what bits do use and why :-)

ticobay831

ticobay831

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just wondering what kind of bits you use on your horses and why??
age of horse and rest of tack, make of saddle etc would be kinda interesting to no
as well
 
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Well my horse is 17yrs old, 15.3hh thoroughbred. He has an albion GP saddle and I'm not sure what bridle it is. I just use a loose ring snaffle normally but he has a running martingale for jumping and a eaterford bit for xc - just so I have a bit more brakes!

For SJ he has tendon and fetlock boots, although I'm unsure of the make. He has brushing boots for XC - legacy ones for the front and woof wear ones on the back as well as over reach boots.

Hope this helps!
 
5yr old mare. She has an Equipe single flap jump saddle, cos it fits her and me well, and jumping is our main thing. Her bridle is an Albion comfort bridle, with a cavesson noseband, because she doesn't need a flash! She does everything in a Loose ring straight bar happy mouth snaffle, as she has a lovely soft mouth, and a running martingale (loose) for jumping and a V check breastplate for safety!!
 
Roy boy is the only one with interesting tack now!

so... 24 yr old 17.2hh Hanoverian x Dutch Warmblood, ex puissance horse, then schooled to GP dressage, now my best friend and partner in crime!

He has:

Albion lightweight close contact jumping saddle
Stubben dressage saddle
Albion KB bridle
Tom Thumb Bit
Griffin Nuumed hi-wither fluffy sheepskin numnahs, everything else slips on his weirdly shaped back!
He wears over-reach boots for fast work, and a breast plate with running martingale for hunting and competing... all in dark brown

ETA: he is in the Tom Thumb all the time, apart from for dressage, when he is in a sweet iron french link loose ring snaffle. He loves the Tom Thumb, and the slightest touch on the reins brings him back to me, which I love, especially out hunting!

I ride just about everything else in a sweet iron snaffle with a mouthpiece like a Tom Thumb - french link, copper rings, and copper inserts. I love the way my horses go in them!
 
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10yo NFx - French link snaffle. She foams up best in sweet iron (so then has to be loose ring). Can jump in this too, or kimblewick as she can be strong with a smaller rider.

4yo WBx - Bendy rubber mullen snaffle. She has very low roof of mouth so anything will touch it, and this seems to be something she will accept. Jumps in this, and does xc in it.

5yo WBx - Sweet iron french link - thinnish. Mouths nicely, but thin enough to stop her when she goes off on one lol! Jumps in this too atm, but would need something stronger at a comp to deal with the excitement.

11yo TB - French link sweet iron for flatwork, and Tom Thumb for jumping/xc. She likes the mouthpiece of the Tom Thumb best, with the copper rollers to add to the sweet iron (opens mouth for it, mouths up well, feels happy and concentrating), but will tolerate the other which is better than she does with most bits.
 
Potts is a 14.3hh 18yo connemara, wearing a frank baines grackle bridle with either a copper roller, cherry roller, or a happy mouth snaffle depending what we're doing HMS to jump as he doesnt like being held onto to much. copper or cherry roller schooling to keep his concentration. he has a gfs close contact saddle, Harley is a 15.1hh 16yo welsh d wears a mark todd grackle bridle, in a happy mouth snaffle as he hates metal bits, and a wintec close conatct saddle as this suits him best.
 
I have a Cliff Barnsby saddle, really comfortable

I use a vulcanite pelham with double reins to hack out, he's 31 but if summit winds him up or whatever I like to have my brakes !

I use a straight vulcanite snaffle in the school, he's good in there, only cos he's bored !

No gadgets, martingale etc doesn't need one and is too old for gadgets
 
My lad is a 9 year old thoroughbred, he has a bates gp saddle, sabre bridle and a loose ring double jointed snaffle with a lozenge.

Sisters ponies are both normally ridden in loose ring cambridge mouth snaffles but Toby has a pelham for the really exciting stuff (although we're currently experimenting with alternatives as he's listening so much better and needs something between the two really - plus double reins get a bit annoying!)

Toby (12 year old native x)has a jeffries gp saddle and wears bandages/fetlock boots on hind legs if he's doing lateral work/jumping as he's a bit close behind.

Fat welshie (19 year old sec c) has a saddle company gp and sabre bridle.

All three are in cavesson nosebands. Have never needed a martingale. Occasionally use a breastplate if we're doing xc type stuff or faster hacks.

