What bit do you use and why

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moodymare1987

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Curious to know what you all use in your horses mouths and why do you use the particular bit and does it vary to what you are doing to what is in the mouth.

My horse is in a full cheek snaffle for all things at the moment.
Great in it for schooling but not ideal for hacking or jumping him.
 
For flatwork, a hanging snaffle with copper lozenge. He can giraffe, so hanging cheek helps encourage head to lower, and he likes the copper lozenge better than the french link - he's not a mouthy horse, but seems softest in this.

For jumping, a full-cheek waterford. He can put head to the floor and tank after fences, however doesn't like poll pressure at all, so this stops him leaning on me and tanking without putting pressure on poll/nose/jaw which he hates, and this combined with a fluffy noseband keeps him between giraffe and rhino...
 
Hanging snaffle for most things, but if we do anything new and potentially over stimulating (our first hunt/fun ride) I use something a little harsher, for safety.

Why? He used to be on the 3rd ring of a 3 ring gag (not my choice) and I've gradually managed to lessen the severity :)
 
Thats great when you dont have to change what they got backed in. I would keep mine in his full cheek snaffle but just not ideal for hacking. Jumping etc.
 
Both my welsh section C and my part bred arab are both in a neue schule verbindend snaffle. My part bred arab goes in a small double bit when showing but I never ride her in this at home as its not necessary.
 
Hi, my girl is in a Korsteel loose ring snaffle at home and on non fast hacks, she loves it but if we go on a fast hack or jump she gets excited and very strong, so I ride her in a Tom Thumb with the copper rollers and two reins so I have the option of more control if I need it! I'd also recommend the Dutch gag with two reins!! Finding the right combination of bits requires a lot of trial and error hope you find the right balance! :-)
 
Pelham as she can be unstoppable and is very hard mouthed. Aim for this year is to get her in something dressage legal for at least schooling
 
Knobberpony does everything,including hunting,in a sweet iron french link.She came to us in a happymouth snaffle,but she chewed it and made her mouth sore,and head tossed because of it,so I swapped to the french link.
New boy was in a Baucher,but gets strong jumping and cantering in company.He puts his head down and just goes.Our instructor suggested a Waterford for ponies that lean and so far,it is great.Most importantly,he seems to love it and likes to play with it.
 
Thats my issue. On faster hacks or jumping i need some brakes. I dont need anything to bring his head up as he has naturally high head carriage anyway. Will just trial and error and see what works for us :)
 
Neule schule verbinand for everything at the mo which is brilliant for dressage but it doesn't do much for jumping and fast hacks when she is feeling frisky! so I actually want suggestions for something else for that. She goes ok in a single jointed sniffle but what has more brakes than that but similar? Any suggestions??
 
Neule schule verbinand for everything - fab bit that suits him down to the ground - the only exception is in the show ring where I stick a ns starter Weymouth with it but still ride on the snaffle ....
 
Happy mouth plastic straight bar snaffle......for everything (tho mainly do dressage) although I don't do Xc or hunting, and would put in a Pelham for either of these just to have a curb if it was needed. Never strong but can be speedy!!!!

It's the only bit he isn't fussy in....just found that he really dislikes anything on his tongue.
 
hanging cheek waterford for most things haning cheek french link for dressage the ponies have very fat tongues and find the waterford comfortable and it curves round in their mouth. Strangely one evades the bit upwards so giraffes the other downwards so overbends in the same bit if they evade at all mostly they just play with the lumps on it and are very easy to stop. Both are fairly recently backed and we tried all sorts of bits before we settled on these. Densitst suggested a very thin bit but they didnt like it as it was too sharp in their mouth
 
big lad is in a neue schule team up for flatwork and hacking and a happy mouth Pelham with double reins for jumping at the moment.
Pelham gives me brakes for when I need them and I don't have to fight to get him back.

Wee lad is in an eggbutt with a French link for flatwork and hacking and a happy mouth Pelham for jumping as he gets a bit strong like the big lad.

Middle lad is in a French link snaffle with cheek pieces for flatwork and a two-ring gag for jumping with the reins on the bottom ring.
 
Waterford. My boy is a full up NF and can get strong. This is perfect as he can't grab a side of it and lean. I've used it for number of years and love it. I always recommend them to people if they just want a snaffle but need a few brakes too.
 
