What bit do you use.. and more imp - why??

A straight bar pelham with two reins for everything that doesn't require a dressage legal bit. I tried various other bits but this seems to be what she is happiest in and she responds nicely with little rein contact. She can be strong and if hacked in her dressage bit (myler comfort snaffle), she sometimes just sets her neck and ignores you. She really doesn't like anything with a joint.
 
I have a big belgian draft. Despite the fact he has been used to pull logs in the forest he is sensitive so only ride in a egg button French link.
It's very early days but so far so good.
 
Currently in a Myler Combination, previously in a Myler hanging cheek snaffle but he messed around with the bit and became quite preoccupied with chomping on it and drifting off into his own little world. He works well in the combination and it's great for me too as I'm aware of how light I can be. He does on occasion set himself against me, but with a couple of squeezes does soften and come back to me.
I'm lucky in that my instructor is a bitting professional so I have help on hand as and when I need it, though pony has expensive taste having only had Myler and NS tried.
 
Wheels said:
What have people got against single jointed snaffles?

Yes I have heard the rumours about nutcracker effect and the potential for the joint to hit the roof of the mouth but that can only happen if the rider pulls back on the reins which of course should not be happening!
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I haven't got anything against then but I find must horses go better in something else. Lots of horses go well in a straight bar snaffle, but it's a little used bit these days.


I have my thick tongued fleshy mouthed cob in a NS verbindend, because he really needs a big port. It's a very clever bit, a double jointed a snaffle that when in use creates a big port and relieves the tongue pressure. It's also BD legal, which ported bits aren't.

Actually only his leather dressage bridle has the NS on it, the day to day plastic bridle has an identical Jeffries copy that cost less than half the price on it.
 
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99% of the horses I have owned or worked with have gone well in a single jointed Fulmer. My Clydesdale likes her sweet iron single jointed bit.

The only time I tried a double jointed bit my TB got his tongue over it within 45mins and then took a year to get him out of the habit.
 
Springer Kk loose ring with lozenge on a miler bridle, my mare head shakes in a cavesson noseband however loose it is. She was in a drop neckband before but it as not easy to find one that was a great fit.
Never occurs to me to use different combinations for different activities for this mare as it is not currently needed.
 
My welsh d mare prefers a ns loose ring Waterford, control of speed & direction comes largely from my seat so when I do need more brakes out in company a little ask on the reins is respected. However is not dressage legal so also have kk ultra that she came in but finds she sets against it especially if trying to do something in the school she finds hard. Have tried verbindend as she used to be heavy in the hand but she wasn't keen. Also a myler comfort snaffle but someone stole that! My trainer suggested a bog basic French link which I could give a go as cheap. I saw Jeffries revolver bit which looked good. Never used anything but a loose ring, she can be a bit tossy in the head again sign of resistance.
 
A plain single jointed snaffle. Its not severe at all. I used to think that but it's just the way it's used. Like anything i guess.
 
Interesting that your mare head shakes in cavesson as my mare tosses her head and rubs her nose on leg even though noseband isn't tight. Think will see how she goes in no noseband
 
Minos Harmony for most things, and a Waterford fro hacking when he's "on one". The Harmony is a lovely bit, especially for horses with a big tongue. I usually school in a double - he wasn't a fan, despite being in a double for most of his career, until I got a weymouth with a curved port, which went down very well with Mr Fusspot. He's a toothtapper, but does it in any bit, and in a hackamore - so I've just learned to live with it!
 
Dressage pony, dressage legal Myler with D rings - couldn't get one over here, someone picked one up in the US for me - he likes it and goes well.
Big horse dressage legal myler with loose rings - same as above.
Old mare , loose ring dick christianson - she likes it
Retired mare - was a single jointed happy mouth . She hated metal and went loopy if you put in a double jointed bit.
 
My cob was awful at pulling and putting his tongue over the bit when I first had him - Irish import backed, hunted and shipped to a dealer so not very educated. Upside down neck and almost panicked if you took a strong contact. Tried endless combinations to take his fat tongue and fleshy mouth into consideration... Resulting in a rather impressive bit box!

