Which bit and Why?

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cobmum

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I am trying to up my knowlege a bit (excuse the pun?) and would like to understand why and which bit you use for your horse to gain a broader knowlege of bitting in general but also try to get my head around the vast selection that is out there these days!

Would be very keen to hear from those with heavy horses too :D
 
I started riding my welsh cob in a normal egg butt snaffle. I've been using an English hackamore for a while though - It was knocking round under my stairs so I thought I'd try it. have used that for a couple of months now. put the snaffle back on today as we were going on busy roads (I introduced him to traffic myself starting back in August - he hadn't seen any then at all). Anyway, this is only the 2nd time I've used the snaffle since going bitless, and he seemed unhappy both times. He goes really well in the hackamore - he's more amenable, less grumpy and head tossy and I have plenty of control in it (so far!!) so I think I will stick to it for a while. I've ordered a Dr Cook bitless which I'm going to try.
 
I rode Cheeky in a variety of bits. Started in a rubber pelham, but he was just bearing down on it and buggering off, and he wasn't very settle in the contact when he wasn't pissing off- we thought he might dislike how much there was in his mouth. Tried a copper roller snaffle and for the next 4 years I used that as our jumping bit, and hacked in a cheltenham gag. But as the years progressed and our partnership became more solid and I trusted him more I felt that the copper roller snaffle wasn't needed so moved to the french link full cheek snaffle. It also helped with out steering :D
 
I use an english hackamore on my slightly silly dutch warmblood as she hates tongue pressure of any kind. She does work very nicely off poll and curb pressure though so the hackamore suits her well, she really relaxes down into her bridle and she's also alot more confident jumping in it as theres no fear of me taking her back teeth out if I get left behind.
Probably wouldn't suit everyone but we get on far better with it than any of the numerous bits we tried before :)
 
I started using the hackamore years back on an ex racehorse who got his tongue over the bit and had the red mist not stopping till he literally hit something/fell over. Worked a treat. I'm a massive fan of them!
 
When I ride with a bit, I use a bit I use a French link baucher snaffle, quite often with no noseband as I like to keep things as simple as possible, tack wise. And my pony seems happier in a French link than the single jointed snaffle he came with - he no longer holds his neck and head so very, very high or throws his head around and tries to run through the contact when the reins are used.

I like to ride in either a rope halter or Dually halter too - as it really makes me think about riding 100% through my seat and using weight aids rather than hands (I have soft hands naturally, but even so - we can all be guilty of too much rein occasionally!)

I hack in his bitted bridle - but do fairly often school and ride for fun in our rope halter.
 
I recently tried my seemingly fussy warmblood 6yo in a mullen mouth loose ring with a roller. I chose it because I thought the roller and mullen material would be a bit kinder to his mouth as he's been a sod in the mouth for the past few months, and from what I can gather, I reckon he absolutely hates it. Constantly thrashing his tongue, never keeps his gob shut etc. He was better behaved in his metal eggbutt french link snaffle. If anyone can notify me of anything softer without compromising my brakes that'd be great!
 
my mare came with a mullen mouth pelham, with curb chain, rolled lip strap, and bit roundings! I didn't know much about bits so just left her with that for years, I had no control what so ever, she used to bit down on it and put her head either to the floor or up in the air and then F off with me! nothing would stop her, not even me falling off and being trampled on!

so one day someone suggested trying a waterford dutch gag, still with bit roundings, on the top and bottom ring, so i tried it and was so scared, I felt like I had no control until we had a gallop and she pulled up really easily! she was really weirded out by it at first because she couldn't bite down on it, as it has loads of little links but that was about 5 or 6yrs ago and I would never look back!

even managed to stop her when my other horse took off with a friend and that would have never happened before hand!
 
I use a french link snaffle as it is quite mild and comfortable for my horse. I don't like the nutcracker action of a single jointed snaffle.
 
Both of mine are in cartwheel gags, my horse that leans has a waterford mouthpiece and the pony has the copper rollers. I absolutely love them, they have them on the bottom ring. Really good for turning and leaning horses :)
 
Got Mr Batman with a Hackamore, goes nicely in it, sets against a bit. Started him in a jointed KK which he objected to, I suspect it poked him. Changed to a french link baucher which worked for a while but he got a bit stale so I went to a loose ring french link snaffle which he plays with nicely, doens't object to and is dressage legal so most boxes ticked. I do all flatwork in it.

He is hacked, SJd and XCd in his hackamore as he is happy and goes well and I have brakes :)
 
Jack's been through quite a few bits on his time :o

We began with a cheltenham gag, because that's what he had before us. This was just what he was used to, but we were only bringing him back in to work so..

We tried a fulmer because steering was also an issue. I can't remember what mouthpiece it was, but it was thin and metal and for that reason, I think he disliked it. Also, we had no breaks! Even when I had very little rein contact, he was gobby and sensitive despite teeth not being an issue, and after probably having loose reins with the cheltenham gag he wasn't good with having a contact... He would prefer to curl up without taking any pressure on his mouth and not stop!

Next up was a happy mouth single jointed dutch gag which is a favourite of his... Used for hacking and schooling depending on his mood!! It was used with two reins because I wanted to try and wean him off it, it works to an extent but he can tell the difference between bits so he knows what he can and can't get away with and when to try it on.. I'm getting a bit lax and riding with one rein at the moment though.

Next up ;) We have a single jointed eggbutt, purely because it was the simplest one we could find and I needed it in a hurry for a dressage test. It had a chunkier mouthpiece so he was a bit happier, plus we had worked out what stop meant so he was a bit better. It was meh, he was still being funny with his mouth. Oh, and the judge said the test was rushed and we need to work on downwards transitions ;)

Finally? a hanging cheek french link, because the cheekpieces hold it steady to stop him from fussing and the french link because some soul told me that unlike the jointed mouthpieces it wouldn't fold and jab him in the mouth (possibly what he was objecting to?) Haven't had much of a go with it because of horsey dear's injury but he leant on it more probably due to not getting jabbed in the mouth when he tried, and had trouble stopping.... We now alternate between lots of different bits!

The end.





:D
 
A straight bar Nathe for everything. They are so soft and mild that I find my horse really relaxes his jaw and is so much happier. Less is definitely more for me with bits!
I never liked straight bars as I wad always taught that they encourage horses to lean, but tried this on the advice of a trainer and I couldnt believe the difference. So light - works a dream for me
 
My new mare is temporarily in an eggbutt snaffle (with french link), but we have a happy mouth loose ring on order as that is what she's used to being ridden in - she really doesn't like the taste/feel of the metal of standard bits. She will apparently need more brakes for competitions but haven't got that far yet!
My gelding has tried almost every bit under the sun but is now in a waterford snaffle, and is so, so much happier in it - its deisgned so that the horse can't grab hold of the bit as it just collapses in the mouth, if that makes sense - so he can no longer grab hold of the bit, pull like a train & hang off my arms! Which makes riding him a lot more pleasant! He's also learning to carry himself better now he's not so on the forehand, and our schooling is finally starting to improve.
 
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