Bitting a youngster - what with?

Casey76

Casey76

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Just thinking ahead for the future really. My youngster was 2 last week, and now I'm starting to wonder with what kind of bit I should bit him.

I'm not in any particular hurry as he isn't doing anything at the moment.
 
I've just had the same debate. It's all personal preference really, and it varies with different mouth conformation. My cob was bitted in a loose ring happy mouth, as he wasn't keen on having a metal bit in his mouth (we tried a standard eggbutt snaffle initially). When it came to actually taking a contact, I changed him to a NS Starter bit, which was fab.

Current boy was tried in a rubber snaffle last night, which was just too chunky for his mouth. Went out and bought him a sweet iron loose ring snaffle with a copper lozenge this afternoon - far happier pone. He'll be staying in that one until there's reason to change it :)
 
make sure you get the right size, and nothing that is too big or thick. Warm up metal before you offer it, there are bits with keys on for youngsters to play with so they keep their mouth wet. Go ahead and do it now rather than wait untill he's coming four as he will start changing teeth then so you don't want to risk hurting him when that's happening.
 
I bitted my youngster when she was 2. I started with a single jointed cherry roller with D rings and have now moved onto a sweet iron French link. This is what I usually do with my youngsters and seems to work fine :)
 
Just bought another baby and he will learn to carry a jam/honey covered nathe. Had a few youngsters and a few needing 'correcting' and would always start with something that keeps the gums and lips soft and train off the nose. MAkes for a better horse in the long run- including an ex racer that came to me in an American gag a d ended up in a straight bar bathe. Start gentle and teach them properly from the start. :)
 
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Thanks all. I had looked at the nathe bits, but they are huge. Some are 20mm! The flexible rubber one I saw was even bigger. Baby horse has a small mouth - like his dad, he has a pony shaped head on a horse body.

I do have an anatomically shaped D ring with a lozenge but it is just SS, so not a very "warm" metal, or I have a myler type with a barrel joint but no break in it which my old cob used to like.
 
My rubber straight bar is thin, not thick like most. It's more of an Inhand bradoon type one, or at least it was in the Inhand section in tack shop (I'd never show in rubber....but wanted a thinner than normal rubber straight bar so grabbed that bargain up!)
 
Another for a rubber straight bar loose ring for bitting. That's what my two year old was bitted with earlier this year and has been out in it on several occasions for walks or showing.
 
I would not use a rubber bit, on any horse/pony. They have a tendency to grab and pull tongues and lips. Use either nylon or vulcanite if you do not want metal.
 
I have my boy in a Full cheek French link snaffle, he had a standard eggbutt snaffle to start with but now he's 3 and im doing more with him I've swapped for the French link as I find it nicer!
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Straight bar rubber snaffle everytime for me.
Click to expand...

I am no expert and did remember donkeys years ago this was always used. A rubber bar bit. All ended up in a plain snaffle nice mouths(it was rare to see anything else 100years ago in my day)!

As soon as I saw this was wondering what was going to be suggested. Interesting am worried that someone biting a horse doesnt know what to do/use? Please speak to someone experienced. Perhaps times have a changed!
 
I find it interesting that you think I don't know what to do???

I know what I'm going to do, I was merely soliciting advice on which bit would be the most suitable.

The choice of bits isn't as great here as it is in the uk, and having looked at the straight bar rubber bits, which are more than 25mm in diameter I didn't want to use on in my boys mouth as he only has a small mouth.
 
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