Mouth Pieces

[Gentle_Warrior]

Ever since buying my fat git !! I have been trying to find a bit he is happy in. Does anyone find that there horse breathes funny when riding. Does this make sense ?? He has a large mouth and a fleshing tongue.

What mouth piece do you primarily use on your horse ?



Many thanks guys

 

[Tia]

I really dislike single-jointed bits with a passion. Almost all of my horses are ridden in French Links/lozenge.

I like Waterfords but I don't have any horses which need this mouthpiece.

 

[jes_nibley]

my wee one has a very dainty small mouth but a hugely big fleshy tongue. He has been ridden in many many different bits as have currently found that a happy mouth french link full cheek snaffle works best. He's been in it for about 2 years now so fingers crossed he'll start buckling down to some proper work soon and still go well in it!

 

[mitchellk]

Like Tia mine go in frenchlink/lozenge type bits or a waterford but mainly for hunting/jumping etc only

 

[Rachel_M]

Sorry, PMSL- Fat git.

Choice of preference- french link.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

My cob has a very fleshy tongue and much prefers a mouth piece with two joints (French link or Lozenge type). Mullen mouth don't suit her at all, but a cambridge mouth (small port) is fine as give her more tongue room.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

Must admit I found his breathing etc was worse in the single snaffle - I hate them too

 

[Chex]

I did use a myler low port comfort snaffle, but recently changed to a waterford and so far so good

 

[RachelB]

Maiden has a cheapo lozenge loose ring snaffle, but she went much better when I borrowed a KK with the twisted lozenge. I only have her in it because that's what she came in and she's perfectly happy. However having had my last pony in a single joint and Maiden in a lozenge I can safely say that I prefer lozenges, they are so much nicer for the horse. I doubt I'd go back to a single joint now unless the horse actually preferred it.

 

[MillionDollar]

I never ever use single jointed bits anymore if I can help it, they are all french link, lozenge, straight bar or waterford.

 

[MillionDollar]

Oh forgot to say, also LOVE my high wide Myler comfort snaffle.

 

[rara007]

We use mullen mouth because thats what they are driven in. With a french link they tended to lock one side of there head???? before i had always use a single jointed snaffle, it seems to be the only thing used in pony club

Haz

 

[rubyred]

Myler all the way!

 

[ann-jen]

Jenny has a myler comfort snaffle on a cheeked snaffle for dressage and a myler low ported kimblewick for jumping.

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

What is the difference between a french link and a lozenge ?

 

[PapaFrita]

PF is happiest in a straight bar happy mouth. I play around with the rings; sometimes I ride her in a gag, sometimes a plain snaffle. She gets a bit keen jumping sometimes!

 

[PapaFrita]

As I understand it, a lozenge is... well lozenge shaped and a french link is like a flat 8 in the centre of the bit.

 

[the watcher]

We use a loose ring waterford one one who has a tendency to lean (although he is now going well in a Myler comfort snaffle) the others all have Myler comfort snaffles - I like these because they have a wide centre barrel and independent sides, but cannot pinch like many other jointed bits. In fact I am so keen on this mouthpiece I have ordered a pelham for showing with the same mouthpiece.
I know that one bit will not suit all horses, but I haven't yet found a horse that is not comfortable in this bit.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

What's wrong with single jointed ones?

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

they cause a nutcracker action and can be quite harsh - They are not as gentle as they are made out to me. A french link is prob a better choice

 

[Honeypots]

My cob is in a french link loose ring snaffle and daughters pony is in a french link hanging cheek.
I had terrible trouble when I first got daughters pony. She came in an normal eggbutt snaffle (single jointed) and a flash. She wouldn't steer and was always yawing her mouth. I discovered she has quite a low palate and small mouth and as soon as I swapped it for a french link she was different pony.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

My horse goes fine in a single jointed.......guess it just depends on the horse.

 

[chestnut cob]

Mine goes in a Myler Comfort Snaffle with wide barrel for flat work (up until last week he went in it for jumping as well but ATM has decided he wants to go everywhere flat out so am doing fastwork in a kimblewick, having tried and failed with a waterford snaffle today).

Mine actually does breathe funny when he's ridden....he has DDSP (I think that's it), which is a dynamic collapse of his airway. Basically his soft palate collapses into his airway when he breathes out, blocking his airway. Had it treated in Jan and he's much better but breathing is v noisy, just have to be careful what I do with him. His problem is mostly during flatwork/dressage, and only in canter really now. But this is quite a rare condition from what I know about it....

What do you mean by "breathes funny"?

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

From a website I trust

but like you say every horse is different

"The single jointed bit shoots forward in the mouth, shortening up, creating an acute angle (nutcracker), hitting the outer edges of the bars and excessively squeezing the outer edges of the tongue, thus creating the possibility of palate interference which will not encourage a true contact or outline."

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

sometimes it sounds like he has taken a bug gul of air, as if he is struggling to breath - prob over reacting !!!!!! as he always seems fine and fights the contact so not as ig he is running away from the bite !!!

I might try him in a lozenge

He was worse in the single joint and mullen