cambridge snaffle / magic bit

[jamsinthecat]

I'm currently trying out new bits on my mare and have one of these to try. Rode in it this morning and she was very light, much more responsive to my leg and seemed generally to work very well in it. On the shop4bits site it says that this bit is very mild and suitable for sensitive mouths (which my girl definately has) but on another forum some people said the opposite, that the cambridge mouthpiece is very severe:eek: I've googled it but come up with nothing so does anyone know the answer - kind bit or evil bit?:o I don't want to be causing her any undue discomfort, the whole aim of changing bit was to find something kinder for her mouth. Any help gratefully received

[Pink's lady]

It's about the mildest bit you can get, unless your horses has a very large and fleshy tounge.

They don't bend so they have no nutcracker action and they have a small port to give tounge room but low enough not to dig into the roof of the mouth. only problem with it is it gives less obvious signals for left and right as it doesn't seperate it's action.

Not sure why those other people think it's so severe - maybe they're confusing it with a different bit?

Kalli bear is a fussy bugger and hates most bits - she's ignores them if they are mild (giving her a sore mouth) or gets very upset if they are severe. She now has a cambridge pelham which she loves! I wanted a full cheek cambridge pelham but they don't exist so the shanks of the pelham does the trick. She is usually just ridden with the snaffle reins but goes nicely with the curb rein being used too.

[Mehitabel]

they are useful for tinymouths, but IME often the 'magic' is the horse ducking behind the narrow mouthpiece, as it's potentially very severe in anything but the lightest hands, it can be a real cheesewire effect if the horse snatches or if the hands aren't very light and consistent.
we used to have a little show pony type onthe school - about 11.2 and really stick-legged and teeny tiny. nothing else would physically go in her mouth and let her close her gob, but i think they're often overrated.
for me, the narrowness of the bit is what concerns me.

[Pink's lady]

Mehitebel - my mouth peice is 'normal' sized. It's exactly the same thickness as any other bit I have. :confused:

[SirGrumpPants]

I love this bit i put a horse in this who didnt like a jointed or french link, was in a straight bar dutch gag but he liked the mouthpiece but went overbent so i put him in this and he went really nicely

[Mehitabel]

Mehitebel - my mouth peice is 'normal' sized. It's exactly the same thickness as any other bit I have. :confused:

i've only ever seen them tiny - less than 1cm wide. i know the ones normally described as 'magic bits' are very narrow - chifney kind of width. a normal width ported snaffle is indeed a very 'gentle' bit, but AFAIK the 'magic' ones are cheesewirey.

ETA if i can find ours at the weekened i'll take a pic of it next to a normal snaffle.

[Pink's lady]

Maybe the actual 'magic' bit is narrow? I have a cambridge snafflen (exact same thing but not the 'brand') , which is the normal 18mm or whatever it is.

[jamsinthecat]

thanks for the replies. The mouthpiece on the bit I have is normal size, not thin like the one Mehitabel describes so it should be very mild shouldn't it? Thank goodness for that. I tried a peewee bit too and that was severe (even though its supposed to be mild). My girl hated it and refused to work into any contact at all, that really did have a thin mouthpiece and bits that dig into the jaw - not nice IMO.

[Bay Mare]

I use a 'Magic' bit for longreining and Saff loves it. As she's very picky on bits I can't imagine for a second that it's harsh. She seems to like the port on it so I'm going to try a WE pelham at some point for riding.

[Mareish]

What is a Cambridge snaffle and why is it called a magic bit ?

[Pink's lady]

This is a cambridge snaffle

http://www.countrysupplies.com/pix/1/products/3500-m.jpg

Basically a straightbar with a small port in it to give tounge relief.

You can only really get it in a pelham and a loose ring snaffle (if anyone's seen one in a full cheek let me know!!!!)

And an official Magic Bit (it's a brand)
http://www.derbyhouse.co.uk/user_resources/Image/prod_thumbs/P3140052-01.jpg

They are basically the same thing, but as Mehitabel said, the magic bit does look to be narrower and instead of being the same thickness all the way along, inc the port, the port looks to be narrower and flattened.

[Mareish]

So it's a pelham with a port :confused:

I wanted one for Lily to see if it would stop her putting her tongue over the bit ?