Which bit do you jump in?

[Caz89]

I need some advise on which bit I should try/use for jumping my boy and what bits everyone else uses on their horses. Mine is a snaffle mouth on the flat and is very well schooled and sensitive to the hand. Jumping is a different story though... he is quite strong and tends to fight me in a snaffle which makes him jump flat and tend to take poles. I know he can jump but it's just trying to get him listening and concentrating on the jumps and not on fighting me! I have tried jumping him in a gag which helps a little and I have tried jumping him in a pelham. He is perfect in the pelham when SJ schooling but out at competitions I think it's just a little too much for him... any ideas what do you guys use on yours?

 

[treacle_beastie]

How about a neue schule universal? Heard lots of good reports about these.

I use a KK snaffle at home but a tom thumb xc

 

[Chermar]

I use a myler combination bit has worked wonders for us, I couldn't balance the speed before even in a pelham she would run through it, now we have a great balance I can allow her to go out with out interferring but knowing I have the control if I need it. It took me a long time to find something that worked.
http://www.horsebitbank.com/myler-combination-bit.shtml

 

[NicoleS_007]

I use a loose ring french link snaffle for everything with a grakle noseband. Mine would be the complete opposite to jump than yours lol when i go into a jump its the exact same speed and rythem as if there was no jump there!! Have you tryed the snaffle with a different noseband?

 

[Lord89]

Took me a while and I still change between them all from time to time. I use mostly the Waterford, can be classed as a 'severe bit' but then again, all bits can be 'severe' in the wrong hands. Just stops them leaning and pulling you to/from the jump. I absolutely love it and it's made the whole round much more controllable and Similar things I've heard cheery rollers etc. are also good for this.
When I feel she is a bit stronger, I change back to the dutch gag. I'm not overly keen on the bit in general but after trying most other things, the KK version etc. I keep going back to it, just for a week or so. Does the job.

 

[Sparkles]

Pelham's too much for mine also. Tried a Wilkie snaffle [or Beval,whichever ] at the show this weekend and he loved it

 

[Caz89]

Thanks huys I think It's going to just have to be some trial and error. He is ina grackle when jumped Nicole

 

[moneypit1]

My horse has a lovely mouth but is incredibly fussy with his mouth. He works on the flat in a half cheek straight bar snaffle but I show jump him in a german hackamore which he works beautifully in.

 

[Caz89]

I wouldn't have a clue where to start with a hackamore! isit strange or does it feel no different?

 

[shiggins]

I would be interested to hear if there is much of a difference in the feel of a dutch gag vs the universal. The universal looks to have about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch less shank, wondering if it makes a whole lot of difference. Mine curls up in the dutch gag but goes nicely in the Beval/Wilkie, however he can tend to run through it when his adrenaline gets up. He is a soft, sensitive horse but young and can get very strong when the mood strikes him, and gets onto his forehand. But in stronger bits, he curls and then I have lost all semblance of control, plus he is even heavier.

Very popular here is also the lever/combination noseband, but I havent tried one yet. Supposedly it allows for a step down in bit with the same control.

 

[Navalgem]

Mines in a snaffle, if he's getting strong it's usually because he's opening his mouth to evade the bit so I add a flash to the cavesson.

 

[lisab]

Mine jumps in a dutch gag but it only has 2 rings not 3, has a thick mouthpiece and a link in the middle, so I think it's quite a nice dutch gag. He also has a grackle.

I tried a waterford dutch gag when he got a bit strong and kept lungeing forward on the final stride and putting himself wrong but he hated it. Was not going forward at all and actually stopped dead and dumped me at a show. So I got my other one out the car sharpish!

He's no good in a flash either - it has to be a grackle.

 

[BronsonNutter]

If he likes a pelham at home but finds it too much at competitions then you could always try it with two reins to give you the extra brakes but only when you need them? Although it is a faff!
Wilby does everything in a snaffle but I do have to ride very strongly with my seat to slow him down, and have a flash as his evasion tactic is head up, mouth open, ignore

 

[CrazyMare]

Tranz lozenge pelham with two reins & a metal curb chain

http://www.nsbits.com/index.php/sport-horse-collection/pelham/tal-pelham.html

 

[Eventer96]

Sorry, am no good at suggestions on the bit side of things. However when we first tried the pelham on my horse he found it a little too much so we tried a rubber jointed pelham which is perfect for him, wouldn't jump him in anything different at competitions. At home I usually jump him in the same bit I use on the flat, loose ring sweet iron snaffle with a lozenge.

 

[MandaleaCalico]

In Australia, we're a little different, but not to much I hope

I have Taffy in a loose ring lozenge snaffle on the flat and some fast work, and a loose ring sweet iron for Jumping. I use to only use the lozenge, but he gets really piggy and strong, so I swapped to the sweet iron. He goes so well in it now. I also changed my reins from elastic woven web ones to normal web ones with big stoppers on them, because they're easier to hold when he gets a little heavy.

I also went back to the basics and did a lot of pole work and grids, and tried to ride mainly off my seat. He use to pull and rush so badly I broke down crying at a clinic in January and never jumped again till about 3 weeks ago, and now we're jumping higher than ever

Seeing as it's coming to the end of the year, maybe lay off the comps for a while and just go back to grids etc to get him going properly.

 

[shiggins]

He is perfect in the pelham when SJ schooling but out at competitions I think it's just a little too much for him... any ideas what do you guys use on yours?

Maybe a kimberwicke? I like the unslotted ones, they are not very severe at all, but still get the respect from the curb chain.