How many of you know ...

mine is now bitless - ridden in a monty roberts dually halter - he cam eot me in french link snaffle and even hated that
i tried the dually - perfect x
 
when I got Ron he was in a vulcanite pelham and would throw a tantrum if you took up a contact. The previous owner thought he was just excitable as he jumps and lunges forwards.

I now ride him in a myler 04 snaffle for most stuff which he's quite accepting of, and we hunt in a double, which bizarrely he's very happy in. maybe because it allows me the control and allows me to be nice when he is!

I also use a wow saddle as it's the only thing that allows his shoulders to move when we jump.
 
Rowreach said:
You are both incorrigible :D
Click to expand...
OK then, sorry miss:D
I use mainly snaffles, choose from several different metals and shapes of mouthpieces to suit an individual horse, unless snaffle doesn't work - then assess what the problem is and bit accordingly.
I have 2 horses in Mexican grackles - because they don't like cavesson on their cheeks.
1 in a crank - because it's no different to cavesson but better padded.
2 in a standard cavesson
No martingales as I have a fear of being pulled under feet if I fall off and hold on to the reins.
I use breastplate for jumping Gracie as no matter how well the saddle fits and how tight the girth is, she stretches so much over oxers that she literally jumps out of her saddle.
I have a sheepskin numnah for a delicate flower of a dumblood, because everything else rubs him.
I use open fronted boots for jumping and sports support boots on Gracie as she is old and cranky.
I have been known to use draw reins, chambons, de gogues when I see the need.
I use spurs sometimes to help with breaks - shock, horror.

I have ridden in Balding gags, combination bits, Mylers and even Mikmars:eek:, don't get on with pelhams though.
I think that covers it.
 
My mare is in a loose ring snaffle, very thin mouthpeice and it is the only bit I have found in the 2 years of having her which actually fits well in her mouth! She has hardly any room in there for a bit.
She seems very happy in it and I really like it too.
No flash, no martingale etc.
 
French link loose ring snaffle as he has lovely manners and is never strong, changed from a loose ring single jointed snaffle and he seems to prefer it. No noseband as he doesn't need it, similarly no martingale although I may put a breastplate on for xc if he is really fit and has lost weight (very very good doer!)

Kings GP saddle as it fits the horse and me and I have competed xc/sj/dr/trec etc. successfully in it.

Sheepskin numnah/saddlecloth as he is a sensitive redhead and gets sweat lumps with anything else.

N.E.W. boots all round, was hit by a car a number of years ago and his boots were written off - and his legs barely marked!
 
I wana join in toooooo :p
used to have him in a hollow mouth loose ring single jointed snaffle cus thats what he had when we went to see him but he has a fat tougue so couldnt swallow properly and started to lean abit so change to a loose ring french link which he likes way better :)
Use a mexican nose band because he opens his mouth and chatters his teeth which annoys me :p
A breastplate cus his saddle used to slip back a bit ... and i think thats all my contrapstions listed :rolleyes: ... Oh do tenden boots count because i like to protect his legs :cool:
 
my mare is in a happy mouth eggbutt snaffle because this is what she chose herself! She hates metal bits with a passion so this narrowed it down. I thought she would prefer a loose ring but the result is the eggbutt is her favourite.

She has a caverson nose band as she has no need for anything else. She has no boots or any other gadgets.

Her saddle is an international event more because it suits my conformation with long thighs and shorter lower leg. It's fitted to her as well. It suits us both as we do a bit of everything and the moveable flocked bit down by her shoulder accomodates her larger shoulder and allows better movement for flat work and jumping.

she also has a nose net currently as the dust, flies and rape seed irritates her. She spends all day with her head in the hay which doesn't help either!
 
When I got my pony, the seller said that since he had been driven a straight bit would be best. Duly went to the tackshop and bought the only straight bit they had. Since found that this is a kimblewick. Also tried him in a snaffle - he hated it. He has a cavesson noseband for showing, and we have just started hacking in a scrawbrig but brakes a bit dodgy - going to try hackamore later in the week. He is much better without a bit actually - less fidgeting and he concentrates more on his work.

