What bit do you use and why?

my mare is ridden in a mullen mouth pelham, (happymouth type mouthpiece, not metal)

she isnt keen on metal in her mouth. she was broken in a straightbar happymouth loose ring snaffle. i had no brakes, and she went like a giraffe! tried all sorts of bits and the pelham is what suited her best. ive never looked back.

my sisters mare (now retired) was in a sliding cheek pelham (nickel) when we bought her, and we never changed it.

we are "pelham people" it seems! :p
 
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scrunchie said:
As title. :)
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A loose-ring jointed JP snaffle for everyday hacking, schooling, etc. For hunting he has an American gag because it suits him and he likes it and the girl who hunts him has very good hands. I wouldn't let anyone else loose on him in the gag though.

For everyday the snaffle is fine and he resonds really well to it. What we don't use is a pelham. He hates them and spends so much time fidgettting and worrying at it that he forgets to listen to me. He has a very soft mouth and a fat tongue so he prefers to have a thin jointed bit. Thick mullen mouth or straight unjointed mouthpieces especially rubber ones are really uncomfortable for him.

Unfortunately he is a big ID and needs a 6.5" bit and it's virtually impossible to get snaffles that big. Bit makers seem to think that a big horse automatically needs a bit that will stop a tank so I had to have his JP made specially.

I was brought up to use the mildest bit that your horse will respond to and have never had reason to go back on this.
 
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My Highland Pony Kippen has a mullen mouth pelham with rounders with a leather guard on the chain. Works great but am thinking of changing him to a Waterford snaffle as I cannot pull his head up with the pelham when he starts bucking. He sometimes bucks if I won't let him tank off as he doesn't appreciate that fat veteran ponies can harm themselves by tanking off. He could do his legs or wind. He doesn't care, he just wants to go fast.
 
Olly has a loose ring lozenge snaffle for general use, for hunting he has a waterford hanging cheek which I use for hacking if he is fit/has recently been hunting.

Millie is in a sweet iron jointed full cheek bit, she likes the mouthpiece and the full cheeks help with steering as she is very green. When she is schooled a bit more I will experiment with putting her in a loose ring.
 
For flatwork and hacking a loose ring french link snaffle - his tongue is quite fleshy and his mouth is quite small so a single-joined snaffle pinches him/hits the roof of his mouth . . . the french link seems to spread the pressure just enough and he goes really well in it.

For jumping and going across country a loose ring waterford - I wouldn't say he was strong per se and he doesn't have a particular lack of brakes - you could jump him on the buckle - but that little extra "oi" helps him to listen a little more and pay attention to the fence in front of him (and wait for the fence) rather than launching himself, steeplechase stylie, all long and flat. The waterford also discourages him from leaning - not something he does with me or my trainer, but he can lean on DD (b/c he takes the proverbial with her b/c she doesn't use enough leg).

P
 
My pony has a NS tranz-angled lozenged eggbutt snaffle. I tried him in a few bits when I first got him and initially went for a Happy Mouth loose ring peanut snaffle but I picked up the NS bit at a table-top sale and he went so nicely in it, I've never looked back.

He occasionally wears a kimberwick for XC or SJ as he can get very very fast and start rolling poles when he's excited.
 
Myler Comfort Snaffle because that is what my horse came with and after almost 6 years I have never had any need to change it.
 
My old boy Neo has a egg butt snaffle

Zed has a sprenger kk loose ring for jumping and a kk universal for flat work and hacking... Silly backwards baby needs a stronger bit for flat work than anything! :p
 
I use a Myler Combination low port on my young horse which he really seems happy with and offers me a little bit more control when I need it.

ISH has a ported Myler combination

TB has a simple eggbut snaffle
 
Eggbutt Snaffle. I use it because that is what her old owners used and as I don't know much when it comes to bits, I didn't want to play about with her mouth. She goes well in it. By well I mean, I have great breaks, she doesn't throw her head around, or play with the bit, Happy for me to put bridle on. So I think she likes it.
 
I use a Happy Mouth double-jointed dutch gag for Tont :)

He used to go in an eggbutt snaffle, but he is very stroppy and opinionated so can get rather strong. I'd rather have a light contact on the dutch gag than be hauling on his mouth in the snaffle.
 
Everyday use including hacking, schooling and dressage he is in a NS verbindend as it horse is a leaner and this seems to stop him enough and is dressage legal. Have to occassionally put him in a waterford as a reminder. For XC and hunting a cheltenham gag as he just sets his jaw puts his head on the floor and goes. Not pleasant especially downhill so this brings his head up nicely although he knows and doesnt even attempt it when he has that in. This is 16.3 TB.
 
I use a bit the horse goes well in ;). So per horse/pony:
1) Tom Thumb (she likes it, and the bottom ring is there for brakes when needed) for general jumping/hacking, and a sweet-iron double jointed snaffle with copper lozenge for schooling/dressage.
2) Copper single jointed loose ring snaffle because that's the only bit she's ever really liked, and she's a sweet thing with a soft mouth so doesn't need more.
3) Dr Cook bitless because there's not enough room in her mouth really for a bit so she doesn't like them.
4) Anything double jointed 'cause other than that she's not fussy, so snaffle for schooling, dutch gag for jumping/fast work as she can be VERY strong
5) As for 4) really for about the same reasons.
 
Until recently Spider was in a loose ring Happy Mouth snaffle with roller. His previous owner rode him in that so I bought him one for continuity. Whilst he went well in it he was chomping at it a bit which wasn't a problem except for the fact he was leaving teeth marks and it was getting sharp - after only 6 weeks I decided it wasn't going to be practical to buy a new bit every two months.

So now we're trying a NS verbindend. Early days (three times so far) but he seems to be going very well in it - seems happy enough and holds a beautiful natural outline with the lightest of contacts and it seems to give me more breaks :)
 
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