What Bit?

[ktj1891]

Would you recommend for my horse jumping?
Since I have had him hes only ever wore a loose ring snaffle.
But jumping he just gets that fraction stronger and oblivious to my half halts, so I am looking for something just to gain that little extra control.
Any ideas?

 

[coloured_c0b]

Try talking to nu scheue. I rang them about 6 months ago. They'll ask u alot of questions about your horses way of going and recommend you a bit. I hired mine from the bit bank to try for a month and I would not go back to another bit now. They are expensive but for me it was worth every penny.

 

[tallyho!]

I have heard many good things about NS bits, you could try kimblewick too. They were very popular for jumping years ago and went out of fashion as soon as gags became popular but are very useful as gives poll pressure and is not as severe as some of the gags you see.

I schooled in a snaffle but switched to kimblewick for xc, sj. I found a pelham a little too strong.

 

[mcnaughty]

I have to say that I was a bit anal about bits and only believed that a young horse should go in a snaffle, but ..... having tried and tried to get my cob mare to go nicely in all types of snaffles (loose ring, hanging, fulmer, french link, D ring, copper mouth!!) I finally put her in a european gag out of desperation. The transformation was amazing! I had brakes at last - not that she felt like she was going to gallop off (she is a cob after all) but I never felt that the brakes were particularly good, steering was quite frankly non-existent.

Bit banks are wonderful things or ask around in a large yard or ebay 2nd hand!! You can always sell them again if they don't work!

I am hoping that I can one day return to a snaffle as I would like to do some dressage tests!