Which bit would you use?

[dressage_diva]

What (dressage legal) bit would you use for the following horse:

- Can be unsteady in the contact
- Quite lazy and difficult to work into the hand; prefers to go fast and hollow rather than round through the back
- Hard mouth (horse quite old and previously in a riding school)

Just interested as I don't know much about bits and generally stick with what I'm used to (more traditional bits!) and just wondering what others would use on a horse in this situation (the horse in question is currently undergoing correct, consistent training). Thanks

 

[kaizan 8998]

I have recently been having bitting problems myself. I contacted Bit World and and they sent me various bits on a two week trial for free. Each problem I throw at them they seem to have the answer! Would recomend them to anyone as they really know what they are talking about.

 

[MandyMoo]

hmm... WELL... for the unsteady contact i would suggest (someone will no doubt disagree) a hanging cheek snaffle as the cheeks on this bit keep the mouthpiece very still in the mouth and encourage consistant contact.

as for the mouthpiece, if the horse can be quite hard in the mouth i would suggest (IMPO and IMPE) a thinner mouthpiece. Monty can be quite hard in the mouth and 'leany' and so i went for a KK bit with a 16mm mouthpiece and a losenge to reduce his leaning. it works a treat...

so maybe there is a KK mouthpiece with hanging cheeks? *google searches*

EUREKA! http://www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk/P/KK_Ultra_Hanging_Cheek_Snaffle-(403).aspx << that one happens to be a 15mm mouthpiece, but they come in a range of thicknesses. The material that the mouthpiece is made of should encourage acceptance of the bit, the cheeks will encourage consistant contact due to stillness of mouthpiece, and the losenge and thin mouthpiece should discourage leany behaviour and be slightly sharper so better for 'hard' mouths

obviously it is always trial and error with bits, and while some will work for some horses, the same bit wont work for another... but thats my advice for the day lol

 

[dressage_diva]

Thanks guys - might speak to Bit World for some advice, and thanks for the link to the KK Hanging Cheek....like I said my bit knowledge is pretty limited (I've only ever used happy mouths, loose-ring french links and fulmer snaffles!), so it's interesting to hear what other people think might work!

I should add that by "hard in the mouth" I mean quite 'dead'. The horse in question isn't at all strong, but he's clearly had a lot of people pulling hard on his mouth when he was in the riding school so he's quite 'dead' and unresponsive.

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

neue schule team up. works like a dream on every problem horse iv had in for schooling and is the only bit the captain will do anything in (literally tries to spit anything else out and stands rooted to the spot!)