Dressage question, and results of trying Myler comfort snaffle.

[milz88]

Hi, well I finally got the myler comfort snaffle in the post from bitworld, I have had trouble with my horse getting him to accept the bit for a while, he kept drawing his tongue back and twisting it to get it over the bit, little bugger, so we tried him in a hackamore and he has been a dream, only problem being I can't do a dressage test in it grrr.....he is hard to bit anyway as he has a big fleshy tongue and mouth.

Anyway we tried a straight bar nathe which did not go down well in a test at solihull at the combined training champs, somehow in a novice test he pulled off 39 and I was expecting a 50, :worried: then jumped clear to finish up 3rd and win a nice rosette and trophy, little devil. He qualified twice winning both the novice tests on different dates when he went really really well and got 70% both times earlier in the year.

So today I tried the myler comfort snaffle and after a while I worked him through his tongue waggling with a loose noseband and no flash and in the end he went brilliantly, his transitions were better he was more 'up' into them, very soft in my hand and really working through, so I am chuffed, need to work him in it some more so he gets used to a bit again as I have a dr test to do on saturday.

Thought I would share my experience of the bit as I know a few had not had good experiences with it, but I guess it just goes to show all horses are different.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Bits are a very individual thing...my boy hated the myler, was really gobby and unsettled in it...swapped him to a bog standard french link fulmer and he's going really well. Glad you've found something that works for you and your horse

x

 

[milz88]

thank you, its a relief really, thought i'd never be able to do a nice test again. He still sticks his tongue out a bit but its early days of having one back in his mouth, I think he will settle, whats most important is he isn't trying to put it over and he is more settled as we work through it.

I don't know whether I should still try the NS starter bit, reckon I will give the myler another few go's.

 

[Sol]

I bought the hanging cheek version and initially I thought 'uh oh, this is gonna have to go back...' but persisted and let him get used to it a little more. Initially found him extremely mouthy in it but it really did help his canter! Swapped back to his old bit for a few days, then back into the myler and it just clicked! Very happy with both horse and bit now!

I think he was mostly just a little confused by the different action and pressure placement, but he's used to it now and works much better and lighter, which is a relief! I think it shows that you have to give things a chance

 

[TarrSteps]

I think part of what gives "Mylers" a mixed review is there are so many different ones - it's just a brand name, not a style of bit - and it's important to use the appropriate one for the situation. Obviously, there in only the one legal mouthpiece for dressage (which also causes confusion) and of course it won't suit every horse. But for other purposes they make so many combinations of cheeks, mouthpieces etc. it's impossible to generalise.

 

[milz88]

Sol - I agree, I just got the normal eggbutt version, but yes you do have to give things a chance as it is new to the horse too, and more so for mine as he has not had a bit in for a while, but i'm quite pleased so far.
Glad that you have found a bit you and your horse are both happy with. I like the way it slightly sits further forward in their mouth and acts less on the corners of it, must be more comfortable.

 

[Bert&Maud]

I've had my boy in the 02 mouthpiece with hanging cheek all summer and was really pleased with how he went, but my trainer thought that it had done it's job and he was ready for something else, so I have now moved him onto the 32 mouthpiece with eggbut and he's had the best dressage scores ever this weekend. He's always hung really heavily on my hand, especially one side, but he's really light and relaxed in the new bit - I'm thrilled! Suddenly I feel I'm getting somewhere!

 

[ESH]

I have also recently switched to the Myler comfort snaffle. I used to use various NS lozenge types but he always leaned on one side so much so that he started to wear his teeth down on one side and had loads of teeth marks on the bit.

I first tried one of the ported ones mainly for jumping but that was awful, then he went well in the 02 loose ring and now I have him in the hanging cheek 02 and he is so light in my hands and working straight.

He does everything in that now, including SJ and XC.

 

[carthorse]

Rafi is in a myler comfort which suits him we tried a NS bit and he hates it

 

[KatB]

There are 4 legal Myler mouthpieces I believe?

The comfort snaffle, the mullen mouth one, the french link, they call it a Dr bristol and the single jointed one which is curved so nicer than a "normal" snaffle

 

[milz88]

ah so there are some comfort snaffle fans out there really!!

I'm going to school him in it today as well and see if he goes as well.

Yep. i''m relieved it is dressage legal!!!

 

[HollyP]

Hi I have the same problem with my mare....crafty buggers with their tongues! i rode her on sunday with the myler comfort and even tho she did have her jelly tongue on the go some of the time she was soft as butter in my hands and willing to bend and flex!

I think she would prob be happier with more room for her tongue but then the bit id need wouldnt be dressage legal!

 

[TarrSteps]

Sorry, I meant the one "proprietary" mouthpiece, the Comfort Mouth snaffle. (Is only the one width of barrel and thickness of mouthpiece legal here? In North American the thinnest is too thin.) Vs the various ported mouthpieces, triple barrels etc. and the cheekpieces with hooks. The others you mention are just standard mouthpieces, are they not? Just made by Myler in this case.

 

[KatB]

Ah ok, sorry!

They only come in one width here I believe, and the Mullen mouth one is definitely legal, it is like the comfort snaffle without the backward movement of the arms, but with the rotation

 

[Skymagee]

I've had my boy in the 02 mouthpiece with hanging cheek all summer and was really pleased with how he went, but my trainer thought that it had done it's job and he was ready for something else, so I have now moved him onto the 32 mouthpiece with eggbut and he's had the best dressage scores ever this weekend. He's always hung really heavily on my hand, especially one side, but he's really light and relaxed in the new bit - I'm thrilled! Suddenly I feel I'm getting somewhere!

Hi there.
I read this thread with interest as have always struggled with my girl. We recently put her in a Myler hanging cheek comfort snaffle wide barrel (41 02) and her performance now is the best it has ever been. Normally she hangs on one side, goes through shoulder but not in this bit. She is even and light...she even listens to me!

You say that this bit eventually did its job and you have moved on. Could you tell me what bit this is that you have moved too? I have tried to find it but wasn't sure if it were the mullen mouth eggbutt...there are various versions. Would you mind letting me know the exact bit name becasue I would like to keep this in the back of my mind as we go through her training.
Thank you so much!
H