Another bitting question, ideas on what to try?

[GoldenWillow]

J is currently in a hanging cheek french link and has been for the majority of the time but I still feel I could find something that he likes better. He's not strong, will open his mouth but not horrendously so but the main thing is he will chomp quite a lot on it. He can be inconsistent into contact but that is schooling and is continually improving. I have never thought he is completely happy in this bit but is better in it than anything else I've tried. He's ridden in a Micklem with bottom strap very loose and is better in that that traditional bridle.

He is very clear when he dislikes a bit.

Anything with a straight mouthpiece, worse the thicker the mouthpiece has him standing with his mouth wide open in disgust. Same with ported mouthpiece or Bomber mouth piece.

Worse with any type of lozenge.

Worse with loose rings, fusses a lot.

Seems happier in stainless steel, have tried Sprenger, warm iron and copper mixes, Nathe, Happy Mouth and Rubber.

Okish in Myler comfort snaffle but better in current bit.

Okisk in single jointed bits and with eggbut cheeks but better in current bit.

Have used two dentists, currently using vet who's special interest is dentistry, never needed anything than the odd sharp edge taken off. Nothing unusual in mouth conformation, typical cob, fat tongue, fleshy bars, fleshy lips, lowish roof of mouth (palate?) but not exceptionally so.

Have tried, and failed, to get Bit Fitters out but we are too rural for any to come to us.

It's not a huge problem but I feel I could find something better for him but have no idea what, any ideas gratefully received!

 

[MereChristmas]

I don’t know if this will be relevant, anyway…
Something I learnt recently and am telling anyone who mentions their horse isn’t quite comfortable.
My bit fitter said F had a long smile and not to have wrinkles in his lips as this would make the bit bang on his teeth when in action. He also has quite a thick tongue, thickish lips and a lowish palate.
I had a hanging cheek lozenge on his bridle.

 

[dixie]

Welcome to Fager

The most innovative bits on the market - Fager

fagerbits.com

Have you tried these. I was looking at them for my fussy boy but didn’t need to get one in the end as I got a bit fitter out.
They look a bit different and thinner which yours might like?

 

[Ouch05]

Welcome to Fager

The most innovative bits on the market - Fager

fagerbits.com

Have you tried these. I was looking at them for my fussy boy but didn’t need to get one in the end as I got a bit fitter out.
They look a bit different and thinner which yours might like?

Sounds like my boy and the but fitter today tried a number of these we settled on one that I have on trial for a few weeks

 

[GoldenWillow]

I don’t know if this will be relevant, anyway…
Something I learnt recently and am telling anyone who mentions their horse isn’t quite comfortable.
My bit fitter said F had a long smile and not to have wrinkles in his lips as this would make the bit bang on his teeth when in action. He also has quite a thick tongue, thickish lips and a lowish palate.
I had a hanging cheek lozenge on his bridle.

Thank you, I should have said I've played about with bit height, he definitely prefers it a bit on the lower side. I'll try it a bit lower again and see what he thinks.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Welcome to Fager

The most innovative bits on the market - Fager

fagerbits.com

Have you tried these. I was looking at them for my fussy boy but didn’t need to get one in the end as I got a bit fitter out.
They look a bit different and thinner which yours might like?

Thank you, I've never seen these before, I'll have a look at them.

 

[MereChristmas]

Thank you, I should have said I've played about with bit height, he definitely prefers it a bit on the lower side. I'll try it a bit lower again and see what he thinks.

Photo taken when I was being silly at Christmas but the best to show his smile

 

[Bobthecob15]

Have you tried any of these bits? https://expertbits.co.uk/ they have good reviews and if you have Instagram they have lots of videos of success stories! They have a virtual consultation service so if you tell them your issues and bits you've already tried I'm sure they will be able to suggest something.

We are in a similar boat with being too rural to get someone out to us!

 

[MereChristmas]

Have you tried any of these bits? https://expertbits.co.uk/ they have good reviews and if you have Instagram they have lots of videos of success stories! They have a virtual consultation service so if you tell them your issues and bits you've already tried I'm sure they will be able to suggest something.

We are in a similar boat with being too rural to get someone out to us!

My bit fitter fitted an Expert Bits universal comfy mouth when she fitted the Horsemanship Avante bridle. It is similar to the NS one I think.

 

[Caol Ila]

Hermosa did not like the Fager bit I bought (she's currently going in a Western hackamore, and I have made bitting a Future Me problem), but it has been transformative for Fin. He hated every snaffle I threw at him, but he goes so well in that little Fager titanium snaffle and opens his mouth for it when I bridle him. Sure beats running backwards across the stable.

I'm looking through their catalogue, searching for a better shape for Hermosa. I feel that Fager is onto something.

 

[MereChristmas]

Hermosa did not like the Fager bit I bought (she's currently going in a Western hackamore, and I have made bitting a Future Me problem), but it has been transformative for Fin. He hated every snaffle I threw at him, but he goes so well in that little Fager titanium snaffle and opens his mouth for it when I bridle him. Sure beats running backwards across the stable.

I'm looking through their catalogue, searching for a better shape for Hermosa. I feel that Fager is onto something.

Not meaning to distract from the original post
but isn’t the Fager website the most confusing one ever seen?
I can’t make head or tail of it

 

[Caol Ila]

Not meaning to distract from the original post
but isn’t the Fager website the most confusing one ever seen?
I can’t make head or tail of it

Yeah, it is. I took a punt on the bit I've got through the Bit Bank. Like I said, it did not work for Hermosa but it has been brilliant for Fin, so I kind of won. I was faffing about on the website tonight, using my phone, and could not figure it out. I might try again with the laptop later.

