Turtle top bit with flex

[oldie48]

After waiting for nearly two months the turtle top bit arrived, apparently it's been very popular, from the bit hire company. My horse has a fleshy mouth and tongue and having tried several bits, I was still struggling to have a consistent contact as he is rather fussy in the mouth and tends to lean or grab the bit. He can also hold fractionally in his poll which just prevents him coming through consistently. Having read a bit about this bit I wondered if it would help. Now I know I've only used it once, but bl....y, what a huge improvement! As soon as it went into Mr B's mouth he settled with it instead of chucking his head around, ridden he gave me a lovely light contact, was softer in his neck and body and much more even on both reins. I'm pretty chuffed and just wanted to share this as it may help someone else. I promise you I don't work for Neue Schule and have no financial interest whatsoever, I'm just very impressed and hope the improvement is long term!

 

[epeters91]

I've never heard of this bit bt it sounds good from your review! What bit were you in before and what sort of horses do you think it would suit? (sorry I know you don't work for them haha just in your opinion )

 

[oldie48]

He came to me in an eggbutt french ink with curved arms, sorry not sure of the make but he was being sold on behalf of someone and the "dealer" commented that he went best in it, giving me the idea they had tried several different bits. he went OK in it but was rather fixed and lacked softness in his neck and back. I've ridden him mostly in a loose ring KK ultra french link and although he's now working in self carriage some of the time, it's a bit inconsistent and he likes to hold on to the bit and can be still a little fixed. however, although i can work through these issues, he consistently chatters his teeth and can open his mouth. As I said in the opening post he has a very fleshy mouth and a big tongue and I think he wasn't entirely comfortable with any of the bits I'd tried. I've looked at videos of him working before I bought him and although he was scoring 70%+ at BD elem I could see the teeth chattering away, so it's been an issue for a while. If you google turtle top you should come across more info about what sort of horses it suits but generally i think it's worth a try for any horse that is consistently "busy" in his mouth. I'm sure there will be folks reading this who will say it's a problem with my riding and I'm happy to admit I find it difficult to keep a consistent contact when the horse is yattering away etc, so I'm more than willing to take some of the blame, however, my extremely experienced trainer also has the same issue although he's much quicker at dealing with it. It was just wonderful today to have a relaxed supple horse as it allowed me to focus on other things and when Mr B is properly through, he is just so much more comfortable to ride and my old bone don't get shaken up!

 

[Moon Dancer]

You are describing my horse exactly. Even down to being in a kk ultra. Can you hire this bit before buying?

 

[oldie48]

yes, i've hired mine from horse bit hire, £11 for a month's trial and £95 if you buy it, the £11 comes off the price. it was the cheapest i've found. I'd give it a try for £11 I don't think you can go wrong. Good luck!

You are describing my horse exactly. Even down to being in a kk ultra. Can you hire this bit before buying?