I'm generally a 'less is more' type of person. Start with something basic/mild and if necessary work up from there. Consistent schooling helps too - Toby came to us in a pelham for everything and was still quite willing to tank off with you, but he's now fab in a snaffle the majority of the time. I think a lot of horses react to a stronger bit and find a mild snaffle suits most things.

Oh and I'm a big fan of high wither numnahs so plenty of those in the tack room!
 
Right here goes....

4 yr old sport horse eventing baby - loose ring french link. Caveson noseband. Same for everything.

8 yr old eventer (ID x TB) - happy mouth snaffle, flash noseband. same for everthing.

20-something (we arent quite sure!!) Cob - flash and hanging french link snaffle.

Saddles are a Butet monoflap jumping saddle, a Prestige Dressage saddle, a Barnsby GP

I dislike gadgets. I back my own and tend to believe (and I am prepare to get jumped on here!!!) that if you do everything right to start with you can correct (or not cause!!) a lot of the things people use gadgets for with schooling and work.
 
The Morgan mare has a no pinch single jointed fulmer snaffle.

My Arab and Paint mares prefer this:
IMG_8979.jpg
 
Rocky - 16.3 Irish sport horse bay gelding. (had him since 4yo). Wears a Style interchangable gullet event saddle, and a bates caprilli interchangable DR saddle. Breastplate with both saddles, just for my sake/peice of mind. In a flash for DR and a grackle for jumping, and goes in a loose ring french link snaffle for eveything, because thats all i need :) no martingale or stong bits needed :)
 
Genie - 6 year old Welsh Cob - Ideal VSD Saddle for everything. Heritage comfort bridle. General riding and showjumping a french link pessoa gag (basically a dutch gag on the second ring), Dressage a french link baucher, Cross Country a fulmer snaffle. She's backwards and is easier to stop XC! Showing - jointed pelham.
 
14.1 random Irish pony X, 8--10 years old. Bridle: loose-ring French link snaffle, because he is very reluctant to accept the bit, and seems to like this one better than others I've tried. I use a very thin leather rein with it, so that I can keep the contact as light as needed without hopefully ending up with washing lines due to the weight of the reins. Seems to be working, gradually! Saddles: two elderly Thorowgoods, one GP, one dressage. He came with them, and they seem to fit ok!
 
My 17 year old arab mare, had a wilki snaffle, for a bit of extra control to an ordinary snaffle, also found that the pole pressure incourages her to carry herself and work correctly.

She is in a wintec changable saddle, as she changes shape a lot and her bridle is a flash nose band for hacking and jumping, and to set her up i put it on for flat work then i take it off, i do not have it on tight for any, just have it on incase i need to get off and tighten it, (she has a tendency to open her mouth and run through the bit towards jumps, and when she hasn't been ridden for a while. I also have a running martingale.
 
13 yo 16.2hh tbx william micklem bridle with loose ring snaffle and treeless torsion saddle
18 yo 15.1hh tbx plain bridle with french link snaffle standing martingale and treeless torsion saddle
11 yo 14.3 hh cob dr cooks bitless bridle with treeless torsion saddle
 
My pony is 14.2 and is 11 he wears a gfs gp saddle and his bridle has a flash noseband cos he opens his mouth and takes off and a running martingale. hacking he has either an egbutt snaffle or snaffle ring on Dutch gag, for jumping and pc he wears a Dutch gag on bottom or middle ring as he is very strong, for fun rides or xc he wears a straight bar rubber pelham and for showing he wears his egbutt snaffle
 
Dylan is a 15yo TBX, he's 15.1 and I've had him 7 years, he's ridden in ...

- Collegiate flash bridle - he opens his mouth to evade the bit.
- French link hanging cheek snaffle - he's happy in it and it works.
- Kent & Masters Cob GP saddle - it fits both of us really well.
- Running martingale - he sticks his head up like a giraffe when he gets excited lol.
 
my 4yr old welsh x cob has:
Wintec 500
Stubben bridle plain noseband
french link, hanging cheek snaffle

He's easier to control in the hanging cheek than a normal snaffle. I didn't want to put a stronger bit in his mouth so this works...... at the minute! :D
 
Sketch is a 16 year old, 14.1hh Welsh C x Arab. We have a bog standard Robinsons bridle for everyday things at home and a John Whitaker one for shows - always with a flash. We also have a hunting breastplate without a martingale on. He is very good with his head and never really goes into giraffe mode, he just gets stronger and stronger and more unstoppable lol! We have two saddles, both Wintecs, a GP one and the Isabella Werth dressage one. All my tack is black. We use three bits, a single jointed eggbutt snaffle for schooling, a waterford for hacking and showjumping and a cheltenham gag for cross country, sponsored rides and hunting.
 