We have a treeless saddle because that is what I had for my last horse, but current pone goes well in it so have kept using it. I also have a breastplate that I have not used yet, but for longer rides I will need it because of slight slippage backwards!

I have got braver recently with trying new tack, to see if it suits us!
 
Currently not in flash but we tend to go a few months on a few months off - always with the aim of it off.

KK lozenge loose ring - nicest bit he goes in, and I don't believe in going harsher.

Combined knee/brushing boots, because despite V knobbly knees none of the other type stay up, and he is a klutz and has in the past tripped and fallen.

Um... Gp and dressage saddles for obvious reasons...?
 
Now a kimblewick is an interesting bit ... like the drop noseband it went out of fashion a few years ago, but it is a really useful bit and a lot of horses (and particularly ponies) go very well in it. Far preferable to my mind to see a child on a strong pony using a kimblewick than one of those WorkOfTheDevil 3 ring gags ;)
 
Rowreach said:
Now a kimblewick is an interesting bit ... like the drop noseband it went out of fashion a few years ago, but it is a really useful bit and a lot of horses (and particularly ponies) go very well in it. Far preferable to my mind to see a child on a strong pony using a kimblewick than one of those WorkOfTheDevil 3 ring gags ;)
Click to expand...


I totally agree with this!
I actually really like kimblewicks and do recomend them to a lot of people who they really work for, on all types of horses. Something about that bit that they really like
 
Rowreach said:
... why your horse is in his/her particular bit and/or any other piece of tack or equipment that you use on them?

Just interested :)
Click to expand...

He is in an eggbut (sp?) french link, which is the bit he came to me in and had always been ridden in. He goes well in it on the flat so I see no reason to change. When I got him, he was ridden in a cavesson and flash but I don't like flashes and TBH, didn't like how he went in it so played around with other nosebands. I tried plain cavesson (OK but not ideal), grackle and a drop. He likes the drop, done up fairly loosely, for flatwork and hacking.

At 17hh, he is a big horse for me at 5ft4 and I really struggled with holding him when doing fast work and jumping for a long time. Went through a phase of trying different bits and nosebands - grackle, combination, Dr Bristol, waterford snaffle, pelham, waterford gag, various Myler bits..but could never find anything that suited. Funnily enough, now I've got the hang of him on the flat and schooling (and my riding!) has improved, I do 95% of things in the FL and drop. I SJ him in it, can now XC him in it, fast work in fields and cantering in company. The only difference for SJ and XC is that he wears a martingale.

So basically a long winded way of saying he does pretty much everything in a FL and drop noseband, with the addition of a martingale for jumping (though I am going to give SJ a go without it as he had never had one on until I got him...). Hunting, if we go this year, will be in either a grackle and waterford snaffle or jointed pelham with 2 reins.

ETA - I didn't realise until I read more replies that you wanted to know about saddles too. Do everything in a jumping saddle. I did have a dressage saddle for a while but, despite it being refitted to him exactly 3 times, he hated it. He likes jumping saddle and I'm comfortable in it, so stick with that.
 
Rowreach said:
... why your horse is in his/her particular bit and/or any other piece of tack or equipment that you use on them?

Just interested :)
Click to expand...

Thick mouth snaffle with two joints as its really nice and soft for her and i tried a few different types of snaffles and she seems to like it the best :)
 
Rowreach said:
... why your horse is in his/her particular bit and/or any other piece of tack or equipment that you use on them?

Just interested :)
Click to expand...

..............of course I know, my 2 have different bits as they each go better in those particular bits. They don't wear tack to be fashionable, they have it because they need it.

How can anyone put tack on a horse because it 'looks nice' & not have a clue why they are using it? :(
 
Rowreach said:
Now a kimblewick is an interesting bit ... like the drop noseband it went out of fashion a few years ago, but it is a really useful bit and a lot of horses (and particularly ponies) go very well in it. Far preferable to my mind to see a child on a strong pony using a kimblewick than one of those WorkOfTheDevil 3 ring gags ;)
Click to expand...


