Bits - order of progression

[Joss]

Do people have a certain order of progression regarding strengths of bits? On the basis that many horses start off going sweetly in a snaffle & get stronger once they start to think they know best, particularly XC.

My preferred snaffle is a loose ring with a lozenge unless I have a very fussy mouthed youngster. But after that its usually a bit trial & error. One of mine progressed from his snaffle to NS Beval bit which just provides the tiniest bit of leverage but I think this is a pretty subtle step up & not an option for a less sensitive horse.

What do you do?

 

[Kat]

I don't think it is about a progression of strength at all, more about what suits the horse.

What is strong for one horse might not be for another, and a horse may evade a certain bit irrespective of its strength.

For example if a horse has a fleshy mouth with a large tongue and not much space it will find a thick mouthpiece that is generally considered mild quite uncomfortable and may well be more comfortable in a narrower bit that would apply more pressure. On the other hand a horse with more space it its mouth would find the thicker mouthpiece milder.

I think the sensible thing to do is to start off in a nice mild bit, french link or lozenge snaffle probably and play it by ear. It simply isn't about strength but about action, conformation and way of going.

 

[Baydale]

I'm a bit unimaginative and always start them off at 3 and 4 in a Nathe or Happy mouth straight bar, with cheeks usually, then progress to a thin, light french link with big rings. Ideally they'd always stay in that (yeah right) a la Hector, but if I do go stronger I like a Nathe/Happy Mouth mouthpiece. Even our huge and enthusiastic hunters go in a Nathe/HM pelham or Cheltenham gag, and OH has good hands so it's not to protect the horses...

 

[KatB]

I'm similar to BD except mine will start in either a lozenged bit or a straight mouthed nathe as a rule. I like loose rings for horses that get a bit fixed, or are unbalanced so they havent got anything to fix on, or fixed rings for something that is a bit shy of the contact. I would then look at going to a beval/cartwheel type bit, a universal or a pelham depending on the action needed! The mouthpiece has always got to be a comfortable one though, so I look at the lozenged, shaped or nathe mouthpieces

 

[dressagecrazy]

I don't think it is about a progression of strength at all, more about what suits the horse.

What is strong for one horse might not be for another, and a horse may evade a certain bit irrespective of its strength.

For example if a horse has a fleshy mouth with a large tongue and not much space it will find a thick mouthpiece that is generally considered mild quite uncomfortable and may well be more comfortable in a narrower bit that would apply more pressure. On the other hand a horse with more space it its mouth would find the thicker mouthpiece milder.

I think the sensible thing to do is to start off in a nice mild bit, french link or lozenge snaffle probably and play it by ear. It simply isn't about strength but about action, conformation and way of going.

Totally agree with Katt on this, ive ended up with a Myler Comfort snaffle for my boy. This was because of his mouth conformation. He simply wasnt comfortable in anything else he has a huge tongue, yes the bit is thin but it doesnt mean that it is stronger.

IMHO any bit can be a strong bit if it has bad hands controlling it.