Which bit do you use?

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FleabittenT

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And why?

Just pondering this! I've recently switched my mare into a Happy Mouth bit, which she seems much more settled in compared to a metal mouthpiece. Since doing so, a few others on my yard have also bought them to try, which got me thinking!

Do you always use the same bit, or do you switch for different disciplines? :)
 
I use a rubber d-ring snaffle. It is the bit Molly was using when I got her and she goes well in it, so no reason to change! If I did consider a different bit it would be a happy mouth one
 
At the moment I'm trying everything, including bitless! My mare is very sensitive in her mouth but also can be strong, so trying all sorts of nosebands, bits etc to see which she prefers. She is awkward though, everything I try on her for the first time she goes beautifully making you think "this must be the one!!" but then you ride her in it again and she's back to normal!
 
I use myler bits. My horse is quite complicated to bit and has a lot of contact issues - she doesn't like pressure on her tongue. She has been used in a riding school and ridden by beginners in a single jointed bit which probably didn't help. Then when she was developing arthritis in her hocks I was riding her in a front-to-back way because I was ignorant and fiddling too much with my hands with a french link snaffle which also made her worry more. Now she prefers myler bits because I think she feels like her tongue is protected.

I use a combination for hacking, sponsored rides and cross country, not because she is strong so much but to take the pressure away from her mouth and put it somewhere else (nose, poll and curb). I think the combination bit spreads the pressure away from the mouth. I am happy to ride bitless and sometimes do (for hacking) in a rope halter but I think in company it can sometimes make other people feel happier to see you in a bit rather than a halter if they don't know you and your horse. Most of the time I ride on a loose rein and use a one rein stop whether bitted, combination or bitless.

For dressage I use a myler hanging cheek snaffle. The hanging cheek keeps the bit nice and still in her mouth as long as I keep my hands still so it is helping re-educate both of us to a steady contact. She is infinitely more relaxed in this bit than in a french link or lozenge snaffle for example so for me it was definitely worth the extra cost.
 
Im trying out different bits at the moment.
We have a happy mouth pelham with a mullen mouthpiece that he goes beautifully in but isn't dressage legal.
I also have a D-ring with a french link but horsey likes to lean on it so I'm trying a loose ring with a french link (hopefully new one will actually fit :rolleyes:)
 
A loose-ring Myler Comfort snaffle with sleeves and a 02 ported mouth. He rarely takes much of a hold, although he likes his work (especially jumping!).

The slightly ported mouth gives his tongue more wiggle room (he's an ID x) and the fluidity of the mechanics of the bit means he doesn't lean on it.

I think he likes it as he always takes the bit himself when offered it and doesn't need a noseband.
 
I ride work in a single jointed full cheek snaffle.

My big tb goes well in that also and he has a show pelham which again, he goes well in.

My other 2 smaller tbs have a Myler Comfort Mouth loose ring snaffle. Kyle goes well in it when he is the mood to work, Laurel I may change later this week as he is just very evasive. He may just be being a lazy toad though!

2 of my shetlands are ridden in single joint eggbut snaffles and go fantastically in them, the other goes in a french link eggbut. 2 of these shetlands also go very well in a single joint short shank pelham for open showing classes.

My Darty has a french link full cheek snaffle which he isn't overly fond of but thats fine as he rarely gets ridden in it. He has a port mouth pelham for showing and schooling which he is very happy in. For everything else I may as well not have a bit as he gets to pootle long on a loose rein.

My Fell pony was a funny one. He went onto a different bit every year as he got used to them and would start to become very heavy on the hands in them. He started off in a singlejoint full cheek snaffle then he went onto a portmouth pelham then a show pelham then a double then a swales pelham and this year he is back in the show pelham. I did try him in a wilkie back in his novice days and that lasted all of 3 seconds - he hated it!
 
I hack and school in a Neue Schule forward ported show pelham.
I dressage in a hanging cheek mullen mouh snaffle.
I show in a Sam Marsh Pelham

After persevering for years with jointed bits, resulting in pulling, leaning, no brakes and a hollow outline - I had a lightbulb moment when I realised that always was quiter and easier in her pelham. (I had put this down to the curb).
So I dropped the curb rein, slackened off the curb chain and experimented. Much nicer person. It's the joint in the mouthpiece that she hates.

So hacking and dressage were sorted. But she gets Extremely strong in the showring, and uses it against me, falling onto her forehand, pulling and leaning again.
So I tried a Sam Marsh pelham, She came off her forehand, became as light as a meringue in my hand and relaxed her jaw! It is saved for showing and times when she needs 're-educating' about manners and listening.
 
Monty goes in a KK Ultra loose ring snaffle for dressage. He was in a happy mouth as i backed in one but after he chewed through the third one i swapped. Goes really nicely in this and with the lozenge in the middle takes away some of the nutcracker action.

He then hacks and jumps in a Neue Schele Pelham, because he can get really strong but not heavy in the hand. I wanted similar meatal to KK but didn't want to spend the money on charged for KK pelham. Plus the NS i could have on trial to see how he went before i parted with too much money. He goes beautifully in this too and as yet never really had to use the full whack of curb (which is really loose anyways). If i feel him going just small check and he comes back to me. Originally wanted to keep him snaffle mouthed but when he started to bugger off with me thought it was slightly better to up the brakes than haul on his mouth and harden or damage it.
 
