Kind bit required. Moon Mouth Bits - your opinion?

Archiesmummy

Archiesmummy

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Am looking for a kind bit, ideally full cheek fulmer but its a minefield. They have straight bar, lozenge ... you name it it seems to be a combination.

Now I've seen one with a moon mouth. Never heard of it before, never seen one before, until I ebayed. Does anyone have experience of a moon mouth?

Oh, I am so confused.

Archie is mostly happy hacked and I try to do a bit of schooling during the ride. He currently does not really go in an outline so perhaps something to encourage this.

Perhaps a bit with an elastic bungee, flexi reins or something????!!! I don't have a clue, can anyone help?

Many thanks
 
Do you mean like this...?

WB144813.jpg


If so I use that exact bit (had no idea you could get a fulmer version, I've only ever had the eggbutt) and it's basically a French link with a lozenge instead of a flat link. No difference from a French link really, maybe a tiny bit more curved and substantial on the tongue, but it's a very mild and kind bit for most. :)
 
I'm not sure what a moon bit is either.

The thing I don't like about linked bits such as the one above is that the lozenge is quite big, and the joints where the link join the main bit are quite large too, so although they stop the nutcracker action, sometimes these joints can dig into the tongue and/or catch the corner of the mouth.

The more expensive makes have a smaller lozenge and the joining rings are much slimmer (rather than huge donut shapes above) so this doesn't happen so much.

It is good to try to reduce the nutctracker action of the simple snaffle - research in America has shown that the single joint snaffles can actually hit the roof of the horse's mouth when both reins are pulled hard - ouch! So maybe try a more expensive make with a smoother lozenge, or a curved bit (maybe that is called a moon? sorry I don't know). Or a myler comfort snaffle maybe? I have two of mine in comfort snaffles and very happy they are too :)
 
I use a loose ring one, bought it for my slightly bit-fussy TB who loves it, goes well both ridden in it normally and in a bungee/market harborough/training aids/etc.
Got it for him originally but use it on a couple of the other horses too who are bit-fussy and they seem to like it and are really soft in it! :)
 
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