Bit choices for tiny pony mouths…

[maya2008]

New pony has a tiny, 4.5” mouth. There’s also not much room for the bit in terms of its diameter - the gap between his teeth is small and his mouth is all-round tiny. At the moment we have a curved single jointed snaffle (which he actually really likes). It was the only one in the size with a thin enough mouthpiece when I was in the tack shop, so that’s what we got.

Looking forward to when my son gets on board though, he’ll need something that’s less likely to get pulled through small pony’s mouth if he decides to go one way and my son wants to go the other. So I started looking at full cheeks (worried they’d get caught on something given our hacking) or hanging cheek (maybe safer) bits. Which got me thinking about the mouthpiece. All the lozenges/French links are the same size in 4.5” as they are in a larger bit, for a larger pony - do they really work properly when the arms are ever so short and nothing else has changed? I can’t see how there would comfortably be room in our pony’s mouth for the size of French link on offer (and he hated the one he came with).

So… any words of wisdom?

Any downsides to sticking with a curved single jointed mouthpiece? Any recommendations for bits that actually downsize the whole structure rather than just making the outside arms shorter?

 

[ihatework]

Keep in current bit and add some rubbers?

 

[Leandy]

You seem to be overthinking this. You haven't even hit the problem you describe. Just stick with the bit the pony currently has. Smaller bits should also be smaller in proportion, not just width. The good makes are.

 

[Haniki]

Fylde Saddlery do bits specially for ponies.
https://www.fyldesaddleryltd.co.uk/

 

[maya2008]

Fylde Saddlery do bits specially for ponies.
https://www.fyldesaddleryltd.co.uk/

Perfect, exactly what I was looking for! I knew someone must do bits that are correctly scaled down!

 

[The Xmas Furry]

There are plenty of small pony bit vendors, as above Fylde are a good place to start, plus Dinky too.
3 and 3/4 is the usual starting size and go upwards, if you get stuck I probably have a few 4" from the A's etc.

 

[maya2008]

There are plenty of small pony bit vendors, as above Fylde are a good place to start, plus Dinky too.
3 and 3/4 is the usual starting size and go upwards, if you get stuck I probably have a few 4" from the A's etc.

Thanks for the help! It’s a whole new world for me - our other two small ponies have much larger heads and can take any 5” bit just fine. I went some distance to a large tack shop initially to get something that would fit the new one and there were none of those nicely scaled bits there - hence this thread. I was quite sure someone on here would know the magic website/make of bit so we would have choices that actually fit!

 

[katastrophykat]

I use Neue Schule pony bits, there’s also a company called Diddy bits. All scaled down, same as Fylde.

 

[st_marks]

Just dealt with this same struggle! My previous pony went in a normal 5" at 12.2hh. Current pony needs a 4.5" and has a VERY fat tongue. I've found he likes the Neue Schule pony bits, he's currently in the eggbutt which is a 10mm mouthpiece.