Bits- in your opinion?

That I think depends on the rider and the horse!

For my mare, I ride in a NS tranzlink hanging cheek and in that she responds to a light touch, while a gelding I rode this summer was in a french link loose ring snaffle.

Technically though I think its an eggbut snaffle, but its horses for courses
 
a mullen mouth (happy mouth) loose ring most probably is the softest bit in any hands really
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or a just a rubber straight bar loose ring
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With the eggbutt snaffle, what mouthpiece/material would you choose as the mildest? Straightbar, french link? Rubber, nathe, metal?
 
Thanks Hattikins, the horse I'm thinking of is currently in a rubber straight bar with loose rings. It needs replacing so I'm just gathering ideas for whether to buy another the same or something a little different.
 
I'd agree that the loose ring gives more play and movement, but, (again another but....) not all horses like them, put a loose ring in several I ride and they become quite worried about it.

As for the material, either happy mouth or Neue Schule copper mix bits, not found a horse that doesnt like or go better in these.
 
Crazy Mare, I haven't tried a copper mix mouthpiece on her- may borrow one to give it a try before making a decision, thanks.
Although she doesn't seem to worry about the loose ring, unlike the horses you mention, I haven't actually ever tried her in a standard eggbutt, she's been in a loose ring most of the time and a baucher once or twice. I think I'll try an eggbutt out as well, see if there's any noticeable difference. Think I have one the right size hanging about somewhere!
 
Thanks TinselDragon. (what was your name before- i'm confused! Easily done mind you!). I may well stick with nathe/rubber type mouthpiece for her- might give the copper type mentioned above a try too though, if I can find one to borrow.
 
Birmingham- I went to uni there a couple of years ago and haven't left yet. Originally from Leicestershire though. Whereabouts are you when you aren't at uni?
 
I know Loughborough too well, far too well, especially at night!!!

Its my closest town!!

Shall PM you rather than carry on off topic!!
 
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Thanks TinselDragon. (what was your name before- i'm confused! Easily done mind you!). I may well stick with nathe/rubber type mouthpiece for her- might give the copper type mentioned above a try too though, if I can find one to borrow.

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Name before was Sleepingdragon10....only changed for the festive season mind,normal services will be resumed soon enough
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Re:Nathe bits, I do prefer them,although have found one or two who like to chomp on and destroy them
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When my little fella's old enough he'll be started in one,I'd like his mouth to stay as soft as possible
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Ah I see! All the name changes have confused me- I will probably be even more confused when they all change again!
Luckily the mare the bit is for doesn't tend to chomp. Wouldn't be able to use one on my other one- doubt it would even last a week!
 
Love the Nathe loose rings as are very soft. Otherwise a lozenged warm metal loose ring. But it depends on the horse. Don't personally like eggbut snaffles much, unless of course the horse has a like for them!!
 
Flexible rubber straight mouth snaffle - I had to stop doing xc in mine as my horse would just not react quickly enough to it. I think even if you have bad hands with this bit you cannot do too much damage.
 
Ooooo my favourite subject!

First of all I think a definition is useful and mine is: The mildest *bit* is the one that for any given rein action produces the smallest perception of discomfort in the horse. This deliberately excludes what the rider does with the bit from the definition as that is a different question. The other thing that's important about this definition is that it gets around the fact that there is no single answer to the question because of differences in perception amonst different horses, in other words, it tells you what you're looking for when you're trying to find the mildest bit without saying exactly what it might be.

One of the main reason why there never seem to be simple answers to bitting questons is that total action of the bit and bridel depends on the combined action of usually at least 3 differnt effects. There are 6 areas of the head which are commonly acted upon by bits and bridles as each have pressure/pain receptors. Fundamental to the art (and science) of bridling is knowing the relative sensitivities of these points and what pain or pressure on them will tend to cause the horse to do. It would be nice if all horses had exactly the same response but they don't. The general rules which have been around for ages hold true most of the time but there are exceptions which when they occur tend to be important to consider.

For any applied rein pressure, the strength of stimulus provided by the bit/bridle on each point is uses depends on two fundamental concepts that can be designed into the bit:
(1) pressure scaling by altering contact area
High pressures generate stronger stimuli; for a given applied rein force the pressure is inversely proportional to the contact area between the bit and the mouth ie the smaller the contact area the larger the pressure. So, egg-butting reduces pressure on the corners of the mouth, large diameter mouthpieces are milder than small diameter mouthpieces and mouthpieces that deform (such as rubber) increase contact area by deformation so they are milder also.
(2) force scaling through leverage.
Leverage is a way of amplifing rein force so the longer the cheeks on a curb bit the more severe it is for a given applied rein force. The Liverpool bit (used for driving) is interesting because it has slotted cheeks to allow the strength of the bit to be 'set' at the time of bridling. Similarly kimblewicks will have less curb action than is possible with the curb rein on a pelham. The other common place for leverage is in jointed mouthpieces. When people refer to 'nutcracker action' they are describing a (type 2) lever that amplifies force (you can't crack a nut with your hands). In practice, the analysis of jointed bits gets a bit complicated but basically for given rein force you can squish the tounge more using a jointed bit than you can by applying pressure from a straight bar bit. (the complication is that the pressure is applied in a different way).

So the generic answer to your question is that a straight bar snaffle bit with a wide mouthpiece made from a soft material is a likely candidate for the mildest bit because it acts only on the toungue bars and corners of the mouth, has no leverage and maximises contact area. After that it gets complicated because of the individual variation between horses. Someone suggested mullen mouthed bits. The idea is they reduce toungue pressure but they will increase pressure on either the bars or the coners of the mouth. If you happen to have a horse that doesn't accomodate pressure in these location well, a mullen mouthed bit isn't a milder bit for that horse. Then there was the idea of loose rings against egg butting. Well that's easy, egg-butting is milder on the corners of the mouth because of the incresed surface area BUT some horses will prefer the degrees of freedom added by loose rings. Technically this doesn't make a loose ring bit milder but it may be more suitable.
 
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