What bit(s) do you use for your horse and why?

5 yr old very green mare who came in a fulmer snaffle, she was fussy in it and behind the bit, felt she was uncomfortable ( she also reared when asked to rein back,we felt she was confused and didn't understand the question tho to be fair) changed her to a loose ring lozenge, all fine, but she mouthed and the bit ran through her mouth, same with rubber guards, so changed to a french link hanging cheek and shes so happy, really comfortable and good steering X
Basically changed and played until the mare seemed quiet and happy in the mouth x
 
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6 year old lightweight sports horse type, soft in the mouth but can be reluctant to work on the bit.

Is currently in a PeeWee bit which he really seems to like and works well in it.

Sadly though it isnt dressage legal so I have just bought a mylers toklat low port comfort snaffle with ports for when we get back to competing. Prefer the PeeWee though!
 
A new forest pony competing nov/elem level in eggbutt French link snaffle it's all curvy and fits him lovely and never had any issues. For a naughty new forest pony day he wears a single jointed pelham :D
 
Well, we only ever use a french link sweet iron snaffle. This is on horses we rear, bring on and back ourselves. Stuff that comes in with problems we'll re start and use a bit when they are working properly in a head collar.

We won't introduce a bit until the horse has been ridden in a head collar for a couple of years and is sound in that.
 
One in a full cheek sweet iron snaffle, the other in a full cheek copper lozenge snaffle.

Both came in loose ring snaffles, one sweet iron. One was too small so I switched to a normal snaffle that I had in the tack room but she didn't go well in it at all, so I bought her the sweet iron full cheek. Goes very well in it.

The other didn't like the loose ring (french link), it rubbed her mouth. Switched to a rubber full cheek but was too bulky for her so am now on the only other full cheek snaffle I had which is the lozenge. Only swapped recently but so far she seems to like it.

I don't use keepers with either at the moment as they are working well without.
 
22 yr old warmblood cross, very fizzy at times, can take off sometimes.....for the winter i use a dutch gag with 2 reins, only take up the bottom rein when i cant stop using the snaffle only....find this works really well for this horse in the winter, summer time she is out 24/7 and is much quieter so use sweet iron snaffle only..
 
we ride in a kimblewick, horse doesn't like anything with a link (lip pressure?) he pushes down, shakes head and occasionally carts off in anything other than his kimblewick. He's very responsive and happy with it, so if it aint broke, I don't fix it
 
English hackamore as he goes so much happier without metal in his mouth. Honestly, I have tried every bit I can think of, but nope, he chows down on them within half an hour.

We are both much happier bitless. :)
 
JP hanging cheek French link. I think I did swop to another snaffle without the hanging cheek (can't quite remember) but he seemed to lean right into it so swopped back and he goes fine in it. I haven't experimented with other bits but don't really see a need for us. He is a 9 year old welsh D.
 
My Appy - soft in the mouth most of the time but can pull like a train when out hunting! :eek: Likes to lean on anything with a fixed ring. I ride him in a loose ring french link snaffle for everything and use a flash when hunting rather than using a stronger bit which gives me the extra control I need!

My ISH: has an unusually large tongue - anything with a straight bar mouthpiece doesn't suit him at all as it just squashes his tongue. Very soft in the mouth but can be strong when jumping and tends to use his neck to set himself against you and tank off. I've tried him in many different bits but have found the best to be a Neue Schule Universal Gag to be the best. The ergonomic mouthpiece give him the room he needs for his tongue and the gag gives me the control I need. Along with a bit of tactful riding (keeping his neck straight so he can't set it to one side and try and take off!) this works well. :) For dressage we use an Eledonian light weight and slim french link snaffle with loose rings as he seems to go well in this one.
 
My 4yo is currently in a copper french link snaffle. It was the bit I started him in and he loves the copper in it.

I'm currently bidding on a full cheek snaffle too, to aid his schooling. Won't be using anything more than a snaffle if I can help it!
 
18 yr old TB (Ex-racer) - Sweet iron loose ring snaffle with single joint - Because he likes it :D

6 year old ISH - Full cheek losenge link snaffle - Because she likes the mouth piece and I like having the cheeks as it helps keep her straight and stops her turning when she's napping!
 
Little S hackamore
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Jaquima
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Some are in a hackamore, I prefer the little S.
Lola and Ella go in the curb, I ride Ella mostly on the jaquima, (2 sets of reins, one on the bit and one on the jaquima) she does not do snaffles.

Others are in a French link D. Depends on the horse.
 
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My rising 15yr old Andy X tb x Riding pony has 3 bits - Full cheek snaffle for flatwork. He is green and I like to start any new horse of mine in them due to them not being able to let the bit slide through the mouth. I occasionally use the keepers on it, but not all that often.
He gets a Stubben EZ Control Pelham for showjumping as it helps when he tends to pull against the bit and it allows me to use less pressure to get a quicker response from him.
He gets a port mouth pelham for XC as this bit gives me more control of his speed than the Stubben bit.
I have tried all sorts of different bits on him as even though he is small, he pulls like a freight train and when I first got him he wasn't responsive to seat aids. These bits work well for him.

