Which Bit Do You Use And Why?

[Cheshire Chestnut]

Having recently changed bits (from a normal snaffle to a French Link), the difference has been massive on my boy's performance. Just shows, a little change can make all the difference He can no long grab the bit and lean on my hands, he's just stopped it as soon as I changed bits. He seems so much better.

So, what bit do you have and why?

 

[Serianas]

We have just made the same change and it has stopped him tossing his head... apparently he has a lumpy tongue which is common in ponies and an eggbutt snaffle was too restrictive, whereas the french link was far freer over his lump...

 

[saddlesore]

Happy mouth straight bar full cheek. He's a just backed 3yo who's just hacking ATM so this helps with steering and gives him the confidence to accept the contact. Might need to readdress next year when I start schooling him.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Usually a loose ring snaffle with a lozenge. However if im cantering with others especially I revert to his former bit which is a 3 ring gag with lozenge.
both because they suit his mouth shape so are comfortable- The snaffle because I like gentle bits, the gag because its what his old owners used and I like to be able to stop!

 

[BSL]

For schooling/lessons, I use a Myler comfort loose ring snaffle. For hacking and pleasure rides I ride my boy in a short shank low port Myler combination bit with a soft faux leather nose band (not the hard raw hide). My boy is an Arab who is very sensitive in the mouth, when excited and wanting to go, his way of evasion is to poke his nose in the air. I have tried different bits, nosebands, martingales, he has hated them all. This bit is brilliant for him a gentle tweak and he remembers his manners and drops his nose.

 

[ArabianGem78]

Loose ring Waterford. It was a spare that wasn't been used by my old mare, and Marjie goes well in it, so no need to change to anything else? We went through a period of having no breaks on endurance rides, but we just went back to school and went up to longer distances (with the intention that she'd tire herself out, and learn to contain herself more - it sort of worked!)

 

[Silmarillion]

A French link eggbutt for mine, because that's what his owner gave me.
An NS Verbindend on the TB, because he's less fussy in that than he was in a plain loose ring with a lozenge. Still not happy with him, though!
I try not to change about too much!

 

[SuperH]

One is in a full cheek sweet iron snaffle, she loves it. She came with a loose ring sweet iron with lozenge but it was too small for her so I switched her to a bit that fitted from my selection (I think it was a loose ring french link from memory). She wasn't that thrilled with it so I found her another from my selection, a sweet iron full cheek, single jointed. I was going to try and buy her a larger sized version of the bit she came with but she loved this one so much I kept her in it.

The other has the myler comfort snaffle, full cheek. We tried a lot of bits and this is by far the best for her. A few others we tried were too bulky in her mouth and she doesn't like anything with too much movement. She did like the cambridge snaffle but I need the full cheek with her when she is having a 'moment'.

I like to keep a selection of bits in my tack room in case we need a change or get a new horse in I can experiment with. Hoarder alert haha.

 

[fattylumpkin]

French link loose ring snaffle, but it's under review. Any sensitivity in her mouth was destroyed while harness racing so I was encouraged to use a lighter bit to try and help rehabilitate her, but mostly I think it just irritates her and she prefers something more direct.

 

[Princess Rosie]

Myler combination, after going through every bit option we've finally found one that works and we now have brakes (as she had a habit of tanking off when she got excited!) and steering is much improved! She loves it too, if she starts to have a diva moment I can very gently remind her that mummy is in charge.

 

[Rhodders]

I have my youngster in a neue schule veribend snaffle because he's been happy in it so I haven't changed it, he was started in it, if it aint broke don't fix it. My haffy in a myler hanging cheek mullen barrel with a kineton nose band because he hates linked bits and the nose band comes into play when he thinks about tanking off with me

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Loose ring snaffle, because that's all he needs.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Hanging cheek snaffle, because she seeks contact.

 

[sasquatch]

Brass loose ring snaffle with a lozenge.

All he needs in his mouth, he's in a grackle to stop him crossing his jaw and trying to put his tongue over the bit (which he's done before - and it was not fun)

 

[Arizahn]

Loose ring snaffle with lozenge. No noseband. I'm starting him in this, we'll see how he goes and adjust accordingly

 

[blitznbobs]

Cobbo is in a ns verbindend as he hasn't got a lot of room in his mouth with a fat tongue and a fleshy palette... Or for the show ring I have a ns verbindend bradoon and a ns slimma Weymouth... But this is only for shows.

