What bit do you use for schooling/general riding?

15.3 Connie X

Loose ring lozenge for schooling and jumping. And normally goes XC in it but will take the dutch gag with me just incase.

Currently hacking him on the second ring of a dutch gag as he is a nit at this time of the year, he gradually settles and he then goes back into his loose ring.
 
Selle Francais: nathe straight bar snaffle
Dutch Warmblood: french ling snaffle
Normandy cob: 3 ring snaffle, but ridden of the snaffle ring...
Irish cob: 3 ring snaffle ridden on 2 ring as can get strong whilst out hacking and jumping, but I do ride him in a french link snaffle sometimes!

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Captain is ridden in a hanging cheek freench link snaffle.
Fany is being a pain at the moment, she is in a full cheek french link snaffle. So I am thinking of putting her in a mullen pelham. She is strong and stubborn, trying to turn for home.
 
irish - french link snaffle
sometimes use a french link 2 ring gag when xc but have been using snaffle with a grackle recently and he has been fine
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15.0 cob x (x what I have never discovered!)

Used to ride in eggbut but he was very strong in company, so tried hanging cheek snaffle... still no brakes...then Pelham which he hated to start with & then a friend suggested a loose ring waterford & I now have a different horse!

We hunt in this but I am about to get a full cheek waterford so I have steering as well as brakes for jumping & x-country.
 
All my horses (TBs) and ponies go in variations of french links, with the links being lozenges- french link cheek snaffles or loose ring french links. And cavesson nosebands, even going XC. They are in the same bits now aged 6+ that they were on the day i bitted them. And i have backed them and trained them from day one.
 
16.2hh gobby argumentative TBx mare - single jointed dutch gag on second/bottom hole and grackle. Yes, even for schooling
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I do occasionally school in a hanging cheek snaffle and drop (our dressage tack) but generally save it for the last session before a test, as she gets very strong and runs through it.

She can go beautifully in the gag and grackle and more or less respects it even on her off days, and in my defence we haven't used the bottom ring for a while now. I bought a horse whose mouth had already been spoilt by bad hands and was terrified of a rein contact, and can just take off and keep running. I've worked very hard to get her to work nicely in a controllable way. I want to use a bit that lets my mare be as comfortable as she can while giving me the confidence that I can control her. I ride on a light contact and predominately off my seat, the brakes are there to stop her taking a hold and running off which she does in anything mild.
 
6 year old Welsh D - loose ring french link snaffle for everything other than jumping, when she has a jointed fulmer snaffle. However after our distinct lack of brakes yesterday I am tempted to try something slightly stronger, which I have been putting off for the last year and a bit.
 
14.2 welsh sec D, goes in a loose ring kk for everything, the thin 14mm mouthpiece. He hates poll/curb pressure and doesnt like single jointed or straight bits, so although we occasionally lack breaks, 99% of the time we are fine!
 
17.2hh Cleveland Bay x who has had bad experiences in the past - been galloped round and round (with no warm up) the arena until he collapsed (several times) and pulled around constantly in the mouth.

I chop and change bits with him (so that he keeps the respect) but his general everyday bit is an MB02 hanging cheek myler, but also ride him in an MB04 pelham, MB04 long shank combination bit and MB02 loose ring.

There's a myler theme...! All of them are ridden with a grakle noseband (even the pelham . . . yes - I'm bad!)
 
4yr old Irish Sport Horse (mainly TB) mare goes in a D ring myler french link wrapped in latex. She has mainly a loosish flash noseband not to slam her mouth shut, but to remind her not to open it!
 
17hh IDxTB gelding that goes in an eggbut french link for flat schooling and hacking. I can jump him in it but he tends to sod off after fences and I lack steering so usually jump (and the odd bit of XC we've done) in a Dr Bristol. Hunt in a single jointed pelham with 2 reins
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Show cob - Neue Schule loose ring lozenge link snaffle (hacking, schooling, dresage) or lozenge link dutch gag if needing reminding to not lean!
For showing - double set with loose ring lozenge bradoon and sliding cheek weymouth.
 
I think I'm a bit old fashioned
15.1hh TB mare - straight bar Happy Mouth with cheeks
16hh TB mare - hollow mouth eggbutt saffle
16.1hh 7/8 TB mare - straight bar rubber snaffle
 
Welsh B's- Eggbut french link woth drop nose band for everything.
Pip- Welsh X- Loose ring french link for everything.
Ginga- Welsh C PB- French link Flumer or Kimblewick.

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Driven in different bits
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16.1h warmblood 8 year old in the process of bringing into work after being used as a broodmare. She is currently in a loose ring snaffle but i'm not convinced its quite right also tried a waterford with no sucess, am off to our Bit Loan shop this week to speak to the expert and borrow some bits to try....... Thinking of a Myler?
Daughters little shetland X Exmoor - eggbutt snaffle for every thing.
 
lose ring fulmer snaffle for everything at the moment as its the only thing i have breaks in lol anything harsher makes him more nutts a normal snaffle means he just goes sidyways lol so not good
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15.1hh 9 yo section D. I flatwork in hanging cheek snaffle, cavesson noseband and flash. I jump in full cheek jointed snaffle with cavesson, flash and martingale and hunt in dutch gag with reins on middle ring and occasionaly the 'naughty ring'!
 
My 15.3hh TB ex-racer is ridden in NS loose ring snaffle.

Sister's 13hh sec c is in a cambridge mouth snaffle, as is her 14.1hh native x gelding - although he has a pelham for the more exciting stuff!
 
I've just spent the last month begging & borrowing Myler comfort snaffles (loose ring) off two friends & my horse goes fab in this on the flat so I've now bought my own.

The only problem is, I can't seem to jump in it. Horse jumps fine but sets his jaw & runs after the fence. I'm going to try & work out if this is a schooling or bitting issue over the next couple of weeks. If I really can't jump in then I'll stick with my cheapo loose ring french link snaffle for jumping.

Horse is a 16.1hh, TB, ex-racer.
 
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I've just spent the last month begging & borrowing Myler comfort snaffles (loose ring) off two friends & my horse goes fab in this on the flat so I've now bought my own.

The only problem is, I can't seem to jump in it. Horse jumps fine but sets his jaw & runs after the fence. I'm going to try & work out if this is a schooling or bitting issue over the next couple of weeks. If I really can't jump in then I'll stick with my cheapo loose ring french link snaffle for jumping.

Horse is a 16.1hh, TB, ex-racer.

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It could well be the bit, mylers can fix when the joint is moved in a certain way. Next time you have it to hand have a play and see what I mean! Your horse may well be better in a french link as the movement will be freer.
 
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