Loose ring frenchlink sweet iron for everything :)

He likes this bit and now hes getting on a bit the craziness has faded.

I used to use a wilkie for jumping/xc but at one point I used a Dr Bristol as the wee monster used to run through my hands or set his neck and avoid the bit at common ridings, mind you that was about 8 years ago lol he settled the more I did them.
 
K wears soft nathe straight bar for everything from xc xchooling, gallops to medium dr.
b is in starter ns bit for everything as above but tol ele level
m is in snaffle single joint for hacking gallops etc but double to school.
 
Missy is in a French link. When I bought her she had gone for years in a Dr Cook bitless, but I missed the feel of connection you get with a bit so tried the softest bit I could find. She goes beautifully in it and I'm really happy I made the change.
 
The family dumblood has been in a French link eggbutt for years, once she graduated out of the French link cheek peice I used to start her in.
But once my son started doing serious XC with her, he started having brake issues, and a kimblewick helped to an extent. But as the SJ got higher and more technical, more control was needed, so our instructor leant us two bits to try- an NS and a waterford. I was completely against the idea of a waterford, but it was obvious that was the bit that she was happiest in- relaxed but responsive. She has a huge fleshy tongue, so maybe it is just more comfy.
So waterford to jump, French link rest of the time.

eta the TB went through a MASSIVE range of bits, before we tried a blue bomber happy tongue cherry roller, on advice from a bit bank. The weirdest looking bit I have ever actually held, but he's happy! It seems he doesn't like tongue pressure of any kind, and this bit transfers the pressure to his lips(and bars if he's being a bit strong). Works for him- soft and gentle mouth and head now.
 
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Wilkie snaffle - being a Connie he needs the thinner mouthpiece and he goes lovely in it, soft in the contact and mouths nicely. I know it's a love or hate thing with this bit but I really like them
 
My mare is in NS team up bit for schooling

She has a lovely soft mouth and I wish to keep it that way

For jumping she is in a KK snaffle with cheeks just to help with steering as she is green
 
Sweet iron loose ring snaffle with copper lozange
She started to take a hold of her full cheek french link snaffle which I broke her in , shes much better now
 
my ISH is in a loose ring lozenge snaffle with a special curvy shape for flatwork and sometimes jumping at home when I feel like it ! but it requires too much pulling on the mouth for my liking. He absolutely hates French links, baucher snaffles or anything other than his loose ring lozenge for flatwork! He will play with the bit , but put any other kind of snaffle in and he grabs in between his teeth and won't work properly.

Jumping, hunting, xc and he wears a rubber straight bar Pelham- with squishy curb padding. He does get strong when jumping so needs a good set of brakes, but doesn't like anything harsh on his mouth such as jointed bits that wrap around the mouth in any way, he'd flip at a jointed gag or a Waterford. Can be schooled in a jointed snaffle as he doesn't pull and therefore doesn't feel the pressure on his mouth so much

Hack in either bit, depends which one is on the bridle. Unless I'm doing a lot of fast work and jumping, then I use the Pelham.

Super strong mare has a Cheltenham gag for hunting and jumping (only just works!) and I try to school her in a snaffle but it's not pleasant, we will get there! schools nicely but strongly in a Pelham.

The new connie is currently in a lozenge snaffle for everything but he will need something stronger to jump in as he gets very excited towards jumps! currently just trying to school him out of it, but think it's just his personality.
 
Hanging cheek with French link or single joint for schooling and dressage.

3-ring dutch gag hacking as his stock response to anything he didn't like when I first got him was spin and pee off and it took uncomfortably long to stop him. He doesn't really do this now and the gag really helped. He also when cantering or galloping somewhere exciting sometimes chucks his head up and tries to tank off and it just means I feel safer and it has served me well as I can ride on the buckle for the most part and just use it when he is being a nob.

For showing a Mullen mouth Pelham which really helped last time I took him out as he can get quite excitable and strong and one show in a snaffle I had to retire from two classes as he just getting stronger and stronger and tenser and tenser and then started bucking. With the Pelham I could ride more confidently forward knowing that I had brakes should he take off.

The second two probably show up holes in my riding skills but until I reach the heady heights of perfection they keep me and him safer.
 
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