Ended up in Mullen happy mouth, either eggbutt or full cheek. Loose Cavesson or drop, but doesn't like a flash... Looks like there isn't room in his mouth, but seems to work! Used to go well in a ported Pelham buy doesn't seem to like it now... So need to find something a bit stronger after fun ride fiasco but stumped as he doesn't like much!
 
My lad is in a french link loose ring snaffle for everything except showing!
That includes all fast work, work in groups and galloping in a group down the beach!
He is only in a double bridle for showing as double reins are required in his class.
Ive never had a martingale on him and never had any noseband other that a plain correctly fitting cavesson on him.

Oh and the only other bit he had rver had in his mouth has been a full cheek french link whilst he was being broken in order to help him with steering at the very beggining
 
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Loose ring snaffle with a lozenge for day-to-day stuff, because Mr H likes it and goes pretty softly in it.

Half-moon-link pelham with double reins for exciting things (mainly those which involve cantering in groups) because he sometimes tries to run through the snaffle when he's excited, and I can pull him up with little more than finger pressure on the pelham.

Doubles for really proper dressage-y stuff, because of the extra finesse available, and also because he tends to open his frame a bit more, which makes his neck look good (it's a nice neck for a Highland but it's not exactly long).
 
Loose ring snaffle with lozenge it's like the team up but a cheaper version. That's for everything schooling hacking jumping whatever. He has a crank noseband which came with the bridle unfortunately but it's loose so has no effect. He doesn't like anything tight around his nose. I used to use a martingale when he went through the period of rearing or throwing his head in the air to stop him smacking me in the face but he doesn't do that anymore so that's in a corner somewhere.
 
Myloubylou said:
Interesting that your mare head shakes in cavesson as my mare tosses her head and rubs her nose on leg even though noseband isn't tight. Think will see how she goes in no noseband
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Have you tried her in a fixed noseband (like a driving, in-hand or Spanish bridle) My Welsh mare and now my young Fell are better with none or a fixed - I wonder if it is the shape of their heads, very broad forehead, prominent cheekbones and tiny muzzles?
 
Loose ring, French link snaffle for everything - flatwork, sj, xc, hacking, hunting... Because he's never given me a reason to change it!
 
The ponies are in snaffles; lozenge, french and single joint. Two are bouchers, a couple are sweet iron, one is an ancient nickel thing that I really liked the shape of for that particular pony. The single joint snaffles are very different shapes to give tongue room for those that want it, fat sided egg-but hollow mouth for one, and a couple of anky-type banana-shaped ones.

The Shetland would be in something stronger than the french link he's in if he were being ridden by an adult - I don't think it's fair, as little hands aren't good hands - he would be a good candidate for a kimblewick or pelham.
Only one strong little pony stallion is in a Kimblewick.

Driven, most are in a straight or mullen liverpool, soft cheek (except the stallion above, who's driven rough cheek). For pairs I use a flexible rubber straight bar, with rubber bit guards, as I can't guarantee a direct contact with either horse 100% of the time, so I want something forgiving. The ponies don't like taking the rubber bits as much as metal ones (exp sweet iron!), so I may re-think this one at some point.
 
I collect small bits, and I am horrified at some of the bits that go in small ponies mouths. I have mainly native, native x, but we have had a Belgium draft and a TB and we always start with a simple loose ring snaffle, then adjust the mouth to what they like, some love to chew the plastic of the Happy mouth but they stay in a snaffle. For hunting a mullen mouthed Pelham with leather curb, its also gives a bit of power steering when the kids are small although one preferred a Kimblewick.
 
