Cyprium Copper V Stainless Steel Bit

[burtie]

I currently have my 3 year old in a good old fashioned stainless stell eggbut(as I happened to have one that fitted!) and he seems quite happy with it. As yet I have never applied any pressure to it, he just wears it over his headcollar and I lunge off the headcollar. But I will soon be introducing some bit pressure and an looking at changing to the copper version as it is supposed to be a bit kinder and warmer and encourage more mouthing (he doesn't mouth at all at the moment!).

What do people think are they really better and nicer in your experience or should I just stick with what he is wearing as he seems happy enough?

 

[Madam_max]

I would now say yes. If you had asked me a few years ago I would have thought it wouldn't make too much difference. My mare has been ridden in various types of stainless steel snaffle over the years, eggbutt, hanging cheek etc. Then I made the mistake of buying loose ring KK snaffle. I tried one day to put her eggbutt back in and she had a major paddy

I have a waterford for faster work, but again that is the Kangaroo metal and she will accept that, but that is it!!!


So, in short I guess they must prefer them.

 

[Theresa_F]

I had Chancer is a stainless full cheek mouthing bit and noticed he had a dry mouth.

He now has a cyprium copper full cheek french link snaffle and now has a nice wet mouth, and seems more relaxed. Whilst we are only long reining, he seems to really enjoy this bit and goes well in it.

Cairo prefers his sweet iron western bit to his english stainless snaffle. He has a more wet mouth and has a good chomp and slobber when it is put in.

 

[flyingfeet]

Agreed Sweet Iron, Cupro nickel (cyprium), Salox and german silver all work better than stainless steel.

My preference is sweet iron, but I generally ride in Neue schule bits with salox

However I wouldn't start a 3 year old in a single joint bit - a straight bar or lozenge is a much nicer bit for a baby.