.... good on you.

Pielena is in a KK sprenger double jointed snaffle (the ultra funny metal kind)- she has a tiny mouth so it's quite a thin bit. I recently bought her the eggbut version of the same bit as the loose ring once pinched the side of her mouth -although on your advice from my thread on this a few weeks ago, Bay Mare, I let the bridle down by a hole on one side, and she seems much more comfortable now. So thanks!:D

[Denbenj]

Good Call Mayo lol :p

Kai was in a Straight Rubber but he ' ate' it!

I now have him in a copper jointed snaffle, he seems very happy in it ' so far touch wood' and my steering feels light and effective..aswell as good brakes ( when the lazy git moves!)

[Ms Kitty]

Viri is at the moment on Dutch gag as he is being a bit fresh (and where I ride, you can't do "no breaks" ;)) rein on the second ring, but if/when I have time to do continuous workouts with him, he goes back to plain loose ring snaffle. He is perfectly fine with both, I think he actually prefers the gag, but loose ring snaffle just is better for certain types of schooling.

Nina x

[mayoguinness]

:D.........couldn't help myself :p

[Skye94]

after battling with a; Frence link snaffle, kimblewick, rubgy pelham, vulcanite pelham, hanging cheek snaffle, hackamore, myler, dutch gag, Mcguines, american gag, happy mouth snaffle and a waterford Skye is now in a Dr.Bristol which is working a treat!! YAY!! thank god i was starting to give up hope!!

[eml]

Hippo has hanging cheek snaffle for schoolwork/dressage and currently a vulcanite pelham for hacking out (Hadn't hacked for years and proved a little exciting in a snaffle once he understood that he was allowed to move forward from his dressage working canter!)

Daughters horse seems to change bits daily according to what she is doing and her mood, generally snaffle on flat, slotted kimberwick when jumping/XC. either double or rugby pelham for showing. Muliple brakes when ridden out :rolleyes:

School horses generally wear snaffles of varying types with a few changed for jumping or XC

[alwaysfallingof]

Max is in a very thin loose ring french link that is far, far too big for him but he loves it!:rolleyes:

I've tried a smaller french link, thicker french link (he was ridiculously hollow), a straight bar mullen which had about the same reaction, a pelham (which is much more bit than he needs and he backed off it), and a hanging cheek french link that he tolerates and is necessary once in a while

[giddyupgo]

My horse Skip just uses a Tom Thumb, tried others but it's what he rides the best in.

[Roofio]

When i first loaned him, J was in a single jointed dutch gag that was too narrow for him and he hated :( He had about 10 other bits including an eggbut single jointed snaffle with his name engraved which rubbed him as it was also too narrow, a full cheek french link snaffle which was better but still too narrow. he's now in a 6" loose ring sweet iron french link which he loves, does grab hold of, doesnt pull on and actually salivates in when we're schooling. the brakes aren't fantastic when he gets wound up but that happens so rarely i can cope! it just makes me sad that for at least the last 8 years of his life he's been wearing 5 1/2" bits when he's at LEAST a 6" :(

[puzzles]

i used to ride a moody, stubborn 14.1hh cob mare who had otherwise been well schooled and (of course!) i loved her to bits.
she was popped into a myler and . . . what a difference!
she was responsive, soft and supple - all her ability shone through as she learned to relax and not resist the myler (i think she liked it rather a lot).

:-DDDDD

[Peanut]

Horses for courses in my opinion, but for the time being I'm a Myler fan. At the moment my mare is going very well in a Myler comfort snaffle (having started off in a french link).

[ponylover88]

...

[Shadowlark]

My horse Skip just uses a Tom Thumb, tried others but it's what he rides the best in.


Oiy! There is nothing "Just" about a tom thumb! It probably the harshest bit before you get into those crazy barrel racing contraptions that are so popular right now. You may want to have a read thru Mark Rashid's very eloquantly put article on thier use.

http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/TroublewithTomThumb.htm

If it's really what works for your horse, then by all means use it! But it's very important to know what you have in your horses mouth and just how strong it can be.

[tasha]

Interestingly, I tried Kal in her old Uttoexeter Kimblewick today, with the reins through the main D and an elastic curb. Back was the Kal of old - tense, reluctant to accept the bit, shooting in front and then behind the leg. Jumping was explosive and we had high speed half pass when she expected to be jumping but wasn't. So, the kimblewick is now back in my bit box again!

[puzzles]

oops, i've just realised that i've answered this post at least twice . . . lol, simply dippy

[showjumper-zoe]

Echo - myler comfort saffle, full cheek with hooks, because it helps her break at the poll with the hooks so she drops her head also like the full cheeks for jumpmoffs. American gag - control out hacking but could do with it jumping as well as she can get vvvv strong!

Punch - 3 ring snaffle, happy mouth straight bar mouthpiece, because he can't have jointed bit's dentists orders, he has a really small mouth so when the bit closes together wears his teeth down. The 3 rings just for the control.

Beau - french link full cheek, he's not strong really, the cheeks help with his stearing especially round a course.

[Keket]

Coquette was started in a hollow, thick-mouthpiece, stainless steel, single jointed, loose-ring snaffle like this one (http://www.eqtack.com/catalog/popup_image.php?pID=581&type=jpg). But she needs a little more refinement now. And she's got a bump on her the left corner of her lower lip which you can't see when her mouth is closed, but it does change the way her mouth closes around the bit. It doesn't hurt her, but if the mouthpiece is too thick she can't fully close her lips and her tongue pokes out the side.

So after a few tries with other bits, she's been switched to a single-jointed d-ring snaffle with copper rollers and a slightly thinner mouthpiece like this one (http://www.greenhawk.net/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/scstore/p-BIE1136.html?L+scstore+zzgc5279ffb486b4+1179095741) and she's going wonderfully in it.

[Nik-n-Kia]

Gosh.......

some of these bits i have never even heard of lol!!!!

Kia used ti be in a plain eggbutt snaffle but he could take the p*ss in it and tended to grab it between his teeth and do what ever he liked :rolleyes:

I then changed to a copper roller snaffle and a flash noseband. wonderful for schooling in and hacking but of absolutely no use at a rideout!!! No brakes, steering or hope really :eek: :rolleyes:

I tried a pelham, french link, vulcanite assorted, happymouth assorted and even a gag but the pelham and gag made him kinda reary, he never went up but he was thinking about it!!!! and the rest he paid no attention to unless I was standing in the stirrups hauling on them which isnt nice for me or him :o

So he is now in a Dr Bristol snaffle like so

http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p120/Nik-n-Kia/BDRB1.jpg

and he goes really really well in it!!! I have soft hands when schooling and riding in general so he accepts it readily and it gives me the essential brakes and steering and has even helped with his ducking out at jumps!!!

Nikki xxxxx

[ClaireBear_nz]

I just got Tally a D-ring with copper rollers. He adores it!

Shadowlark, over here, this is a Tom Thumb, and I spent ages wondering where the problem was. :o

http://www.nagmartsaddlery.com.au/Uploads/Images/TomThumbSnaffleBit.jpg

[Tots N Dots]

Pickle is in a single joint loose ring snaffle
he is happy in it, and I hate single joint bits, I did try him in one of the revolving lozenge snaffles but he said "NO"? so hey ho will stick with what he is happy in :rolleyes:
I like the myler bits so keep my eye out on ebay alot, but am loath to change him since he is happy