Totally rookie Question re bits....

[EmmasMummy]

Which is harsher for a pony.

A straight bar loose ring snaffle or a Cambridge snaffle?

When pony was broken in they used the latter as they said it fitted him better. I have continued using it as he went well in it and it is quite thin so good for his little mouth.

Would using a larger straight bar give him a less responsive mouth? I am aware that for a pony you dont want them as responsive as a dressage horse but also want some control.

I am just nervous about him being made dead in the mouth..is that likely to happen with a straight bar and a novice rider more than a Cambridge?

 

[Annagain]

They're both very similar, the tongue groove (or hump) in the Cambridge allows room for the tongue which, if the pony has a large tongue, will be a help for him to be comfortable but other than that there's very little difference and they're both fairly mild. When you say larger, do you mean larger diameter mouthpiece? There's an argument that a wider mouth piece spreads pressure more so is kinder, but if the pony doesn't have room for it in his mouth it will be more uncomfortable for him.

Is he too strong in the Cambridge? You could try a loose ring with a lozenge which would provide a little more brakes.

 

[Tern]

Some would say the Cambridge because if pony has a low palate the slight groove could push into palate. However a straight bar has a lot of pressure on the tongue.

I personally don't like mullen mouths / straight bars but that's a person opinion. Maybe he would prefer a french link or lozenge?

 

[Tern]

And anyway, just because he was broken in with it doesn't mean he'll like or respect it now!

Try a little french link or lozenge. And really, any horse or pony should have the same responsiveness. If you need to stop for some reason better to have too much responsiveness than not enough.

 

[Casey76]

Unless the pony has a very, very low palate, the port in the Cambridge won't apply any pressure to the roof of the mouth, it is only there for tongue relief. A true straight bar (opposed to a mullen, which is curved), can be quite harsh as there is unrelieved pressure on the tongue and bars.

A Cambridge, despite being a loose ring, is a very "still" bit, as with all unjointed bits, there is a little bit of transferrence of the aids from one side to the other (a jointed, either single or double joint, tends to separate the aids from one side to the other and make them more distinct). However I think it takes a LOT of either 1) unrelenting pressure (where callouses build up , and the pony bcomes literally less physicaly able to feel the bit) or 2) unbalanced/confusing aids (where the pony learns to tune out) to make a horse or pony dead in the mouth.

 

[EmmasMummy]

Yes, larger diameter. its around the thickness of my fat thumb, which for his wee 11.2hh pony mouth looks too much in there. Which was the consensus the yard had when he was backed. I wouldnt say he was any worse in either when it comes to brakes. She has only been ridden since feb so I guess I am still nervous of his mouth being ruined. I had to send a while sorting out my old cob when he was over bitted and had started disrespecting and having no brakes.

I am going to ask why they have felt the need to change the bit.