In hand bit for 2yo

S_N

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I can use a metal bit for H this year can't I? Last year he had a vulcanite brass ringed yearling bit, but he's grown a bit - lol. Does it matter what kind of 'cheek' the bit has? As in loose ring, eggbutt, D-ring etc... I just can't think what we did on the comp. horse studs I worked at so long ago... Thanks guys
 
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most 2 yearolds are still in vulcanite bits.

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Agree, but if you want a metal one maybe try a eggbutt straight bar or happy mouth?If you wanted a jointed one try an eggbutt bradoon - that'll look very neat. What ever you use look for one with small rings. The mouthpiece will need to be quite thin as well as his mouth won't be developed enough for a fat one (but you know that anyway......I'm just showing off!!)
 
PS. The little vulcanite in hand bits go up to at least 5.5in.......Baby Oliver had one as a two year old, so you'll be able to get one to fit Hector quite easily!!
 
Spider graduated last year into a metal bit........ I used one of these training bits at the top as the brass colour went with the brass buckles on the in hand bridle, (and I already had one in the tack room!).
The rings are quite neat but if you want even smaller ones you could try the bradoon further down the page.

http://www.barnstormers.co.uk/acatalog/Barnstormers_BRASS_ALLOY_BITS_63.html
 
Interesting - thank you all for your input! I gues I'm so used to TB's being prepped as yearlings and always using chiffneys (in the US mind), I just thought it would be time to graduate to metal. I think I'll play it by ear and see what the monster tells me. Thanks for the link P! BTW, when Sue (saddler) came down t'other weekend, she threated to steel B upon finding out who she's in-foal too, LOL!
 
My boy (entire colt, almost 21 months) is going for some in-hand training in a few weeks (halter and then possibly some long-reining if he is physically and mentally ready to cope with it) and if he does do the long-reining he'll be in a KK ultra but 14mm thick mouthpiece with small rings or a myler bit. He flips the straight bars (don't know how or why) and seems a lot happier with a double joint in the middle.

Even if he doesn't do any long-reining in a few weeks he'll be doing some lunging and long-reining in may/june time (at another training place) in preparation for the shows so that he knows what the bit means when I use it and builds up some topline (and I don't mean fat). However even at the show i'll be using both a bit and noseband coupling and lunging i'll be using a cavesson mainly so it's only long-reining that I'll be using the bit and very gently.

I know that some people would wait to do long-reining and lunging till they are older and use a bit when they are older to protect their mouth but if they are trained slowly and carefully enough they can learn this stuff earlier and he is too clever for his own good and needs to be thinking about stuff. I wouldn't worry about using a metal bit as long as it is thin and light enough and he is used to it before any show.
 
I intend to do some longreining with H this summer - he is rising 23 months now and is beginning to look the part. Which I am finding rather surprising, as I thought he'd be a butt ugly 2yo, LOL! What breeding is your lad? Are you keeping him entire? H is the foal at foot and the yrlng on the far right in my sig.
 
My boy is a Hanoverian by Don Romantic out of a hohenstein mare. I've decided to geld him once the weather gets better and the ground drier as I've decided that since he is going to be at livery most if not all of the rest of his life it isn't fair on him to keep him entire as he'll have a less good quality of life. Your boy looks lovely.

He probably isn't going to be doing any long-reining in a few weeks (I'll wait until the summer) as we looked at him quite critically yesterday and he just isn't ready, physically or mentally, but I probably will put a roller on so that he knows what it feels like (with a breastplate) in a few weeks and I'll put the bit in once he's had his wolf teeth out.
 
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