 

[MereChristmas]

Yeah, it is. I took a punt on the bit I've got through the Bit Bank. Like I said, it did not work for Hermosa but it has been brilliant for Fin, so I kind of won. I was faffing about on the website tonight, using my phone, and could not figure it out. I might try again with the laptop later.

I’ve spent over half an hour and got nowhere. The pages jump when you’re half way through reading and go back to the beginning.
When I eventually got bit suggestions, even though I guessed a lot of the answers, there were 40!
Really.

 

[welshstar]

Love both my fager bits I’ve bought, transformed our dressage tests. Do the bit quiz on the website. I ordered mine through I think it was the bit bank as you can get them on a trial before you buy

 

[Bobthecob15]

Never heard of the fager bits they look a bit style over substance and clever marketing to me which puts me off! But good to hear some have had success with them.

Our 12.2 pony has his mouth open and chomps down a lot on his eggbut snaffle with my daughter, we've had teeth checked, back checked and saddle next week...hard to know if its my daughters riding or him not being comfortable you could spend a fortune couldn’t you trying different bits!

 

[GoldenWillow]

Have you tried any of these bits? https://expertbits.co.uk/ they have good reviews and if you have Instagram they have lots of videos of success stories! They have a virtual consultation service so if you tell them your issues and bits you've already tried I'm sure they will be able to suggest something.

We are in a similar boat with being too rural to get someone out to us!

Thank you, I hadn't heard of them. I've had a look at their selection of bits and I think I've tried very similar in Myler, Sprenger and Bomber type ported mouthpieces with him disliking lozenges and ports sadly.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Going to have a look on the Fager website, wish me luck!

My Instructor doesn't really see it as a problem but I do think I could find something that's a little better for him.

 

[MereChristmas]

Please report on your findings?
I can’t make any sense of it

 

[GoldenWillow]

Please report on your findings?
I can’t make any sense of it

The Fager website seemed to work ok, maybe because I was using a tablet? Would that make the difference?

I did the bit quiz and it gave me 28 options, all bar 27 I discounted as either lozenge, roller type lozenges or loose ring all of which I know doesn't work for him. The one that I would be interested in trying it only gave me the eggbutt cheek but they do do a Baucher one in that mouthpiece which I would try first as the Baucher cheeks seem to work well. Then I discover they only go up to 5 3/4" and he generally needs a 6", which is admittedly a ridiculous size for his height but he has a large, very wide head. I'd need to measure his current bit in mm's to see if it is worth looking at any further.

 

[GoldenWillow]

I don’t know if this will be relevant, anyway…
Something I learnt recently and am telling anyone who mentions their horse isn’t quite comfortable.
My bit fitter said F had a long smile and not to have wrinkles in his lips as this would make the bit bang on his teeth when in action. He also has quite a thick tongue, thickish lips and a lowish palate.
I had a hanging cheek lozenge on his bridle.

I had a look at his bit height today as this is the height I've had it at for quite a long time as it seems the height he's happist at. There is a slight lift to the lips but nowhere near a wrinkle. Really interesting to know now why he prefers this height, thank you.

 

[MereChristmas]

The Fager website seemed to work ok, maybe because I was using a tablet? Would that make the difference?

I did the bit quiz and it gave me 28 options, all bar 27 I discounted as either lozenge, roller type lozenges or loose ring all of which I know doesn't work for him. The one that I would be interested in trying it only gave me the eggbutt cheek but they do do a Baucher one in that mouthpiece which I would try first as the Baucher cheeks seem to work well. Then I discover they only go up to 5 3/4" and he generally needs a 6", which is admittedly a ridiculous size for his height but he has a large, very wide head. I'd need to measure his current bit in mm's to see if it is worth looking at any further.

You have more information about your horse to help you than I have. I think that must make answering their questions and getting a more precise reply easier.
Yesterday I got 40 results, too many to choose from, although it took a while. I tried the website again today and somehow got 11 results.
I think that shows how difficult it is to make the correct option in the choices. I looked up all the bits and found each description was very similar. I have no idea which to choose.
I have only ridden my pony in 2 similar bits and have no idea of his history to guide me.
Thanks for your replies. It’s interesting and informative. I hope you can find a good bit.
Possible bit bank chat I think for me.

 

[GoldenWillow]

Yes, I found many of the descriptions similar in that they would solve a problem and often against very different bits which will work in different ways. I do find that with many, especially the more expensive bits, the problems that they claim they will solve are rather extensive.

I definitely have a list of things he dislikes, I'm lucky that he's quite clear when something is really not going to work, it saves a lot of time and wondering. His reaction when I tried a Bomber bit, which I'd had high hopes for was to stand with his mouth, and eyes, wide open in total horror and disgust, that was a very quick no! He has similar opinions on saddle fit ranging from outright no to more subtle signs and yet is the most forgiving pony with my rider errors.

Good luck with your search, I used ebay for a lot of my trials and errors, I found buying carefully on there and selling if no good was a way of doing it without it costing me much.

 

[MereChristmas]

Opened my British Horse magazine from BHS
There is an article about bits, bitting, mouths and teeth.
Going to read it now

 

[follysienna]

A hanging cheek with a barrel mouthpiece? Not sure which type of Myler you tried, but mine hated the ported, curved mouthpiece but goes really well in a straight mullen with a barrel link.

 

[GoldenWillow]

It was a comfort snaffle mouthpiece with barrel, is that the one you mean? He seems to like some curve as his current bit is JP korsteel which has a slight curves.