Too bit or not to bit!!!

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bellaboo

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I'm showing my yearling filly this year for experience and fun. Have been told its best to bit her as she stands around 14hh now and is of a medium weight. Do you think she is better off being bitted or shown in a bitless bridle? If you do think its best to bit her, what sort should i be using? Am guessing something like a straight bar rubber snaffle or something?
 
If she is well mannered in hand then I would go without a bit. A youngsters mouth can be ruined by putting a bit in too young.
However you must do what is in your best intrest safety wise!
 
We have always bitted our yearlings when shown usually with a straight bar happy mouth snaffle.
Also use a good coupling one that goes to the noseband as well as to each side of the bit as it alleviates a lot of the pressure on the mouth.
Done like this and not over shown we have always found that this hasnt done any damage to our youngsters mouths and all have gone on to have very good mouths with no problems when ridden.
 
You see them on arabs but not seen them on anything else.
Dont think i would want anything that light on anything with bone.
As in leather work looking to fine for the type of horse.
 
She really is quite a chunky monkey! Quite well behaved inhand, can be a bit sluggish! Did think she may look a little odd in a bitless bridle, but dont want to do any damage!
 
We have always found the key to it is a good coupling.
The piece that runs to the noseband needs to be fairly short so that this takes most of the force from your hand.
Have never found that a happy mouth does much damage anyway.
As long as you have done some practice and horse is not silly there is no reason why the mouth will get damaged.
 
Seems to be alot of posting of showing yearlings lol


As in my other post we are showing our yearling filly , she stands at 15.1hh and are using the showing bit with brass rings , Hubbie will be showing her , i have said to him that if she behaves herself and seems to be doing ok then to put the couplings on her noseband .

What classes are you showing her in ?
 
The best coupling we ever got was a 3 way one designed for yearling thoroughbreds which came from Newmarket Requisites.
They do have a website.
Had another from Derby house but all the bits on it where too long for a yearling.
 
We took our yearling filly to a show last year. She was about 14.3 then. We put her in a straight nylon bit. She neighed a lot but was very very well behaved. We did practice in the bit before hand. And we used it as extra control. We kept the bridle with bit on all the way there (led on roads) but kept her headcollar over the top and led from that. We only put the leather 3 way coupling on the bit as we went into the class and took it off and put headcollar back on as soon as we had finished. so most of the time she was led off the headcollar. I think mares/fillies have a leather coupling. Think the chain ones are only for geldings/stallions. But someone will correct me if I am wrong. Derby House do a 3 way leather coupling and not that expensive.
calli1.jpg

Coloured/sports horse classes. No coupling on the bridle here.
Since been told coloureds should have quarter markings either!!!
 
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