Please talk to me about sweet iron bits.

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NeilM

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I am exercising an Anglo Arab for a friend, he's a lovely chap, but has been through too many pairs of hands, plus injury and is now as spooky as you like and a bit messed up.

Talking to my farrier today, I was telling him the work I was doing and what kind of reaction I was getting and he suggested that in addition to all that I am currently doing I try a sweet iron bit, possibly with copper rollers. I've had a look round the web and read that they can be really effective at calming a horse as well as being beneficial in other ways, so I'd be interested to hear both the theory and results from anyone that has used a sweet iron bit.
 
I bought a PeeWee bit, which is a mullen-mouthed sweet-iron bit with side pieces for a Clydesdale mare who took off with me on a hack, after taking fright at some colts running alongside us over a wall. The bit was very effective, it gave me both brakes and improved steering and she seemed to like the taste.
 
I use a sweet iron (single joint full cheek) on one of mine, she loves it. You can hear her sucking on it sometimes. She came with a sweet iron bit when I bought her, it was too small for her so I swapped her to one of my spare bits (not a sweet iron) and she wasn't that keen. I then bought her the full cheek with the sweet iron and she has been happy ever since.

I've also used a bit with a copper roller on my other one, she disliked it as it moved about too much in her mouth resulting in lots of head throwing and general messing about. She likes a stiller mouthpiece.

Bits are very trial and error, if you know someone you can borrow one from (or use a bit bank) you can try several and see what suits.
 
I have mine in a sweet iron too, hanging cheek with a copper lozenge. He loves it, goes so nicely in it, we changed from a single jointed eggbutt.
 
Mine came to me in a sweet iron French link snaffle and seemed very happy in it. They look a bit odd when they go rusty but that's a minor thing. When we used to do more schooling we have used other bits and the longest we've been in any other sort of bit was a Neue Scheule lozenge as the stuff they're made of (salox?) is warm also I think as copper but we're back now in our sweet iron french link as mainly hacking.
 
So does the taste / extra saliva help to relax the horse?

I don't mind buying one to try, I'm just wondering what it is that affects the horses behaviour.
 
My main riding horse is ridden in a sweet-iron chain bit with fairly short sliding shanks. (He's a western cutting horse btw) He absolutely loves this bit. I have tried him in so many bits this past year as he is not allowed to compete in the event I want to compete in with a bit where the shanks are not fixed to the mouthpiece. I have owned this horse for almost 10 years and he's always been ridden in his bit and not in a million years would I have thought that using different bits would have created such a problem for him; he absolutely hates any other bit I've tried. I've had him in Sprengers, fixed shank bits, straight mouthpieces, roller mouthpieces but he is very clear about not liking them. So I am able to ride in these competitions but cannot compete, which is a wee bit of a bummer. I have considered having a bit made exactly like the one he has but instead of having sliding shanks have a bit maker fix the mouthpiece to the shanks.
 
My mare is in a loose ring French link sweet iron snaffle and loves it. She came in a kimblewick (sigh) it's taken a year to get her in a snaffle with brakes but she is now a happy pony :)
 
I assume the creation of more moisture in the mouth that a sweet iron bit encourages by the horse 'mouthing' and salivating more, means the horse would be less tense in its jaw perhaps Neil so not so resistant to the bit? I don't know if that's correct. Also when you hold a sweet iron bit it's not as cold to the touch as the other metals so I'm assuming it's warmer overall on the tongue too. I think bits and the size/style/type/metal/action of the bit with what you're trying to achieve can be very individual to some horses. The mouth is such a sensitive thing and that sensitivity can vary between every horse I suppose. And beyond previous bits that may have worried the horse I wonder also if bridling too maybe plays a part with a horse that has previous problems and maybe been overfaced or constrained too much if it panics when there's contact or asked certain things - or in the past maybe had insensitive hands on the reins. He sounds like a lovely horse so hope you can get him going better and more relaxed.
 
Without a doubt I think he has had to suffer insensitive hands. I don't know this through direct knowledge, just the number of places he has been and the bullshi... erm I mean feedback that his owner got from people riding him.

I have been told today by his owner that he was backed using a bit with rollers, so possibly a sweet iron, so I think I'll give one a try and see what, if any, reaction I get. Being realistic, it will either improve things or not and if it doesn't then we'll just knock it off the check list.

He is a real gent, just a bit messed up at present. He's great on the ground and really gentle, but a bit nuts under saddle, bless him.
 
i have both of mine with sweet iron bits, the Arab has a small mouth and low pallet and hated most bits until i tried the thin Monty Roberts sweet iron and copper eggbutt, he relaxes and obviously likes the taste, the other horse has a Korsteel curved single joint sweet iron eggbutt , he sucks it in and works really well in it, Anglo's like Arabs can have tricky, sensitive mouths to bit well and will really tell you if they are unhappy in their mouths. i would say try one , perhaps a single jointed eggbutt with bars.
 
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