Recommend me a good mild bit please

Natch

Natch

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Am having a bit of fun with a friend's ex-hunter, and I have permission to play around with his tack, as I think he is unhappy in his current get up (his owner agrees). He snatches at the reins, partly I think because he finds it hard to work properly due to 'interesting' conformation, but partly due to bit and bridle.

He is currently in an eggbutt snaffle, flash and running martingale. I'm not particularly concerned about the flash, since I don't think he does open his mouth and its only ever done up loosely anyway. Its the single jointed snaffle which I want to change, but to what? I was thinking loose ring french link, possibly a kk or similar as gut feeling says he isn't getting on with the stainless steel either. Oh, forgot to say earlier he is very very sensitive in his mouth (and to the leg which makes things interesting :rollseyes: ). Asked a friend and she suggested a straight bar, which I have ridden in, in the past, but I'm not sure about if its very good once you take into account mouth conformation? And that leads to perhaps a myler and around about this point I throw my hands up in the air and think I'll ask on here and see what you guys think! ;)

Oh, and think cheaply please, although I manage to find most on ebay quite cheaply! :D
 
Has he had his teeth checked recently? If not, that needs to be your first job. I'd really recommend the neue schule bits, I have retrained my exracer in a team up bit and am thrilled with his he's accepted it
 
I would try taking the flash off completely to start off with, I would then try a french link and then if you realise he has a slightly "different" mouth conformation consider Myler/Neue Schule
 
I second the EDT suggestion. Ask the dentist about mouth confo and for bit suggestions. Having said that, I'm not sure that many horses can be comfortable in a single jointed snaffle.
While you're trying to avoid stainless steel, I'd be careful with Happy Mouth, as I've heard that horses have chewed through them and made them sharp/rough. We've used Myler, NS and PeeWees successfully, on various mouth confos, although the NS and PW get roughened if the horse chews them too.

ETA, I'd lose the flash too, I hate to see horses mouths strapped shut and if he doesn't open his mouth anyway, what's the point of it? Far too many people buy bridles with a flash attached because they are 'fashionable'.
 
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id remove the flash and martingale and try a french link hanging cheek, if he is fussy in the mouth but not strong id want a tiny bit of poll play to say oi head down, with out the interfearence of a martingale.
 
Yes forgot to say sees dentist annually, no problems, last visit only 2 months ago and he's behaved the same way for the last few years. Saddle got adjusted a little while ago, and he has physio every 6 months. Martlin I haven't really got as far as looking at his mouth confo properly :o from memory he has quite long bars, although when he is messing with his bit he manages to click it with his teeth iykwim. I will have another look but I don't think there is much to report, he doesn't have an obvious huge amount of space, has a reasonably fleshy tongue but not massively so (did a stint examining mouths at college last year, so I actually feel reasonably confident in what I'm looking at).

NS are quite similar to KK aren't they? My default is to something like that as I've always known horses go well in them. Thought I would seek other opinions on here as if I just go straight to NS/KK I would feel that's my bias rather than making a choice for the individual horse in front of me :)
 
Aargh people replying while I am typing! :D

I'm the first to say I dislike flash nosebands, and not fond of running martingales either, but as I say I don't feel that the flash is causing much difference in all fairness. He doesn't evade, at least not like that, and it really is pointlessly loose, so whilst I will be taking it off I don't think it will make much difference.

I really don't see why single jointed bits are still so popular either, in fact I'm quite horrified by them.

I will lose the martingale but at the moment while I am getting used to him he is a big horse who occasionally bucks big, so I appreciate the neckband :o I was wondering if I could wind the active bit around the neckstrap as a temporary measure to remove the martingale action but keep the neckstrap...?!

I sound very novicey now but sod it, I just like the oh **** strap, ok?! :p
 
kirstyl said:
Has he had his teeth checked recently? If not, that needs to be your first job. I'd really recommend the neue schule bits, I have retrained my exracer in a team up bit and am thrilled with his he's accepted it
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^^^ I agree with this, my TB mare has a sensitive mouth, only ever in a snaffle, with a flash (& martingale for xc). Had a normal loose ring french link snaffle at first but still had a few problems with acceptance, tried my YO 'team up' NS bit & cant believe how much she accepts this, so much lighter in the hand, still mouth friendly, lovely consistent contact, saying that not all horses are the same, not the cheapest but defo worth a try, good luck :)
 
That's the next question.. are there any good bit hire places people would recommend? We have a local bit lady but she doesn't do hire.
 
if he can bang it on his teeth id look at adjusting the height, ideally a bit should sit in a bit groove, they may be able to grind teeth but really shouldnt be able to chomp it..

although because of the shape of a snaffle it is possible.

id also play with your hand height, and see if that makes a difference to him.
 