Baby Mare is in a loose ring plastic snaffle with bit guards and she'll stay in that til she needs something different

 

[Auslander]

Alf is in an eggbutt snaffle with a curved single-jointed mouthpiece, he's got an established mouth, and he likes a bit that doesn't wiggle around or interfere with his tongue.
Spike is in a french link loosening, which he seems perfectly happy in. He likes the curved eggbutt too.

 

[MissJessica]

Connie pony, big tongue. Small mouth. Low pallet. Myler loose ring comfort snaffle. Tried lots & love this bit. Do need more breaks sometimes though so open to suggestions from anyone with same horse mouth confirmation.
Thank you.

 

[Bobbly]

Mullen mouth eggbutt, my mare is 16hh WBxID/TB but only takes a 4.5" bit. She has a narrow jaw and a very slim and mobile tongue which she often flips over the bit very annoying but have found anything with a double joint actually traps her tongue in the middle. Trying to find something suitable with a little more feel?

 

[Flame_]

JP eggbutt single jointed snaffle.

JP to stop the nut-cracker action, eggbutt because his skin at the side gets pinched in a loose ring even with bit guards, single jointed because he prefers that to lozenges, and snaffle because he's easy to control.

He chomps on his bit whenever stressed or excited and the dentist says its wearing his soft teeth away. I'm going to try the rubber covered version if I can get hold of one but I suspect horse might find it too bulky. I've tried latex wrapping but its a pita and flipping expensive long-term. Bitting can be hard.

 

[Asha]

All mine are in French link snaffles. But the 2 jumpers move to a ns universal when they are jumping. Just helps with steering and brakes.

 

[Auslander]

JP eggbutt single jointed snaffle.

JP to stop the nut-cracker action, eggbutt because his skin at the side gets pinched in a loose ring even with bit guards, single jointed because he prefers that to lozenges, and snaffle because he's easy to control.

Interesting how many people are using these nowadays - single joints seemed to go out of fashion for a long time, but a lot of horses really like them when they have the curved mouthpiece. Alf doesn't really mind what he has in his mouth, but his bottom jaw is definitely a bit more relaxed in this bit

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I tend to ride horses with thick tongues and fleshy mouths, so usually avoid single-jointed bits. The Draft horse goes well (and, more to the point, stops well) in a NS Universal with 2 reins and a curb strap. She does school in a NS Tranz, if I can be bothered to swap around as she doesn't consider that to be exciting enough to want to tank off.

 

[el_Snowflakes]

NS verbindend for my WB. Best bit I've tried by miles! (& I've tried a lot) my horse seeks the contact in it and it's nice and thin as she has a large tongue. If I was doing xc I would change to my NS tranz lozenge elevator.

 

[rara007]

Arch mouth Liverpool covered in leather and a custom made very forwards Mullen snaffle. As he goes best in both of them!

 

[Love]

I know there are very mixed opinions on this bit but I have my Connie in a little Wilkie snaffle. My YO recommended it to me and I love it. It's got a lovely thin mouthpiece for his big Connie tongue and small mouth. It just gives a little bit more when I need it (jumping and fast hacks) yet he mouths well and is light in the hand in the school.

 

[Spring Feather]

I haven't ridden any of my horses in single jointed snaffles for 30-odd years. All of my horses (except 1) are ridden in Sprenger bits with the lozenge; either hanging cheeks or loose ring; and they all really like those bits. My cutting horse is ridden in a sweetiron chain link mouthpiece gag bit. It's the only bit he likes; I've tried him countless times in Sprenger bits and he's a total ass and objects greatly to them, which I find very odd since everyone else here loves them. Anyhow, he's been in this bit for 10 years and that's fine for the usual cattle stuff we do however it's illegal for one of the competitions I ride in as it does not have fixed shanks, so until I find another bit similar but with fixed shanks, I can't compete him in that particular competition.

 

[NativePonyLover]

I'm currently riding in a rope halter - P seems to prefer this over a bit.

I'm hoping to re-introduce a snaffle bit over this winter, so reading this thread with interest

 

[SillySausage]

Straight bar happy mouth loose ring snaffle with bit guards. Fussy TB who hates any kind of joint (head tosses in single and double jointed snaffles) and will lean given half a chance but has a very sensitive mouth!

 

[eatonbraynat]

I use a bitless bridle - not because I'm one of those hippy/parelli/horse whispering types but because which ever you look at it a bit causes pain. It's a huge bit of metal on the so so so sensitive boney part covered with a tiny layer of skin full of nerves in the horses mouth. I always think would I like to have to go through wearing so bit? Absolutely not so why should my horse!