Do you regularly change your horse's bit?

[**Vanner**]

Do you do this?

I can understand how it would freshen up the horse and put pressure on different parts of the mouth, I've never really done it but my boy seems to go lovely when I switch from his Pelham and back, as if he likes the change. I might play with some of the rest of our huge collection

Does anybody else do this?

 

[StormyMoments]

used to but taz is so fussy that its not worth the effort of finding something new he likes! but i do change between a pelham, straight snaffle, hackamore and a happymouth straight snaffle but its all depending on what im doing so yeah i do really and he likes the change

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes I swop bits a lot mainly just between different types of snaffle .
My driving horses are driven in liverpools and snaffles.

 

[igglepop]

I have 4 different snaffles and rotate as one of the horses i share gets bored it varies from a few days to 4 months a bit will stay in but you can always tell when he is bored.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

No, but that's cos we don't have a bit!! Lol!!

 

[Surreydeb]

No what works works and I see no need to change if horse and I are both happy

 

[Jazzy B]

experimenting at the moment, but once I find something his 100% happy in I won't be changing

 

[POLLDARK]

No what works works and I see no need to change if horse and I are both happy

I go with this too

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

We sometimes change bits depending on what we are doing with the horses. We normally jump in a different bit than we do flatwork in.

 

[WestCoast]

The only change I made with my previous pony was to drag hunt him in a kimberwick for a little more brakes.

Bree is currently in a Myler comfort wide which seems to be recommended for young horses as I wanted the most comfortable bit I could find after how sore her mouth was when I got her. Not sure if that means she should have something else when her training is more advanced, but if she goes well in it I can't see any reason to change.

Paula

 

[Auslander]

I alternate between a french link snaffle and a double depending on my mood. We both prefer the double, but I don't want to ride in it all the time.

 

[**Vanner**]

No what works works and I see no need to change if horse and I are both happy

This has always been my thought but I really notice a difference when I put him back into the sprenger after something else. It's like he gets bored of it!

 

[Goldenstar]

experimenting at the moment, but once I find something his 100% happy in I won't be changing

This was my way for yearS until I attended a talk by the lady who
Developed neue schule bits she explained how using different snaffles on a regular basis can improve the feel in hand and keep horses light and senestive it made me question my way and so a tried regular changes between different snaffles the results are so good I will never be going back .

 

[Daytona]

Nope as don't see how it would benefit my horse, he in a NS team up, goes well in it so would not go upsetting him by changing things

 

[Taisypops]

No we hack bitless and school in a snaffle, she has such a sensitive/fussy mouth and I think changing all the time wouls be good for her. I have friends however who change their horses bit all the time. So I guess it was suits your horse. x

 

[monkeybum13]

Nope, we do everything in a loose ring, she's happy in this so no need to alter it

 

[**Vanner**]

This was my way for yearS until I attended a talk by the lady who
Developed neue schule bits she explained how using different snaffles on a regular basis can improve the feel in hand and keep horses light and senestive it made me question my way and so a tried regular changes between different snaffles the results are so good I will never be going back .

Hmmm this is what thought.

 

[amandaco2]

Nope.if they are happy I leave well alone.
They wear the same if hacking, Xc training or dressaging

 

[amandaco2]

Gs
I am a total cynic .... I'd consider if the bit seller had an alternative agenda advising regular bit changing.....

 

[Goldenstar]

Gs
I am a total cynic .... I'd consider if the bit seller had an alternative agenda advising regular bit changing.....

Well you could think that but my horses are really good trained like this of course if I try a snaffle and that horse hates it I don't use it but however horses do change as they strengthen and improve one of mine at the moment hated the myler snaffle two years ago when I bought him now he goes best in that.
I have a huge chest of bits some I have had some for over thirty years most of them snaffles it's extremly interesting how using say three or four snaffles on A regular basis does make them light and senestive to the snaffles the two horses who have gone on to the double as they are progressing have done so easy peasey.
I keep one snaffle for fast work exciting stuff and only use that one on that horse for this.
It's working for me that's what counts .

 

[amandaco2]

Yes what ever works for the horse.
Although I'm not sure why as they progress training wise, why the contact should change so drastically they need rebitting..but whatever works.
I've found mine are the same on the contact throughout once they are happy with the bit as nothing else changes with the riders hands or strength of contact.....

 

[el_Snowflakes]

Yes, I change mine every week or so or my horse begins to lean on it- sharpens her up & keeps her listening

 

[Goldenstar]

Yes what ever works for the horse.
Although I'm not sure why as they progress training wise, why the contact should change so drastically they need rebitting..but whatever works.
I've found mine are the same on the contact throughout once they are happy with the bit as nothing else changes with the riders hands or strength of contact.....

The idea is that the horses mouth becomes less senestive to the action of each snaffle over time by swopping keeps that senestivity as you chose a range of snaffles that act slightly differently .
The quality of Contact changes as self carriage develops.

 

[BarmyC]

I used to just use a NS baucher with a lozenge on my horse and then after her 2nd season out dragging she was getting a lot stronger so i tried a kimblewick.. This was as much use as a chocolate teapot so we went back into the baucher..

Her way of going was so much better after swapping back, not that she wasnt going well before but everything was so much easier..

We did a few team chases and a couple of ODE's in the baucher and then a few weeks ago out team chasing the brakes and steering failed completely so we are now trying out a tom thumb.. i will find the results out tomorrow at a HT..

I dont really want to have to ride her permanatly in this and hope that when she is a bit older (she is 7) and has learnt not to bog off with me i can go back to the baucher.

 

[amandaco2]

Each to their own, I've found mine to be just as sensitive to the bit through their training

 

[Goldenstar]

Contact is third on the training scale after rhytmn and suppleness the just broken horse will have a very different feel in the hand to the same horse two years later .

 

[amandaco2]

Bring third doesn't mean its always established after the other two.
Imho the scales are highly interlinked and don't necessarily follow each other with the exception of the higher scale eg collection.
Mine range from novice to psg and I'm only saying what I've found in my own experience. They are equisensitive to the bit as in in lower training levels. I can see how they gain confidence in seeking the contact but any feeling of insensitivity or heaviness would make me review the training or my hands.Differences in the contact and feel to the hand doesn't mean the bit needs changing imho
Each to their own however, as long as horse and rider are happy that's what matters