BITS!

Shavings

Shavings

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some one talk to me about bits!

my tb gelding is going to be off work for the next week due to a shin splint

so i am going to take this time to try and find him a new bit !

he is currently ridden in a loose ring snaffle (nut cracker)

but he hates it with a passion!! and when i brought him he came with a happy mouth that has a peanut in the middle but wasn't keen on that either!

he is one of those horses who will go in any thing just to make his rider happy but he doesn't "love" his bit shall we say !

he only young at the age of 4 and was trained to be a race horse but never made it so it becoming a lovely riding horse (he has started his reschooling so not first time out of racing)

he is very very easy to stop! so don't need any thing strong just a snaffle type bit

any one any ideas??

i have heard about mylers, bomber and other bits but no one has really explain and some of them seem rather costly!!

a few people at my yard have passed the comment of "just put a flash on" but i feel that would be masking a problem!! truthfully if i had to carry a piece of metal in my mouth i would want it to be one i am happy with!!!
 
I would put him in a straight bar nathe, a bit that I start the babies with or anything that is fussy in the mouth. Start with something like this and then work your way up if necessary.
 
To be honest most horses that have been in training will have just had a bridle put on and be told to get on with it there is not much time or consideration given to whether they like the bit or not they just need to be able to go where they are told and at whatever speed is required and stop when needed.
He is still very young and has not had time to be too set in his ways so this is the perfect time to start back at the beginning with his education which includes mouthing him, forget about him hating things get a simple snaffle with a centre link and go back to the start as if he has never had a bit in before, introduce him to it gradually, let him mouth or chew it, do some groundwork in it and encourage him to accept it as something to relax in and soften to, it will take time and you may need to change bits as you go on but it is mainly down to the hands at the end of the reins.

I was going to reply to your thread on shin splints but got sidetracked so will put a bit here, google sore shins as I think that is probably what your horse has, there will be more info if you look, it is common in horses that have raced or been trained to race.
 
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I would try a French link snaffle which would take pressure off his tongue (that is probably what he is objecting to), they come in a loose ring version if he's happy with that. They're about ten pounds to buy. If he's fussy in the mouth, keeps moving his head about and won't take a contact (or if you can't keep your hands still with an elastic contact) try an eggbutt rather than loose ring. I wouldn't put a flash noseband on for the reason you say. The nathe bits are good but I would try a flexible rubber straight bar snaffle first as they are similar but much cheaper at about ten pounds. I don't know why anyone buys mylers or nue schule etc, seems like an expensive waste of money to me.
 
I've had several ex racers and the loose ring bits with a lozenge get my vote every time. Much prefer them to french link snaffles. Shires have a good selection (they call them training bits) at sensible prices. One horse that was a bit strong had a dutch gag but still with the lozenge, they seem to lie nicely on the tongue without pinching.
 
Though not a fan of double jointed bits is suggest that you get one that has no large joints in it. Eg French link has a large joint each side of the plate. TB's have fine mouths with the lower jaw bones close together, the French ling will bump on the bars.

Damagedonebydoublejoint.jpg


Go for a bit with the smallest centre joint you can find.
You could also look at an unjointed snaffle with a Cambridge mouth, the shape allows space for the tongue.

CambridgeSnaffle.jpg


Don't get hung up about a noseband, ideally you start with something like a drop to prevent the horse from learning that he can open his mouth wide and drop the bit. Instead fit a drop or grackle with a couple of fingers width between horse and noseband. This allows the horse to relax the jaw with no constriction.

be positive from my experience of working in the racing industry bitting is done with care, after-all an out of control racehorse is not likely to win races. They just don't have the finesse we require for a pleasure horse.
 
I use a NS verbindend on my TB and she loves it. I have just ordered a Jeffries Eldonian Harmony bit for her as the NS was bought for my other horse and it is slightly too short. The only reason why I went for the Jeffries over the NS was price; the Jeffries is half the price of a NS. The mouthpiece also isn't as bent so it is more like the NS starter. I have tried a Jeffries Eldonian revolver, but she hated that because it was too thick and bulky for her mouth.
The bit she goes best in is the Myler low port comfort snaffle, but it is low port and sadly not dressage legal, otherwise I would ride in this all the time. I would buy the dressage legal version if they weren't so damned expensive and the only ones on ebay at the moment are the non-legal ones.
 
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