Research Project-Calling all Thoroughbred Owners!

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beth16

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Hi
I am doing some research into bits used on Thoroughbred horses. I would be really grateful if you could answer the following questions:

1. What bit do you use for the following (please answer all that apply):

Schooling (flat)
Hacking
Schooling (jumping)

and

2. The reason for using each bit?

Many thanks in advance for your responses.
 
Schooling/dressage Neue Schule Drop Snaffle with lozenge- Bit she works best in
Hacking/Jumping/Horseball Loop snaffle/wilkie snaffle- Bit that she works well in and give additional brakes!
 
I ride him in a hanging snaffle with a copper lozenge for everything. He doesn't like poll pressure, but a loose ring was too unstable for him. Can be strong jumping so tried a gag but did NOT go well - the hanging snaffle at least gives us a bit more brakes than an eggbutt. Have also ridden him in a double, in a single joint eggbutt bradoon and a low port fixed cheek Weymouth, which he went very well in, but I prefer to work mostly in his snaffle just for training's sake.
 
As above hanging cheek French link and on the other hanging cheek jointed for everything they both like the hanging cheeks but have also had others go absolutely fine in normal snaffle have found with tbs that less is more in my experience with reschooling they prefer non fussy and basic that ive found but each one is individual as I say some hated the single joint others hated the French link so each to their own.
 
I use a dutch gag but on the snaffle I barely have to touch her mouth at all, the slightest movement in my hand and she knows to what Im asking, after trying many many bits, a bit of slight poll pressure seemed to work, but she is very fussy and plays with everything BUT the DG, shoot me down, 'don' care, my 'orse is 'appy' :D

ETA - I use this for everything.
 
Loose ring snaffle for everything. He came with the bit off the track 8 years ago and never had any reason to change. Hacks, elementary dressage, BE90
 
Full cheek NS Snaffle with lozenge for flatwork, hacking and showjumping. Full cheek copper roller for XC, it's still a snaffle but has a bit of movement in it to stop him from setting his jaw when he gets excited. He likes the full cheeks.

My late TB had a standard hollowmouth eggbutt snaffle for everything. She liked the thicker mouthpiece and prefered nutcracker.
 
Reg has a happy mouth loose ring snaffle with a lozenge in, for absolutely everything. It is pretty much the mildest bit Al could find which wasn't that expensive, and he's a sensitive soul with a very light mouth. She tried a few others but nothing was soft enough.

Smokes goes in the same, because he's not strong and is also very responsive so doesn't need more.
 
Happy mouth full cheek with roller for flat and hacking.
For jumping a happy mouth that similar to the universal and use roundings with it x
 
Horse 1.) - Eggbutt french link for everything (Isn't really strong-and prefers it to a nutcracker action)

Horse 2.) - Flat/hack/small sj - rotate between large loose-ring rubber snaffle, sweet-iron loose-ring and a plain hollow-mouth loose-ring snaffle. (Gets cocky, so need to rotate bits, all snaffles but just gives him something to think about)

-Fast work/xc- Dexter or sometimes cheltenham gag depending. (But he is a awkward tank! )
 
Last edited:
Answers below

beth16 said:
1. What bit do you use for the following (please answer all that apply):

Schooling (flat)
Hacking
Schooling (jumping)
I use a loose ring snaffle with elliptical joint (this one http://www.equestrianclearance.com/...-loose-ring-snaffle-with-elliptical-link/1523) I use this for everything.

and

2. The reason for using each bit?

I experimented with a full cheek version and a very similar to the above but with a thicker mouth piece but this is the one he goes best in. He has excellent brakes so don't need anything 'extra'.
Click to expand...
 
All of mine do everything in a jointed full cheek snaffle - they trained and ran races in it and I have never had a need to change it.

They get shown in show pelhams - not because I need the 2 reins but for ettiquette.
 
Mine goes in the same bit for everything. Loose ring 'dick christian" style snaffle - it has an oblong shaped link in the middle, but the edges are curved.

I use it because he hates anything too strong, and doesn't need anything with extra brakes/poll pressure for jumping. He seems to like the link in the middle, has a low palette and a big tongue. He is a nightmare out hacking but the bit makes no difference so we stick to the one he's happiest in!
 
Mine is in a sweet iron loose ring, single jointed snaffle for everything.

He could sometimes do with a stronger bit but he does't like them so have to stick to a snaffle!
 
French link loose ring snaffle for everything, he's not strong or silly so don't need anything else! He quite likes the play on the loose ring so we stuck at that :)
 
Schooling and hacking I use a neue schule verdibend as he works well in it and doesn't lean like he did in other bits. Don't jump anymore but when we did I used a cheaper version of the universal (can't remember make) used that as he got too strong and not too much steering in the verdibend whilst jumping!
 
happy mouth full cheek straight bar for everything as he has a very soft mouth but will drop behind your hand if he's got something jointed in his mouth and I ride everything in full cheeks for extra turning!
 
Horse 1) loose ring single jointed snaffle for everything. Came off the track in it and had no reason to change yet, he's not strong, doesn't lean and is nice and soft in it.
Horse 2) french link eggbutt for everything - didn't like anything stronger and was never going to go on the bit after 19yrs spent hunting/pointing so left him in what he was happiest. He was a sensitive soul.
 
NS loose ring with a lozenge, think it's called a starter bit. Only doing rehab at the moment, e may try a happy mouth with a mullen mouthpiece. Have a slightly larger loose ring NS with a lozenge that I have used on a few successfully for any work.
 
Dressage/schooling/hacking she is in a Neue Schule Tranz angled lozenge loose ring. Have just swapped to the loose ring as she was becoming a bit heavy in the fixed ring.
SJ/XC she is *currently* in a jointed rubber Pelham with an elasticated curb chain. She is very very strong when jumping and pulls down and away rather than throwing her head up. However she also has a mouth like butter so it has been sooooooo difficult to find a bit that she respects, without it hurting her! This one seems to be working at the moment!!
 
Myler Eggbutt Comfort Snaffle, for everything. Noticed that he went best in an eggbutt (he really hates loose rings) and some research suggested that mylers were kinder on the mouth than a regular snaffle.
 
neushcule verbindend for everything because, he was in a eggbut french link and weighed a ton, then we went into a loose ring french link but it just wasn't quite right, so borrowed a neuschule off a friend and noticed an immediate differnce x
 
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