Until recently, nugz was in a stainless French link fulmer with keepers and a drop. Was suggested I try a NS and so he's currently in transangled loose ring, but since he's been in that he's learnt to put his tongue over so I think he's just going to go back into his fulmer. For exciting stuff he's in a short-shank Myler combination as it means the pressure is on his nose before his mouth and half halts 'normally' have an effect. I think also it works psychologically on me as I know it's 'strong' so I use it as a last resort to stop so actually I've only ever needed to actually use it with any force once.
Also using the myler to work on our neck reining :)
 
M has an egbutt snaffle with a lozenge for everything. A has 3 different bits

1. Myler mullen mouth hanging cheek snaffle - he does 99% of his work with me in this - flatwork and 'sedate' hacking.
2. Hanging cheek Waterford - sharer rides him in this as she's just starting with him and I like to know she's definitely got brakes. She'll move on to the mullen mouth soon. I use it on him on more exciting hacks with a lot of open spaces or more than 2 other horses (rare these days). He used to show jump in it before he had to stop jumping.
3. Waterford 3 ring gag (with 2 reins) for fun rides. I tie the bottom rein in a knot and only use it in an emergency. He also had this for XC when he could jump.

I use all 4 because the horses are happy in them and they give me the requisite amount of braking power. A has a huge tongue and isn't happy with anything jointed. The mullen mouth is perfect for him but doesn't give enough brakes for more exciting stuff so, when it's necessary to bit up, he likes the flexibility of the Waterford.

I could probably ride M in a nathe he's so polite but I don't trust nylon bits having seen a happy mouth bit snap in a friend's horse's mouth mid gallop on the beach.
 
Loose ring myler comfort snaffle. Mare is big, strong, mouth of steel ex hunter but will not tolerate anything single jointed, or big. I have more control in my little snaffle than I do in my kimblewick which i bring out occasionally for some re schooling of the brakes.
 
I ride my big jumping girl in a plain cavesson bridle and a sweet iron snaffle with rolly bits in the middle ( So technical I know) She goes with just a running martingale and goes sweetly in this.

Rio is rode in a sweet iron snaffle with a lozenge and a flash, along with a running martingale. Again he goes lovely in this.

I still,and always do break mine with a breaking bit still, so my 3yo has one of those in.
 
I use a Bomber Portuguese 2½ Ring Happy Tongue - my mare has a small mouth and large tongue and she seems most comfortable and content in the Happy Tongue mouth piece. She is strong and forward going so favour the 2½ ring option to give me a bit more control - she was previously in a Myler hanging cheek but Bomber don't do a hanging check version - the Portuguse was the nearest I could get. The whole getting biting right was aided by the Horse Bit Bank and involved considerable to-ing and fro-ing.
 
ID mare has a double jointed loose ring, and a waterford for hunting. Tried her in a mild myler snaffle once and she hated it.

TB mare was backed in a happy mouth double joint loose ring snaffle, moved to a straight nathe, but got a bit leany so back in original. ..

Current pony has an eggbutt snaffle, the one on loan goes in a hanging cheek with single joint.

Fiona
 
I use a tongue saver universal gag. It has two settings a snaffle setting and a gag setting, I think it also uses poll pressure. Most of the time I have it on the snaffle setting and use a grackle. My horse can be strong and he can sometimes ignore me, I don't have the strongest seat but I do my best to use it, sometimes it's worth having a bit of backup
 
I use a low ported loose ring Myler snaffle for schooling jumping xc and hacking with just a cavesson. I like this as he is green and the Myler is very precise in its aids and he loves it

For hunting and fun rides Neue Schule Trans Universal! With a grackle and martingale
 
Mine are all in snaffles with a lozenge. All wear a cavesson noseband. My competition boy wears a snaffle at home and for dr/flat work but also has a universal for XC and jumping and I also have a Pelham hanging up in the tack room as back up! Not needed it for sometime though as he's become a bit more respectful about the speed I want to be going at!!
 
All of mine go in curb bits, ridden one handed. If they are doing "normal" things like dressage competitions it'll be either a double bridle or a snaffle - usually a simple loose-ring or, for the "complicated" one, a lozenge. A well trained horse should go pleasantly in anything, as my old trainer used to say.....

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