My rising 10yr old OTTB has just been changed over to a full cheek snaffle as he has a few issues with forwards and turning left. I am going to retrain him in the full cheek and then put him back in his eggbutt snaffle.

As their schooling improves I will change their bits around if needed, but at the moment these are the onces that work the best on my horses.
 
http://www.bombersaus.com/index.php...y-tongue/product/45-williams-happy-tongue-125

Not sure if the link will work. I use a bombers Williams happy tongue. Has a sliding bar which keeps my Criollo happy as he likes to mouth a lot. He has a scar the full width of his tongue from his handling when broken in Argentina, so I instantly dropped him to a loose ring snaffle when he was purchased rather than being in a ported western shanked bit, he is very strong when he puts his mind to it so the gag action helps if two reins are implemented for really exciting work ie Polocrosse/polo etc.
Other than that we can hack out on the buckle until rein contact for stopping is needed but he is getting so much more responsive to my voice commands now, so I rely less on using the reins for slowing and stopping - which has to be nicer for the state his tongue is in.
 
Loosering sweet iron frenchlink snaffles on both :)

Both aren't that strong (I can predict the occasions and hold them both) due to being schooled and trained and the fact that I'm a bit gungho and don't get flapped easily :D
 
tessybear said:
Fulmer snaffle for everything :) 14.2 traddy cob
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Mine too - everything goes in one initially and then when ready will go into a plain single jointed eggbutt with a plain cavesson noseband.

And Why

The bit is quiet and encourages confidence in the contact - I don't like double jointed bits because the joints tend to lie right beside the bars of the mouth and I've seen horses with bruises to the bars.

I like eggbutts because the shape of the rings allows the bit to sit quietly in the horses mouth staying at the same angle and there is no pinching of lips.
 
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Interestingly, horses evaded the bit less in a loose ring snaffle when I was doing my dissertation looking into bits/bit evasion. This was compared to full cheeks, hanging cheeks and eggbutts. The loose ring was the only one with below 50% of the horses in that bit ring group to evade.

I ride my youngster in a loose ring Neue Schule Starter. He was in a sweet iron but I prefer the shape of my Neue Schule. He has a soft mouth, chews excessively but as his relaxing more it's getting less and less and he relaxes his jaw nicely after a good warm up. I am going to ask my dentist who I should be booking in a couple of months for more info on the shape of his mouth beyond what I can see and quiz him on bits :)
 
Tiffany Blue said:
Interestingly, horses evaded the bit less in a loose ring snaffle when I was doing my dissertation looking into bits/bit evasion. This was compared to full cheeks, hanging cheeks and eggbutts. The loose ring was the only one with below 50% of the horses in that bit ring group to evade.

I ride my youngster in a loose ring Neue Schule Starter. He was in a sweet iron but I prefer the shape of my Neue Schule. He has a soft mouth, chews excessively but as his relaxing more it's getting less and less and he relaxes his jaw nicely after a good warm up. I am going to ask my dentist who I should be booking in a couple of months for more info on the shape of his mouth beyond what I can see and quiz him on bits :)
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Thats interesting as over the past 45 years I've always started mine in a Fulmer and used the same for all the horses I've reschooled off the track and have never had any bit problems. There have been back and teeth issues at times and also found that the riders ability and hands can have an effect on how horses react to their bits.

My Clydesdale has been difficult despite the dentist but found that when I got a proper qualified dental tech - not the vet - that she has an unusually large molar in her bottom jaw and both edges get sharp - the vet had only been taking off the inner edge. Since the outer edge has also been done she's a different horse.
 
Sorry Tnavas I don't know how to quote on my phone. I'm sure a lot of the horses would have been started in different bits to what they're in now, if my youngster wasnt as well balanced I would definitely use a fulmer! The hanging cheek was the highest for evasion, followed by eggbutt then the fulmer. Most of the horses in the fulmer were young though so of course I would assume to be a little more evasive being green :)
 
For my 16hh warmblood eventer I ride him in a french link snaffle for schooling. He is quite strong and if he's in a hyper mood I will hack him in a gag just so I have brakes if they are there, and for jumping I am going to try a waterford as he does get very excited, but haven't tried this yet as hes out of work. I changed from a cavesson to a grackle noseband for jumping and it made a HUGE difference so I may not even use the waterford if the grackle keeps doing its job!

And then my 2yr old has just started having a snaffle bit in his mouth :)
 
Loose ring snaffle with lozenge for everything. 6 year old 15.1hh sports horse gelding who is very soft in the mouth, tends to loose concentration at times but is easy to bring back.
 
Neue schule hanging cheek because she likes it and I have breaks when jumping/hacking/flatwork. Depending on her mood will depend on whether she is soft/hard in her mouth. If she is fresh/wants to go she will be soft and will listen although kicky and fidgety. In the school she gets hard in her mouth and will run through it, but its sorted within 10 minutes as she gives up then goes soft. Mares eh :rolleyes:

Edit: she's 16hh sports horse
 
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