I have lots of different ones but ALL happy mouth/plastic ones as she will not tollerate any metal in her mouth.

Lunging - D ring single jointed snaffle
Schooling - as above or just got a loose ring to try
Hacking - wilkie (a bit more control)
Jumping/Hunting - 4 ring gag altough I would prefer a 3 ring as never use the bottom ring. I don't often have to touch the curb rein at all and only a light contact on the snaffle but it's there if I need it.
 
Loose ring with lozenge. I use this because she hates single jointed bits, I decided a lozenge over a french link and she like this.

I've tried a mullen mouth pelham on her in preparation for showing which she seems to really love so might try and find a mullen mouth snaffle for her and see if she likes the straight bar.
 
monkeybum13 said:
I've tried a mullen mouth pelham on her in preparation for showing which she seems to really love so might try and find a mullen mouth snaffle for her and see if she likes the straight bar.
Click to expand...

I did exactly this with my gelding, many years ago. He's still in the mullen mouth and it's been the best bit he ever went in!
 
Hackamore for jumping and hacking.

Hanging cheek french link for schooling/dressage, he was awful in a single jointed and settled with this after a lot of patience and soft hands and good instruction.
 
A dutch gag with a snaffle rein and one on the third hole. Happily, we are at the point where I rarely touch the gag rein now, unless something particularly interesting is going on, or I am not being listened to, which is not bad considering the second rein has only been on there for about a week, and he can be a little monster! :)
 
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I use a French link loose ring snaffle in the school, a single jointed Dutch gag out hacking( horse has a tendency to spook and run so like the extra breaks) a Wilkie for jumping and a double (French link bridoon with a sliding cheek Weymouth) for showing...
 
Thanks all, really interesting. Was chatting this eve & I think I'm the only one on the yard who moves between bits fairly regularly, depending on what we're doing & as her training progresses. It works for us, although my tack room does look like the bit bank :o

Really useful to know I'm not the only one & to read what works for others :)
 
French link loose ring copper snaffle for all the usual activities - showing, side saddle and re-enactments done in straight bar weymouth with french link bridoon.

Hoss hates single jointed bits and leans on a straight bar on it's own. He finds it difficult to lean on the french link and he prefers copper to stainless.
 
Hanging Cheek French Link Snaffle= my dressage legal and one i have had her in for 4 months now.

Uxeter Slotted Rubber Covered Kimblewick for scarey jumping and cross country and hard occasional schooling. she really listens to it and i have finger tip control on a mare that can be tense and very excitable, however i cant use it all the time and she works out eventually she can run through it and gets really stressy, so its a very part time bit for when we both need it.

and a happy mouth dutch gag for her working livery lessons and when i dont want much from her and we are just happy hacking on routes we know.

her old owner used to have her in a vulcanite pelham and grackle noseband, without the curb chain, just an elastic curb which was a good bit apprently but i havnt done this as we dont event and her old owner said she used to event her in this combination.

anyway my mare bless her has a selection of bits
 
French link loose ring snaffle for flat work, hacking and jumping at home
French link gag with 2 reins Jumping away from home although going to try going back to the snaffle soon and for fast hacking in the when he is very fit although will prob keep for xc for now
Mullen mouth pellham for showing and a schooling session before we go showing.
I am looking for something else for jumping as he no longer needs the gag and it would be nice to only have one set of reins to worry about, am considering a wilkie or a cherry roller if the snaffle dosent go well away from home :)
Lots of diffrent options and I like to think that as we are able to move back to the original bits we tried that he has progressed in his training.
 
Used to have him in a HM but he destroyed it
tried a rubber one but he leaned on it

now in a sweet iron loose ring french link

I will occasionally put him in a tom thumb for jumping just to remind him he should not tank off, but always go back to the snaffle
 
We have 3 for one pony :D
We have his pelham which he always used to be in as he was constantly napping and running off, we now only use that for 'exciting' stuff (eg. Funrides & cross country) an some dressage.
Full cheek snaffle with copper rollers for hacking and everyday schooling & jumping
And his Tom thumb which he loves for more serious jumping schooling and jumping competitions

:)
 
My New boy goes lovely in a happy mouth straight bar loose ring snaffle, though I think Im going to change it soon, as the loose rings have caught his skin once already. He wears this for hacking, schooling and sjing, havent hunted or xc'ed him, but im sure he will be fine in it.

My little pony is in exactly the same bits for everything, though with his new little loan owner, he was put in a happy mouth 3 ring to help her when he got strong.

My big chap is in a auragon (sp?) loose ring snaffle, he wears that for flatwork only. He goes into a 3 ring happy mouth for xc, hacking and sjing, I used to ride him in it with 2 reins and martingale, though his new loan owner rides him with just the 1 rein, and hes fine.

Before my old girleis were retired, one was in a rubber straight bar loose ring snaffle, the less the better with her, and the other was in a eggbut snaffle for all disciplines.

The boy I broke in and just sold started off in a happy mouth straight bar, but didn't respect it enough, so went into a happy mouth jointed loose ring snaffle.

All my horses are put into the weakest bits possible, and gradually worked up. Only 1 is in a flash and martingale, all other just snaffles and caverson's [= - The way it should be

bexcy-bee x
 
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