:D Another member of the 3 ring gag hate club here :D

My horses/ponies all have cavesson nosebands and thin mouth lozenged snaffles- either loose ring or cheek. Chosen because they suit their mouth conformation and they go well in them. One horse can lean and opens his mouth at times but i dont use a flash, he is still learning to carry himself and finds schooling hard work so i consider it unfair to strap his mouth shut when he is just learning to work correctly.

I believe less is more alongside patience and schooling, with someone on the ground to shout at the rider every now and then!
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
How can anyone put tack on a horse because it 'looks nice' & not have a clue why they are using it? :(
Click to expand...

Quite easily! going by most of the horses i see at the competitions round here each week! and certain instructors that recomend the same bit for every horse/rider!
:(
 
French link snaffle eggbutt, with a thinish mouth peice as my mare has a large tongue and a small lower jaw, and I don't like the way nutcracker mouth pieces are. She prefers the "fixed" bits as opposed to loose ring, although for jumping she doesn't mind a tom thumb and this seems to keep her grounded and not too strong

Normal uncomplicated bridle, with caverson nose band. No flash.... ditched that when changed instuctors... she doesn't need it and is not overly fond of it, although do use it for xc as it helps keep her together as the "I hates it" response is lost with the "yee haa"

hunter breastplate with running martingale for jumping and hacking.... just so that I have lots of bits to grab hold of if it goes a little "interesting"

Wintec saddle, because it fits both her and me, however due to time off and sudden weight loss, a little extra was needed so used a Korrector pad rather than change to gullet to allow room for the weight gain and muscle development. I use a humane girth, as I had a tempermental gelding and found he like these and have just stuck with them

She has brushing boots on the fronts due to conformation and it stops her taking her legs apart and fetlock boots on the back, again due to conformation. She prefers fetlock to longer boots... tried her with both and don't get "waggy leg" with the smaller boots..... funny though we don't have too much argument with bandages though!.... odd horse
 
teddyt said:
Quite easily! going by most of the horses i see at the competitions round here each week! and certain instructors that recomend the same bit for every horse/rider!
:(
Click to expand...

Interesting that you should say that, as old instructor had quite a few of us in a half cheeked snaffle, some it worked for some it didn't - it seemed to work for my girl, although I have now put her in an eggbutt. New instructor suggested a loose ring snaffle..... gave it a go once but my mare hated it. her reaction was very strong that I didn't argue
 
Boy pony: full cheek NS bit with lozenge (full cheeks for steering), flash because he opens his mouth when he decides he's going the other way at speed (full cheek also comes in handy then), GP saddle fitted to him and nothing else (he's very hairy so boots make his legs look like feather dusters and don't help with anything)
Girl pony: loose ring jointed snaffle (she came with it and seems very happy in it), cavesson bridle because she doesn't open her mouth, running martingale for jumping (sometimes her head gets a bit too close for comfort!), brushing boots (delicate flower, sometimes gets wind galls), saddles fitted to her (chosen based on best fit) and overreach boots for jumping (sometimes overreaches)
 
I find bits and bitting fascinating and always have a good nose at other people's choices if I go into a new tackroom!

Anyway, mine is in a thin-ish Neue Schule Verbindend (curved double jointed with a lozenge) with a drop noseband on his snaffle bridle, and I use this for jumping too. The double has a Sprenger cut back weymouth and lozenge bradoon - this chosen on the advice of my EDT who did an assessment of his mouth conformation. As an experiment I tried him in a different weymouth and he hated it with a passion. I have in the past tried him in a Myler (dressage legal one) which he seemed to like for a few days, then set against, and a single jointed snaffle which made him rear! :eek:
 
I would hope most people would know.. or if not .. find out!

Mine..

Flatwork - Loose-ring lozenge snaffle - he is a young horse with a light mouth and prefers the lozenge to a french link. Cavesson noseband - he did attempt to open his mouth but the cavesson done up an extra hole (was on quite loosely) fixed that issue.

Jumping/faster hacks - as above but grackle noseband. He crosses his jaw when he wants to evade and the grackle stops this. Same bit (for now).

For VERY exciting things - grackle and I am trying a Wilkie to curb his tendancy to stick his head down and cross his jaw to evade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top