What do you think of Happy Mouth bits?

[OneInAMillion]

Just a general question really, I have used them and currently use one but they seem to be a controversial subject...SO what are your views? Love or hate?

 

[schneeko]

I don't have a problem with them but I think some people over-estimate them. Just because you have a happy mouth bit doesn't mean you can pull harder and it'll just be ok.

However, it is a nicer material for some horses so I think their good in that sense (a lot chew them so they have to be replaced often though)

 

[flying solo]

I love them but my little man just chewed it which wasn't ideal. So back he's in his french link hanging cheek snaffle!

 

[galaxy]

I only use them if I think they'll suit the horse. Not because I think they're "softer", which I don't think they are.

 

[Britestar]

Several of my horses use them, but only because they prefer them to metal bits.

 

[stencilface]

I have pretty much only ever used a happy mouth on mine as he is very chewy with everything. He chews the bit on the way in and on the way out and I feel and from experience that he wouldn't be comfortable with a metal bit.

Yep he chews through it, and I have to buy a new one every year, but in the scheme of horses (and the fancy NS bits and the like) a french link happy mouth (or copy ) is cheap!

Edited to say - a soft but can be harsh in the wrong hands, I have ridden in kimblewicks etc in the past on other horses, but this suits mine best

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

prefer nathe-smoother and bendier and therefor genuinely a much softer bit.

sometimes horses dont foam up as well in them as metal bits, which can cause them to drag on the lips and thus cause sores.have also had 2 horses be very very allergic to them (but not to nathe, so maybe allergy was to apple flavouring?)

 

[stencilface]

Sorry, I am VERY low-tech when it comes to innovative stuff - but what are nathe bits - are they harder wearing than happy mouth but still with the same feel? Do they do them in eggbutt french link style?

Sorry PS - I have basic needs with horses and don't keep up with new stuff, esp when I don't have any problems!

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

i imagine they would be much less robust as only have a nylon cord centre, not metal like happy mouths and as far as i am aware only do full cheek or loose ring in the snaffles, never seen or heard of an eggbutt, and they are hideously expensive for anything other than a basic loose ring.
take a look at equiport, they have a good variety,here- http://www.equiport.co.uk/product_listing.cfm?psSubCat=12

TBH i only have nanthe (loose ring straight bar) because CS will ONLY jump in that, sits totally behind any metal snaffle and also any happy mouth bit-think he prefers the bendyness of the nathe(but then only the straight bar ones are super flexible, the jointed bits are not quite so squishy/bendy).

hope that is some help!

 

[stencilface]

Yep that is helpful

Although, with mine, I think the less robustness would be a minus point, he really does like to chew (his bit, his bucket, fences, anything.....) he'll have to stay with the cheap option for now

 

[Paint it Lucky]

I like happy mouths, both my current horses go well in them. I also really like nathes, my previous horse went beautifully in a bendy mullen mouth nathe but it is a bit too mild for my current two who would just ignore it! I think you should go with the bit that suits your particular horse best. None of mine are very keen on metal, even the fancy new type metals (eg, neue schule, KK etc) they don't go as well in as they do in happy mouths so they must prefer the feel of it I suppose!

Stencilface, found this page that will hopefully help abit!
http://www.horsebitbank.com/nathe-9.htm
Nathes look similar to happymouths (though annoys me immensely when people just assume they are happymouths!) they are made of a bendier material (almost like rubbery plastic) so are fairly mild, they come in lots of different designs to suit different purposes etc.

 

[WellyBaggins]

My horse is in a happy mouth double joint (french link peanut thing) he will not go in anything else I brought him a NS bit but he wouldn't move in it, TBs for you! We start all our babies in a HM straight bar, they then progress as and when, sometimes straight to a metal bit sometimes to a jointed HM, to a metal bit, it all depends on the beastie

 

[BronsonNutter]

I used to use a happymouth gag on Bounty - she seemed to prefer a chunkier bit (had a hollowmouth eggbutt for stressage) and metal gags don't tend to be that thick.
However, I'd much rather use a normal metal bit, as the happymouth Wilbs came with was very sharp round the edges and beginning to get a bit rough where he'd chewed it.

 

[OneInAMillion]

My boy did originally come with a HM but because they hadn't had a dentist he didn't chew but his teeth wore it away, we tried lots of different snaffles on him but HM has always been the one for him!

 

[smac]

To be honest kind of "ignore" them and stick to french link metal. However livery and client that I teach (kid 10yrs spoilt brat etc) has pony in metal hanging cheek, v.rough with hands and always bangs bit on pony teeth when putting bridle on/off to point where he won't let her do it now (the benfits of pony having small jockey) have changed to happy mouth LR french link and he is much happier- even being bridled.

Having seen this change one of my youngsters who is tricky in mouth has been changed from full cheeck french link to happy mouth roller center full cheek and he is so much steadier in the head. I evented him in it other day as well and he was easier to ride xc as instead of fighting me he focused on what was next jump/question. Never had him so accuarate at skinnies and he hasn't done anything different other than bit change

Not going to change every horse on yard but will now consider in future.

 

[Archiehorse]

I don't think they're necessarily right for all horses, but my youngster goes far better in his than he did in a metal snaffle. I think they're more comfortable for a horse still learning about contact.

 

[lindsayH]

One of the reasons I like them is because they are so much warmer in winter! I always feel I have to warm up a metal bit for ages when it's just come out of a freezing tackroom.

I have mostly stopped using them now though, as I too found they became sharp quite quickly when chewed.

 

[Stormy123456]

I changed Ballet to a HM a couple of years ago, because she didn't hang on it so much, and it was obvious that she preferred it to the metal, as she is much worse to bridle if you try and put a metal bit in her mouth.

A instructor suggested a straight bar HM and a drop noseband for my youngster to stop her blocking through her shoulder, so she'll work more from behind, which were giving a go at the moment. I haven't seen a huge difference in her flatwork yet, but she is much better jumping, rides forward into the bridle and takes the jumps on more herself, rather than being a little backwards.

And I've just started using a single jointed HM on the 14.2hh Sec D I'm selling, and he responds to it much more than his metal hanging cheek, and his mouth is a little desensitised due to some people hauling his mouth out jumping, when he needed a stronger bit.....

I'm quite impressed with them. None of them chew them either, mine are all still perfectly in tact.

 

[KatB]

I really dislike them, as I dont like the seam through the middle and much prefer nathes. However, my mare loves them, and goes beautifully in hers, so who am I to argue??!

 

[Doublethyme]

My old mare wouldn't go in a metal bit and happily worked in her happy mouth ones, but my mare at the moment hates them and as someone said above, gets an allergic reaction to the plastic or something in them! She just loves her Sprenger, but then she's always been more high maintenance than the last mare from the word go!!

I think they definitely have their place and are just another type to have available to try, as they suit some and not others.