Bit Reccomendations

poiuytrewq

poiuytrewq

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I'm fiddling around with bits for my horse. She does seem to get a bit antsy in her mouth. I have a pile of different bits but all are too big so I can't do the usual work through them to see which is best, I need to actually go buy or borrow so suggestions would be useful.
I've tried a few and her worst was a loose ring snaffle with a lozenge. The best a Bombers single jointed, loose rings (lock up?) no nutcracker action.

She has a very low palette and has had oral problems, now all fixed now by a referral to a proper vet edt but I wonder if she has been uncomfortable in her mouth for a long time perhaps. She is due another check up next month so we are on top of that.

She isnt strong and i think like's something still rather lots of movement in her mouth. - I'd been thinking maybe a Bomber happy mouth or ported type may be worth a try?
She is fairly fresh out of racing and I've just hacked lightly, wanting to get her mouth all sorted etc before asking any more of her. I plan to continue hacking and doing groundwork to strngthen and straighten over winter so not looking for swanky precision, more gentle comfort and acceptance.
Suggestions please as to what may be good to look at? Thanks!
 
sprenger duo is very stable, yet soft - thin enough for low palette/big tongue.

i’ve got a bit fitting tomorrow morning because it’s no longer working for my mare, so i may be able to come back with more intel🤣
 
Hanging cheek, or even just eggbut rings will sit still better in the mouth than a loose ring- I'd second the suggestion to try a mullen mouth, but you may find with more stability in the rings she doesn't mind a jointed bit.
 
Archie was the same, a mullen mouth hanging cheek worked best for him. At the time (20 years ago) Myler were the only ones who made one so it cost a fortune but I think there are far more around now.
 
Thank you guys! I’ll have a look on Market Place and see what I can find.
I’d thought a myler might be worth a try actually. My other horse always liked his Hanging cheek myer but it’s too big for her.
I’ve tried a eggbutt with a double joint. Not a huge fan but again maybe an eggbutt with a different mouth piece would work. I may actually have a smaller hanging cheek though. I'd not thought of trying that.

Gives me a few ideas!
 
okay, bit fitting done and new things learned🤣 for lily, myler & similar actually aren’t the best because she doesn’t have enough room in her mouth - her tongue is perfectly average size so she doesn’t need the huge port of the myler.

Expert bits are similar shape, but not such a dramatic port. Lily was a fan of the titanium!
 
poiuytrewq said:
Thank you guys! I’ll have a look on Market Place and see what I can find.
I’d thought a myler might be worth a try actually. My other horse always liked his Hanging cheek myer but it’s too big for her.
I’ve tried a eggbutt with a double joint. Not a huge fan but again maybe an eggbutt with a different mouth piece would work. I may actually have a smaller hanging cheek though. I'd not thought of trying that.

Gives me a few ideas!
Click to expand...
I'd lend you Archie's but it's 6", I think it'll definitely be too big for her. He had huge lips!
The other thing that made a difference to him was a Micklem bridle. I've said this so often on here so forgive the repetition but my instructor has a theory (and my experience with Archie backs this up) that the anatomical claims aren't that big a deal but the Micklem holds the bit very still in the mouth which is why some horses go so well in them and others (who don't care about that) don't seem to change at all in them.
 
Ah Thank you Annagain! That's really kind but yes too big. I think the one I have is 6", although i must dig it out and check just incase.
dottylottie said:
okay, bit fitting done and new things learned🤣 for lily, myler & similar actually aren’t the best because she doesn’t have enough room in her mouth - her tongue is perfectly average size so she doesn’t need the huge port of the myler.

Expert bits are similar shape, but not such a dramatic port. Lily was a fan of the titanium!
Click to expand...
That's interesting. You'd think a Myler would be a good choice for a horse with not much room being thinner than some. I looked at Expert bits actually and some look really good. There were a few I'd have liked to try.

How did the fitting work/go otherwise? I did try to book one but no joy so figured I'd just play around myself.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Ah Thank you Annagain! That's really kind but yes too big. I think the one I have is 6", although i must dig it out and check just incase.

That's interesting. You'd think a Myler would be a good choice for a horse with not much room being thinner than some. I looked at Expert bits actually and some look really good. There were a few I'd have liked to try.

How did the fitting work/go otherwise? I did try to book one but no joy so figured I'd just play around myself.
Click to expand...
she explained that when they don’t have a lot of room, the port ends up in the wrong place, or catching their teeth etc.

she had a look in her mouth, felt round her head/jaw, and then watched how she went with no input from me in her normal bit, then watched us once we went into trot/started bending etc.

we tried 3, so just hopped off & put her headcollar on, swapped the bit and then went again! we tried the expert bits comfy barrel, a different brand lozenge/hanging cheek, and then the expert bits titanium, which she was much happier in.

after looking i think im going to go for a fager titanium instead, as i can trial it with the bit bank
 
I have been recommended a sprenger dynamic RS in eggbutt but nobody has a 5.5" and sprenger doesnt seem to do them in 5.5" which is odd...

Mine has gone better in a D ring verbindend than a loose ring but still not quite there. Turtle top was also recommended initially
Annagain said:
I'd lend you Archie's but it's 6", I think it'll definitely be too big for her. He had huge lips!
The other thing that made a difference to him was a Micklem bridle. I've said this so often on here so forgive the repetition but my instructor has a theory (and my experience with Archie backs this up) that the anatomical claims aren't that big a deal but the Micklem holds the bit very still in the mouth which is why some horses go so well in them and others (who don't care about that) don't seem to change at all in them.
Click to expand...
This is interesting as have been considering a micklem (not looking at anything fancy - there seem to be a lot on ebay) as mine likes a stiller bit.
 
Another vote for Bomber Happy Tongue (does she have a particularly big tongue?) I do agree with trying a Mullen mouth but tbh I’d probably look at something with a port if she has a low pallette - my ISH had a huge tongue and he hated the Mullen mouth because he didn’t have the room for it. We schooled mostly in a NS verbindend bur he did like a French link.
 
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