Right, for a ''standard'' sort of mouth I will go with something like a team up or maybe even starter from the NS range, a cheaper alternative would be a sweet iron copper lozenge snaffle (shires I think?) and see how it goes.
a hunting breastplate works better as an oh **** strap than martingale, in my experience ;)
You want a slim mouthpiece with a double joint/lozenge in a soft, warm metal, really. That will also help with jangling teeth, as it is difficult to avoid with a single jointed snaffle.
Any evasions at all? Or just generally sensitive mouth?
ETS: The horse bit bank is the place I go for all my bit and bit trial needs, never been disappointed yet :)
 
Neue schule bits are much cheaper than KK bits, give the bit bank a call or look locally. Think my Team Up bit was about £38
 
Thanks all, looks like I will be trying the bit bank :) I don't really know which metals are considered softer, I know about sweet iron and then my knowledge runs out... is copper also thought to be 'nice'? I try to avoid rubber and happy mouth as someone else said they get chewed. The Shires and NS ones seem good starting points thanks all very much :)

Martlin, no particular head/mouth evasions that I have come across so far in schooling. Have only walk hacked him though, and am told he gets strong and high head carriage during canters... As far as I can tell from what I have experienced with him peraonally, he is just a very sensitive horse all around.
 
Your soft metals will be generally yellow, so copper mixtures :) like the NS Salox, sweet iron, too.
Tranz angled lozenge might be good for the horse with a cockerel tendency :D or NS starter, they are both designed to encourage downward stretch and the seeking of contact.
 
If the horse is sensitive to you anyway how about bitless? You can get quite cheap sidepulls (essentially a headcollar with rings at each side of the nose band) and various others that have more head-hugging action as well as obviously hackamores... some of them convert from bitted to bitless for endurance types... and are sometimes cheap as synthetic for cleaning purposes (I wouldn't want to bother with all that after a 20km ride or whatever either!).

For a totally free trial headcollar and two lead ropes (in an enclosed area, ideally with someone else around) should give you an idea if it might work for this horse-rider combo.
 
Tickles bitless has also crossed my mind, but its something I will tinkle with him at a later date, as his tendency toward speed does leave me thinking that keeping a bit in for while we get to know each other is an excellent idea! I have a dually which fits him, and he long reins in happily.
 
If you want a neckstrap I use a stirrup leather round the neck of my horse. I just do it up and keep the end from flapping with a plaiting band.
It's what WFP uses as well :D.
 
If you have got used to grabbing the neckstrap from the martingale and like the width of the leather either lengthen the martingale so that it does not act until the horse is say 5" more upwards with the head for the tryout period or take the neckstrap off the martingale part. A suprising amount of professional riders like a neckstrap!
 
crabbymare said:
If you have got used to grabbing the neckstrap from the martingale and like the width of the leather either lengthen the martingale so that it does not act until the horse is say 5" more upwards with the head for the tryout period or take the neckstrap off the martingale part. A suprising amount of professional riders like a neckstrap!
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I love my neckstrap! I use the neckstrap off an old martingale and it has saved me on many an occasion. And you can use it for Prelim dressage
 
Had a similar problem with my welsh/hackney recently. Went for a hanging boucher with a lozenge in sweet iron and coppper. Very reasonably priced on ebay. Similar to the NS, but a fraction of the price. He's going well in it, and has stopped snatching at the reins.

Not sure about the sweet iron (rusts), but he slobbers all over it as it goes in like a freshly bitted yearling, so it's clearly doing its job.
 
Have you tried a nathe? They are the softest bit you can get, it depends if he is snatching towards or away from the bit if that makes sense, my mare was almost afraid of any bit I think she had been pulled around alot but I used the nathe for a while and the difference was amazing I was then able to use a normal bit after a few months
 
As others have said I would ditch the flash noseband, I too hate them. My horse used to hang onto his bit badly. I took the advice of my Trainer and swapped him to a loose ring Waterford and its the best move we ever made. He goes so well in it, my other horse is in one too and its great for her. Unfortunately the Waterford has a reputation as being a "harsh" bit but its the same as any other, only as harsh as the hands on the end of the reins. Downside is its not Dressage legal - pity!
 
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