Experiences with Nathe bits

[Sophire]

New 6yro is currently in a happy mouth full cheek with a french link, she seems happy enough in it, although can still fuss, and really doesn't take up too much of a contact. I am now aware she needs wolf teeth out, and so these are booked in next week, and then she'll have a few weeks sans bit to become comfortable again.

I'm thinking of wanting a nathe, just for a softer bit still. Having had a look, they dont have the french link option in a full cheek? Are the options limited? What are peoples thoughts on them, having used them?

Also, competition legal, BD, BE?

 

[PorkChop]

I have a straight loose ring and a straight hanging cheek, really like the Nathe bits, much better quality than other rubber bits imho.

I start the babies in them and they stay in them as long as possible because it really encourages them to take and be still in the contact.

Other options would be Beris, but even their soft mouthpiece is not as bendy as the Nathe.

I have had my Nathe bits for over 20 years so they really last - all the simple Nathe's are BD/BE legal

 

[philamena]

There is no cheaper alternative to nathe which really does what nathe does I'm afraid... given they're £££!!! But totally worth it in my mind.
I'd seriously consider trying a straight bar. IME the french links can make them fuss, especially if they have quite narrow bars in the mouth. It's not until you look inside and pull the bit through the mouth that you can see how the edges of the link can irritate the bars of the mouth. My mare was instantly better in a straight bar flexible nathe

 

[Goldenstar]

IME nathes are by far the best synthetic type bits they are expensive and often don't last very long .
Some horses do hate them though .

 

[old hand]

A word of caution here. This week I decided to take a nathe bit to pieces. Its owner had bitten through to the metal after one use. Admittedly it had been in my bit box in the house , which is not damp for five years, but the metal wire which is welded to the stainless steel at the ends had corroded and detached. They do tell you not to use them if damaged but not why. Two different metals can corrode if exposed to air and I am assuming this has happened, quite serious if it is a metal roof but very dangerous if it is a bit. I then set about seeing if I could break the outer with my hands and had no problem doing so. The moral being do not use them if damaged, I have seen people using them with sealtex or similar over bite marks and this could potentially lead to the bit breaking in use, not a nice scenario. I have seen this happen when someone was jumping a nasty accident followed. The horse that bit mine did not have sharp teeth but is serial bit biter ,grinds his teeth so did bite right down to the stainless steel pin. Has a KK now thank goodness.

 

[kzb]

I don't use a nathe but do use a sprenger duo which is the only similar alternative imo! I think the sprenger is slightly less bendy than the nathe but not by much. I've also tried a beris but they are quite a bit fatter.

I love mine, and I've got several other people loving them too!! My mare is a different horse in hers. I've had nothing but good experiences with fussy horses in them!

 

[abb123]

I have my very fussy, sensitive mare in a straight bar loose ring nathe bit. It is the only bit that she can have in her mouth that doesn't cut the corners of her mouth. She has very thin skin there and scarring from past owners. I normally ride her in a hackamore that she loves.

I'd never put another bit in her mouth now.

 

[Tangaroo]

My boy has always been fussy in the contact and ive just got a sprenger duo from ebay and he seems to really like it. Hes only on gentle hacking so not tried it properly but a success so far. I also managed to get a 3 ringed one in the right size just a week later so when he starts xc if he needs brakes i can use that

 

[kzb]

Sorry to hijack the thread with another question, but just out of curiosity have any of you guys with horses that love nathe type bits had issues with them going a little heavy in front after a while in it? what do you do to combat that?

I'm in a bit of a vicious circle where she starts to get heavy in her sprenger duo, so I switch bits, have a few days/weeks of agony where she dislikes anything else I put in her mouth, and then go back to the sprenger and she's really nice in it again (I guess from having other things in for a bit).

 

[old hand]

I had one that went best in a sprenger duo, he used to lean a bit after a while so alternated it with an english hackamore. He never chewed it.

 

[contestdancer]

my youngster was backed using a full cheek French link fulmer. He is quite fussy in his mouth and after trying several different snaffles we have now settled on the loose ring straight bar happy mouth. Much more settled in his mouth now although still very much teething.