advice concerning a bit, please :)

[myhorsecharlie]

hi, i was wondering if anyone could offer me a bit of advice.
me and my sistser put down a deposit on a horse on thursday and he was riding in a gag bit. however, from the offset when we saw him ride you could tell it was doing him no favours, and then shortly after the previous owner said the bit doesn't seem right he could do with something else. however, i'm a bit stuck as to what to go for.
Charlier (our new horse, yay! lol) is not a 'plod' and is rather fizzy, but at the same time rather light on the head, like you don't need to yank his teeth out to stop him. also, i really need something with plenty of controll because he's a bit out of condition and needs bringing back into daily work and has been known to want to 'go' and not stop in open fields.
i'm going to a shop who sells bits, and the man who owns the shop knows his stuff but i'm gonna try and ask as many sources as i can in the hope of learning from your past experiences and your opinions.
thanks so much for reading!

 

[teddyt]

You need to look inside his mouth to see what the mouth conformation is like. e.g fat tongue, low roof of mouth, fleshy lips, etc. This will affect what sort of mouthpiece he can have.
A loop ring snaffle is a possibility that is a bit stronger than most snaffles but not as strong as a gag. It also offers you two choices for placement of the reins.
IMO most horses prefer a bit with a link in the middle rather than a single joint.