who changes their horses bit to match the activity you are doing?

[mole]

and what bit do you change from and to for each activity?

or do you change nosebands instead of bits?

i want to change my horses bit/noseband for fast hacking but not sure what to change to.... so thought id ask you guys

i would like a combination that gives stopping power but without any poll pressure and head tucking in - any ideas

 

[hadfos]

i have only ever had my lad in a french link,however have just put him in a cyprium full cheek french link that he loves,is now taking a hold and i feel i have a decent contact which is nice,he is now working up to the bit

if i feel i need it i will just add a flash(has worn in the past and works a treat)!
I do have friends that have to change their horses bits for cross country phases in comp though as they get soo strong

 

[JenHunt]

Ron hunts in a double bridle with plain cavesson,
he goes cross country in the same.
He show jumps and hacks in large groups in a myler snaffle with a flash noseband
he hacks and does dressage in the myler snaffle with plain cavesson.
if I can I'll compete dressage in the myler, otherwise he goes in a french link snaffle set slightly low in his mouth.

 

[Irishcobs]

Gyp does everything in his waterford snaffle. 99% of the time I don't need it but that 1% when he panics and runs I can at least stop him leaning on me. He wears a cavesson. He does dressage in a myler, but may try a full cheek peanut link on him next time.

Hattie is hacked/jumped/xc'ed in a waterford snaffle, hacking in company I put her pelham (2 reins) in and hunting she wears a waterford cheltenham gag.

She wears a flash for all but xc were she wears a grakle.

ETS dressage she wears a myler but i'm not 100% happy with this so am trying others.

 

[Tiarella]

When im jumping or hacking Doug goes in his pelham, when schooling he is in his snaffle. Quite a jump up to a stronger bit, but he prefers his pelham than his snaffle!

 

[Gorgeous George]

I do, George hacks and jumps in a dutch gag and goes lovely in it and to be honest I would use it all the time if I could. but we like dressage so I school in a myler hanging cheek snaffle.

 

[kerilli]

why not try a waterford?
ideally i use 1 bit for all 3 phases, but sometimes that doesn't work, so i use all sorts of stuff if necessary!

 

[Britestar]

I put on a flash strap and martingale for jumping. He wers a happy mouth snaffle for everything.

 

[moodymare1987]

I used a loose ring snaffle for pretty much everything.
Only time I change bit and bridle is for showing, using a double bridle.

 

[Damnation]

Mare is in a loosering french link snaffle, cavesson for everything. However a friend popped her over XC jumps and she crossed her jaw and tanked so I will just pop a grackle on her for XC. My mare hates anything strong in her mouth and gets stronger as a result so I prefer to up nosebands. But I do know that with alot of strong horses a bit change is nescisarry, it all depends on the horse

 

[jumptoit]

I change noseband and bit!

Dressage - Flash and loose ring french link (grackle for eventing dressage)

SJ - Grackle and french link pessoa gag

XC - flash and waterford

 

[mole]

yes think i'll try a noseband change to a grackle and see what she does haha

at the mo shes in a cavesson and loose ring snaffle

 

[Grey_Eventer]

dressage: rubber straight bar snaffle
SJ: normal straight bar snaffle
XC: pelham
all with flash
such a palava, im thinking of changing flash to grackle for dressage!

 

[MontyandZoom]

Zoomy:

Sponsored rides and fast hacks: happy mouth double-jointed hanging cheek snaffle with a mexican noseband

Schooling: sweet iron french link eggbutt with a drop noseband

Monty: dutch gag on the second ring for hacking. That's all he does!

 

[WishfulThinker]

Mine had just a loose ring snaffle and ideally no noseband for general activities. XC or jumping he would have a Drop noseband as a flash just make him angry, and depending on his 'enthusiasm' either a french link or a dutch gag.

 

[Annagain]

Archie has 3 different ones, none are single jointed as he hates them:

Hanging cheek mullen mouth snaffle with flash for flat work,

Hanging cheek waterford with flash for hacking and indoor jumping

Waterford dutch gag on middle ring without flash for exciting things, outdoor sj and xc.

If I'm going on a potentially exciting hack (usually in a big group or to the beach) I put the gag on him but with two reins - one on the snaffle ring which i use most of the time and one on the bottom ring which I tie in a knot and only use in an emergency!

I have them all on separate bridles to avoid faffing. I also have a pelham that he goes in for a week or two if he starts getting silly on hacks - I try to save the waterford gag for very excting things!

I think changing them frequently stops them learning how to evade them.

 

[KitandLucy]

Im afraid i have to change my bit quite alot. She schools in a snaffle, and hacks in a pelham or gag, and she jumps in various bits to keep her thinking.

Maybe try changing nosebands first? If your have a bit of trouble stopping perhaps a grackle? Although to stop them twisting there jaw my horse behaves alot better in this noseband. x

 

[Passtheshampoo]

Only horse I've ever changed bit on for different activities was a ISH gelding I had many years ago. He rode out and SJ'd in a snaffle but used to stick a Dr Bristol on for hunter trialling, it gave me brakes I wouldn't have had in a snaffle.