How many of us ride in just a snaffle?

I used to be a purist and only ride in a snaffle or a double for competitions... But as I've got older I've become less so. So I school in a snaffle, compete in a double and hack and cross country anything nutty (including my cob) in a dutch gag. I'd rather be safe than 'perfect' and if anyone tells me that my horses should be better schooled then :p my big fella is grand prix (dressage) can do one time changes, pirouettes and seriously dance Extended canter to walk -- all no issues when he's not lame (he's old now) but I still couldn't hold him out hunting or even hacking...

BnBx
 
Both my horses can go in a snaffle- I tend to hack both out in the same old fashioned racing bit- it has large loose ring cheeks, an oval loop in the middle and is very light. I show in a double or a pelham- depends wether it's ridden or in-hand. For nosebands, I prefer to use a loose Cavesson or Drop- but I'm currently using a Flash on one as he seems better in that. If I need to, I'll use a Standing Martingale as a short term solution, I'm not too keen on the action of a Running Martinagle.
 
I would be out off buying a horse that needed anything stronger tbh. I don't know if my hands are light enough to manage a stronger bit!
 
Mine goes in a snaffle, but I use a martingale whilst hacking (purely for safety if the little sod is being cheeky :-P) and for fast work I use a snaffle and kinnerton noseband.

Or a Hackamore- depends what mood we're in!!! I'll jump just in a snaffle or just in a Hackamore too he's good as gold :-)
 
My Appy has always been in a snaffle for everything (including hunting!) He can be quite strong and sharp at times but he still respects a snaffle so I've never had any need to change it to anything stronger.
 
My boy is only in a snaffle, however i hate the opinion that if your horse isn't a snaffle then that's a reflection on your riding/training. No two horses are the same and some horses simply require a stronger bit or a different action than a snaffle offers, that doesn't mean the riders useless!
 
I ride in a training lozenge snaffle for my SJer (sometimes use a normal loose ring, or baucher if he is getting a bit too full of himself and for XC) and a full cheek on the baby horse. However, I am not bit-ist. I rode my 14.2 in a Dutch gag on the last ring because he had no brakes in anything else. I would ride in a pelham/waterford/whatever else if it was necessary tbh.
 
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I use different bits quite often to just keep it interesting. I think its good to get them working in different bits and keep them thinking about whats in their mouth. I find he goes better when i alternate between a gag, loose ring, eggbutt. I find hes more attentive when I change...Regardless of what I`m changing from and to.
 
Same old debate! It's horses for courses.

I'm sure there are horses out there that would go round Badminton in a headcollar, but equally there are plenty that won't walk down the road quietly in a 'mild' bit.

I'd love to hunt and jump mine in a snaffle, rather than a pelham. 98% of the time he is an absolute star and stops without any rein communication whatsoever. But just now and again he really can take a pull, especially going into fences, and as I value my life I like to have some chance of influencing the speed without socking him in the teeth. He goes quite nicely on the flat in a loose ring snaffle, for what it's worth.

Remember, any bit is only as mild as the hands pulling on the reins! I'd much rather a light touch on a stronger bit than yanking and hauling on a snaffle with a strong horse.
 
very strong believer of less is more,my tb is only in a snaffle,she can be abit gobby but nothing to bad! Wish i'd of had my pony since she was young and corected her then,as i hate riding her in a gag,but we have no control otherwise!
 
I changed to a western type curb just a few days ago.

Crow was started under saddle in bitless (and I can still ride him with that, or without a headstall), a riding cavesson. Later on we introduced a mullen mouth eggbutt to easier ask for some bending and flexing.
He's always been very nice to ride, very responsive, easy to stop and whatnot. But I've had the rather big problem that he would never seek down-forward but always kept his head in a ''ok working frame'' but never lower or stretched. He would keep support on the bit in tolt or trot, but not follow it down.

Then I watched a video about bitting, and it explained (which I already 'knew' but had forgotten, kind of) how a curb is more gentle than a snaffle (despite being much stronger once you actually engage the bit). A snaffle works on direct reining, and there is little to prepare the horse before you use it. A curb give a slight warning already before the bit is actually engaged, and it prepares the horse that something will touch the mouth. I tried a curb I had, just to test it. And it didn't take 5 minutes of riding before Crow lowered his head, relaxed and trotted around with his nose a few inches from the ground. :3 Can I make any other conclusion than that he prefers the shanked bit? The mouthpiece in them both are pretty much the same.

I usually don't ride with constant contact on the reins. Crow rarely likes it except in tolt where he'll lean a bit on it (but the gait get a litle sloppy then) and I don't like it. So I've ridden with ''the weight of the rein''.. on a curb that's an even longer rein since he'll feel when I just lift the rein a bit, I can give him more freedom with it.

