Let's talk bits - are the pricier ones (Neue Schule, Sprenger etc) worth it?

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Marilyn91

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Hi everyone,

My 5-year old Connemara mare currently goes in a 16mm double-jointed D-ring Anatomica snaffle bit from Qualcraft. The previous owner rode her in a double-jointed snaffle bit from Sprenger, recommended it and said she liked the lozenge. My cheaper bit was fine for a while, but recently it has started squeaking and my mare has shown signs of discomfort while tacking up. Her teeth were done five months ago, so while I will get her teeth checked again soon, everything should be okay in that department. So I'm looking to try a different bit.

Is it worth spending more money on a bit from the Neue Schule or Sprenger? I've heard good things about the Cambridge snaffle magic bit as well, and I am wondering if my mare would like a sweet iron bit (the ones from Shires look good and are very affordable).

Unfortunately there's no such thing as a bit fitter where I am based (it was hard enough to find a decent saddler!), so I can't really try before I buy.

What are your experiences with cheaper vs. pricier bits and the different materials (e.g. Sensogan from Sprenger, sweet iron etc)?
 
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Great question. I see a Neue schule bit on ebay for over a hundred quid and then one that looks exactly the same for £38 ... I'm assuming there must be a decent reason for the price difference and not just image and reputation?
 
Scotsbadboy said:
Great question. I see a Neue schule bit on ebay for over a hundred quid and then one that looks exactly the same for £38 ... I'm assuming there must be a decent reason for the price difference and not just image and reputation?
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Right!? I understand the importance of the size/fitting, and I can see how some horses might prefer certain materials to others, but to me (layman) the expensive bits look pretty much the same as the cheap ones. That said, I heard NS do a lot of scientific research and Charlotte Dujardin swears by the Sprenger KK Ultra Loose Ring Snaffle, so I guess there must be a difference in quality and not just branding...?
 
I do really rate the NS, it is a beautifully balanced bit and my horse went really well in it. They come up a bit small IMO so if you are wavering between two sizes go for the bigger one.

That said, my 2 original horses spent their whole ridden lives in the same bog standard bits but times change and now I would spend the extra on a NS.
 
Mine went in a NS team up his whole ridden career and loved it. I liked that I could choose a slimmer mouthpiece, and the size of the rings, and it was a lovely light bit. When I put him in a 2 ring gag for hacking I initially used a French link as that’s what I had, but he clearly preferred the team up mouth piece and was much happier when I eventually forked out.
 
Personally yes - the more expensive companies like Bomber, Neue Schule, Myler and Sprenger have invested in research into pressure points, bit angles, contact issues and materials that help improve our connection with our horses. I think thats why the price difference can be so much.

We spend so much money on our saddles and getting the horse physically correct between physios, dentists etc and then dont put the time and investment into fitting and getting the correct bit, personally I think its just as important as your saddle!

Edited to add - there are 'cheaper' copies out there but the anecdotal evidence is they never match up in terms of quality or fit.
 
It does depend on the horse but ultimately I would say that the brands that have put a good bit of research into what fits mouths well/developing good materials also have a good eye on quality control so you can expect whatever you buy to last well.

I've found the KK ultra or NS types to be readily accepted. My welsh is a bit of an exception, she hasn't gone well in any of the expensive things i had in my bit drawer and has a really basic stainless double set. go figure.
 
I think that the more expensive ones are manufactured more consistently - ie every bit is shaped and balanced as designed. This doesn’t mean that a cheaper bit won’t do a good job, it’s just that the manufacturing process may not have been as vigorous so there may be inconsistencies in the product!
 
I went to a talk by a master loriner, she said that the difference between expensive bits and cheap copies apart from money spent on research and development is the quality of the metal. Cheap bits will often degrade over time and might have sharp edges. Also they may not be exactly symmetrical in the manufacture so won’t be balanced. She demonstrated by balancing the lozenge on a cheap bit over her finger and you could see one side was heavier than the other.
 
As a whole i like ns bits - the team up bit is my go to starter and love the verbidend for horses that have a big tongue and tend to be heavier in front.
However my superbly wonderful dressage horse went best in an old fashiond stainless french link - and didnt like anything that wasnt stainless so it is horses for courses
 
Shame you canot get a fitter mine go best in a light alloy french link with loose rings or eggbut sides they were fitted by an independant fitter bits cost 12.50
 
I had my amazing boy for 17.5 years and over that time i had several different bits, brands and types from expensive to fairly cheap. We did lots of low level 'stuff' and had ago at most things for fun (dressage, hunting, jumping, showing etc) and i dont think the bit he was wearing at the time made any difference to us at all (well that i could tell!)

