Sprenger Duo bit

RachelB

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Does anyone use/has anyone used the Sprenger Duo (straight mouth) before? What type of horses did you use it on? What improvements did it give you over your previous bit?
My horse has just changed to a loose ring happy mouth straight bar from a loose ring lozenge in stainless steel. She is snatching less violently now but is still backing off the contact. I wondered whether the Duo with the cut-away mouthpiece might make an improvement as she is an IDx with a slightly larger tongue!
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I assume you mean the Sprenger Duo which is also known as a Nathe, if so then yes I have one which I used on one of my horses a I.D X TB when he was a baby, it was good for keeping him round and encouraging a soft mouth and it suited him because he doesnt have much room in his mouth being mainly I.D. I didn't use it for very long though as I sometimes think straight bar bits in the long term can encourage them to lean. But if you've got a horse that is fussy in the contact in a way you may want them to lean a little so that they can learn to take and accept a consistent contact and then you can put back in more of a normal bit ie loose ring -or hanging cheek french link which would keep them stiller and more through. It may work, or you might not like it! gd luck
 
Sprenger Duo and Nathe are different brands though
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I've never seen the Sprenger one close up, but a friend of mine used a Nathe on a horse that really backed off the contact. It's similar to the Duo but the shape is different, rather than having one side flat and one side cut away, it is just narrower in the middle.

I liked it better than Happy Mouth type bits, as I think HM tend to be quite hard and I'm not sure the bumps suit all horses. The Nathe was quite soft - more like soft rubber, and the horses I've seen them used on have all accepted them well.
 
milliepops - I think the Sprengers are hard like Happy Mouth ones, but I don't think I've ever come across a Nathe before. It's specifically the cut-out-ness I'm after, but not in a metal bit.
K27 - my horse leans when she takes the contact, and backs off and snatches when she doesn't
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She also leans on the left more than the right, which obviously is worse in the straight bar as she can get a hold of it easily. I'm trying to decide which is the lesser of the evils because she snatching has finally driven me crazy!
 
Hiya, i have a sprenger duo. Its somewhere in between nathe and happy mouth in terms of flexibility. THe triangle 'cut out' bit seems to fit the mouth really well and my very fussy TB went brilliantly in it. I think they are a bit overpriced but i would definatley pay it again, they are great bits
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