But I could ride him with just a snaffle or a sidepull or a halter, anyday.
 
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For everyday schooling and hacking, three of them are in a snaffle. The other (TB) is ridden in a Tom Thumb, with two reins. Most of the time I ride off the snaffle rein, but not having my 'emergency brakes' in open fields can lead to rather interesting happenings . For jumping, two in a snaffle, one in a dutch gag and the TB in her Tom Thumb, either with two reins or just the bottom one, used lightly. It's what works for them. In a fenced-in school or dressage situation (or road hacking) the TB is fine in a snaffle too.
 
I school in a snaffle in the arena but Blue gets pretty strong jumping and hacking so have him in a pelham for those exciting things! Sometimes even polework too as apparently that's 'nearly' jumping so therefore just as exciting! :)
 
Both big & little fuzzy are in snaffles, tho big fuzzy occasionally has either a running martingale OR a Market Harboro popped on if she has PMT (about once a month or so;) ). Just re-inforces expected behaviour and then it gets removed again.
Both also happlily go in a double bridle on occsaions if required to.

My bit-bank-box-of-tricks is very redundant these days :D
 
I'm a snaffle girl. Maybe an under bitter but works for me. Took my mums horse hunting last week and she was adamant he needed a gag, he's a brat when he gets excited and snatches at the rains, gives you whip lash! He did that in the gag though but I did not find him strong so put him on the snaffle rain - he was exactly the same!! I was asking him to jump some meaty stuff so felt more comfortable on the snaffle rein.. but horses for courses I guess.
 
I'd like to, but I can't. :rolleyes:

I've had my pony from when he was broken, but he was built incredibly downhill and so was naturally on the forehand; he learnt pretty quickly about leaning but I hadn't the strength or experience to sort it out even though he's evened out now. We jump indoors / in an arena in a 3 ring dutch gag with a revolving lozenge (yes, on the bottom ring with one rein - I have no shame in admitting it) and outdoors (including XC) in the same, but the 4 ring version. I'd like to be able to school him on the flat in a snaffle though, occasionally we can and he goes really well and he's light in the hand but the rest of the time I can't even hold him in canter, so for now, we're stuck with the gag (which he appears to like BTW).

My other pony (and my last pony) are/were Section Ds who both went in snaffles for all but hunting. Even though they got strong, they were never too difficult to hold as they carried their heads so high, whereas my current pony leans down onto his forehand so will get too deep to the fences and/or pull me out of the saddle. I'd rather have control in a stronger bit at the moment than ruin his mouth and my enjoyment in a snaffle, but I don't think that horses are (strictly speaking, and I'll settle for less) truly on the bit unless they're in a snaffle.

Edit to say: We do also use grackles and running martingales while jumping - I don't always need them but they do no harm otherwise. I'm not too fussy when it comes to tack as long as the pony is happy :)
 
I ride in a loose ring snaffle most of the time and use a wilkie/loop ring snaffle when I need a little more control. Also use a martingale on my pone as he has moments.

My last horse was very strong and I tried all sorts on him, but nothing was any more effective than a snaffle so I ended up riding him in that. He never needed a martingale though.
 
I ride both my girls in a snaffle with losenge and find this is the best for them, our pheebs has a sensitive mouth but sometimes can be quite "strong"! Have tried different bits but she is worse so "snaffle it is!! Baby Emma (still call her the baby even though she will be 6 in May) does take quite a hold in canter but know this is probably down to her needing more schooling. I will keep her in a snaffle for as long as I feel she is comfortable x
 
My fizzy four year old is in a Neue Schule 'Trans' continental with the fulmer rings, lovely gentle bit as she is super soft in her mouth.

My 9 year old trakhener X, 16.2hh is in the loose ring Trans continental, again he loves this bit.

My 16 year old, 17hh boy who broke his leg last May is now in a Dutch gag on the first ring under the snaffle bit as he seems to be enjoying life soooo much I need a little bit of extra control!!! Especially jumping or cantering :)
But he always used to be ridden in a snaffle by anyone doing anything. Bless!!
 
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I do too. I have a hot Arab, a TB type and a Spanish ATM all in snaffles.

I was brought up with the idea that if you needed anything more, then it was a reflection on you as the rider/trainer that there was a need to school them on, rather than a quick fix noseband or martingale.

That said, i did have one that had a martingale on, and i never got him to where i could trust him without, but i had a good try first.
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Hubby rides his arab in a snaffle and hunts with it as well- he cant bear what he calls " all these gadgets on horses!"
 
I got my boy a year a go & when he came he had always be ridden in a rubber pelham.. he was an angel to hack out on but in the school really hard to stop. I then swapped him to a Waterford as he was hanging on the bit but he's now in a snaffle & absolutley fab & a lot happier in it..
 
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