As long as the bit fits correctly and is suitable for the job, i doubt it would make a big difference to most ponies way of going, however, items like bits last for years, so spending an extra £50 on something that you know is quality and is likely to last, is probably money well spent.
 
I got told last week to try a new bit for my horse.

The coach recommended a NS loose ring losenge bit. Then googled it and realised there were many options (and even once you decide on the bit selecting thickness etc.).

I rang the bit bank for advice and they were great. Just waiting for it to arrive. If it doesn’t fit or the horse doesn’t like it I can send it back and just pay hire.
 
In my opinion yes, it usually does, although some horses won’t really ‘care’ about the difference. My ISH couldn’t care less what you put in his mouth and a nice Sprenger snaffle had no effect. But he was already going sweetly enough so I’m not sure what I really expected.
The new mare is as sensitive as it gets, and has a different opinion on every bit of tack out there. Cheap shires lozenge snaffle - terrible, very dramatic. Stubben lozenge snaffle - better, but bloody strong and still fussy. Sprenger universal - less fussy, still bloody strong. Currently in a snaffle and baby Pelham from trust equestrian, much less fuss, and I can check her without the drama. They do ‘flexi’ bits which are quite cool, more bendy than similar things.
 
I always had my Welshy in a loose ring losenge - just a cheap one off ebay, so a few years ago I though after hearing many a good thing got him the NS version - looked exactly the same but he was so much happier & more accepting in it - its very noticeable how much quicker the salox warms up even in your hand. He used to get rather locked against me with anything that had fixed sides but I've recently got him a NS Eggbutt & he loves that too & a lot softer - there must be something in it!

Also, my youngster has recently been started & ridden away & I got him a NS D-Ring transangled losenge from the bit bank for his first bit, so I could return it of I had to, but he gets on great in it so I kept it.
 
I have mine in Mylers and am happy to pay the extra for a genuine Myler. Had a fake one and the quality wasn't as good at all.
 
I bought a cheap eBay verbidend )is that how you spell it?) knock off and it was bloody awful. Manufacturing marks that were sharp, weird oil on it. Got a refund for that!
bought a Jeffries eldonian for £40 which is the same shape again and that’s alright!
Expert bits seems to have good ratings, and most of their ones are £40ish
 
I've never really had a horse who was fussy until now so im in that unenviable position of needing to find the right bit. Any recommendations for a bridle/ bit fitter in the Buckinghamshire area would be greatly appreciated.
 
Ditto the recommendations to rent a bit first.

Have you ever tried her bitless? If she's fussy with her mouth, and doesn't mind nose pressure, I've found a hackamore (or even just a headcollar) to be quite helpful with youngsters.
 
I’ve had a good variety of bits on 3 horses over the years. Some £10 cottage craft some £300 sprenger.

I dare say the squeaking etc is down to cheaper manufacturing materials and processes and only because I’ve experienced the same thing.

I tend to hire bits to try them first. It’s a painstaking process. I hire one at a time and force myself to try them with as little influence from any other variable as possible.

When I forked out £300 for Rooni’s curb I was nearly a bit sick but it’s a lovely item and he really likes it so all good.
 
I tend to buy a cheaper copy of something to trial it rather than just trial the real thing (started with things that couldn't be trialled and carried on) - I had a Verbindend copy and horse was happy so ended up sticking with it.

Noticed when tack cleaning (a rarity) that the rings were starting to rust so I've just replaced with the real thing. Frustratingly mine was a 14mm mouthpiece and NS came in 12 & 16 IIRC so went down to the 12 and horse loves it even more, so regret not changing it sooner.

Materials are certainly better quality in the real thing and they generally hold their value well for resale.
 
LegOn said:
Personally yes - the more expensive companies like Bomber, Neue Schule, Myler and Sprenger have invested in research into pressure points, bit angles, contact issues and materials that help improve our connection with our horses. I think thats why the price difference can be so much.

We spend so much money on our saddles and getting the horse physically correct between physios, dentists etc and then dont put the time and investment into fitting and getting the correct bit, personally I think its just as important as your saddle!

Edited to add - there are 'cheaper' copies out there but the anecdotal evidence is they never match up in terms of quality or fit.
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Agree, I use Sprenger and Myler and find my horses prefer these bits to the cheaper look a likes that I tried before.
 
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