7yrs tb gelding, only had him 3 months and due to back problems been in work for 6weeks so still finding an ideal match with saddles, bits etc.
But he's currently in
An james strilings comfort bridle
a hunting breastplate- just for the running martingale really.
a french link hanging snaffle, going to down grade to a loose ring french link once we get our canter brakes sorted
a wintec vsd, as it was cheap, fits like a glove and hes changing shape so in a few months will treat him to an albion dressage and a event saddles.
 
5 year old welsh mare, quarter moon copper full cheek snaffle, only as she was untouched and unschool so i find that the full cheek helps make things little clearer to her, she likes the copper, and quarter moon as its supposedly more comfy over tongues
 
My big chap has a albion snaffle with a crank flash nose band with a french link loose ring snaffle and an sabre double with a shortish shanked weymouth and a french link bridoon. (all his bits are stainless steel - he hates anything with copper in it.) He has an albion SLK dressage saddle and a jaguar girth.

The snaffle is what I do/ did most schooling in and the double was when you had to compete in one... since the rules changed it's never been used and is gathering dust cos he doesn't like it and backs off. I like a snaffle cos I like the directness of a straightforward action it has and the 'connection' it provides btwn horse and rider. I like loose ring cos I like that little bit of movement you get and french link cos I like a little bit of nut cracker action but found the single link too harsh.

Blitz
 
Rather fun.

Bella is a 5yo TB mare. She's wearing a Wintec 500 A/P because it's the only thing so far that fits her and that I could afford after going through 4 saddles in as many months.

Basic bridle with a French Link eggbutt because she seems to like it and goes well in it. I'm a big fan of simple and straightforward tack as long as it works.

Nothing else. No fancy stuff.
 
Genna - 8 y.o event mare who likes to think she's 5!

For Dressage we have Heritage Comfort bridle (mainly because she's fussy behind her ears) with flash noseband and loose ring copper snaffle with a lozenge. Saddle is a Kieffer Lusitano style one, got it quite cheaply second hand from a friend. Flaming big knee rolls which I love!

And for jumping another Heritage Comfort bridle with grackle. At the moment she's in a loose ring waterford but I think that's destined to change to a Dr. Bristol as that's what she came in and she's stopped trying to snatch the bit - plus steering's a bit vague! Saddle is a brown (shock horror! had to bully mother into buying it as there's no black jumping saddles out there so we have mis matching tack!) kentaur, goodness know's what style. Just jumping, again with big knee rolls! Love that saddle though, very secure.

Bootwise she wears over-reach and brushing in front for dressage schooling, tendon and over reach for SJing apart from when wearing studs and she wears fetlock boots on back too - and then XC is over reach, XC boots in front and brushing behind until we move up a bit!
 
My horse is 7 years old, 15.3 cob. She wears a loose ring french link snaffle and seems to like it, i think this is because it has no nutcracker action as a single jointed bit doesnt seem to agree with her lol
 
Mine is in a Myler snaffle (one of the dressage legal ones), which he is in for everything (even XC etc.). I occassionally put him in a hanging cheek french link just for a change (I find they get a bit used to one bit after a while). Horse is 12 and is in a WOW saddle and just a cavesson on his bridle - I dont use a martingale or flash et.., Absolute minimum is best IMO.
 
I use a three year old leather Thorowgood saddle (usually they're synthetic but they'd just brought out a leather version when I bought mine). It's very comfortable for me and fits my awkward shaped boy perfectly. Also a Dr. Cooks bitless bridle, used because he was abused and won't tolerate a bit AT ALL. Could all do with a clean actually ...... :o
 
My 15.1hh mare wears a wow saddle with gp flaps. A kk ultra snaffle for schooling and quite hacks and a myler combination and a running martingale for faster work and shows both with stubben bridles. She wears leg bandages all round at home including hacking and eskatron sheepskin tendon and fetlock boots and over reach boots for shows.
 
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