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| so many pretty things |
So for this week's edition of Teach Me Tuesday, let's humor me a little and talk about bits. I know why I use bits. I have had at least one conversation with every single instructor I have ridden with about what bit I'm using and why. I have had professional riders ask me why I'm using a given set up and I can articulate it quite easily because yes, I do think about these things.
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| I love me some happy mouth |
So I'm curious. What bit do you use and why do you use it? "It's all I own", "my instructor told me to", and "he NEEDS this M***** F****** bit" are all perfectly valid answers. No judgement here, just wondering how "normal" horse people select a bit.
As if bloggers were normal. :-p you nerds.
I use that bottom bit in first picture. I'm kinda tempted to try a full cheek with keys, good for young horses, but I want a three piece bit.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about the bit in top picture Second from top that looks like a harmonica or wind chime.
I ride the EuroPony in a plain old single-jointed D ring, because that's what he went in when I was riding him in college, and he's never complained about it. However I'd like to try a low-port Myler on him, since he really seems to like the shape of his low-port western curb. I'm just not shelling out $100 just to see if he likes it.
ReplyDeleteI ride in a very freindly french link snaffle for jumping. Dee has more experience than I do and we want her to be able to override me (and my poor decisions compounded by nerves) to make the safe decisions. I ride her in a Neue Schule Verbindend for dressage because I need something she respects a little more and can't override as easily.
ReplyDeleteI also have a bit bin, but find myself returning to a few "favorites" more often than not. Let's see...
ReplyDeleteDressage: Pony goes in a double bridle, with a single jointed Baucher as our snaffle and a Wide Port Weymouth as the curb. At one point I had a plain eggbutt snaffle as our snaffle component, but then I combined my snaffle/double bridles, so it was easier to keep the Baucher on there so whenever I want to go from snaffle to double I can just attach/detach the curb component.
Hunter Pony Things: Slow Twist D Ring because I think it is the holy grail of flatting bits.
XC/Off Property/My horse is a Freak Show: A single jointed Pelham with short shanks. Because the goon sometimes forgets she has brakes.
All of my bits are single jointed because I've never ridden a horse in a double jointed bit and had them be super quiet in the mouth. I'm not professional, it's just my experience that more often than not a double jointed bit is too much movement. Whenever I have anything with a port I tend to ere on the wide side, for tongue clearance, but maybe I just ride horses with fat tongues :)
NERD ALERT! ;)
ReplyDeleteI ride Guinness in an eggbutt double jointed lozenge snaffle (the plain SS one from JP Korsteel, actually). He finds the stability of the eggbutt easier to deal with, and his low palate requires a double jointed bit. He'd probably be fine with a french link, but I like the lozenge. His snaffle is also very narrow. He seems to be less fussy with as little bit in his mouth as possible.
For Guinness' double bridle, I have a mullen mouth weymouth on order in a 12mm thickness (which is very thin). The lack of room in his mouth makes me think the less metal I put in there, the better he'll respond. The bradoon is going to be some sort of double jointed lozenge loose ring. I'd like an eggbutt, but my price point will not accommodate that. I think the stability of the curb bit will help offset the noisy loose ring bradoon.
I ride a few other horses, and their bit choices are interesting too. I ride a TB mare who is very stable in the contact naturally. She used to be in a D single joint snaffle. I switched her to a loose ring double jointed with a copper lozenge for a couple of reasons: 1. It's what I had. 2. The loose ring helps keep her lively in the contact, and stop her developing a leaning habit. The other horse is a big heavy warmblood. He goes in an eggbutt french link, stainless. He is heavy as sin on my hands, and I'd like to switch him to a loose ring to see if that lightens him up some. even if it's just in my imagination. I think the stability might be encouraging his leaning even more.
Whew. ;)
Oh! I also occasionally hack Guinness out in a mullen mouthed pelham with double reins, especially if we're going galloping with other horses in the open field. While he has brakes, sometimes Mr. Racehorse gets a little stronger than I'd like. Once we get the double all sorted, I'll probably just use that instead of the pelham. I hate switching the pelham on and off my bridle.
DeleteI alternate between a Nathe loose ring (for dressage and jumping) to a sidepull hackamore (for hacking, gallops, and conditioning work). My horse is really sensitive and never seems to settle into a metal bit very well, and he HATED a Happy Mouth, although granted hes a work in a progress so someday it might happen. But for now he doesn't really need much bit and the Nathe is what he's seemed happiest in. It's the softest thing I could think of for him!
ReplyDeleteI have always stuck with the philosophy that when it comes to bits, less is more. I want my horses comfortable and sensitive in the mouth, so I'm not rushing to bit them up for quick fixes. That comes with training and consistency. However, I am not riding hopped up eventers over giant jumps. All we do is lower level dressage and hunters (and trail rides), so I recognize that my bit needs may differ from that of a high level performance rider.
ReplyDeleteI always use double jointed snaffles, because all horses I have trained/owned have seemed immeasurably more comfortable with the double joint. A few years back I needed a new bit and found one at a dressage tack shop in Oregon, and as a result come to LOVE Smith-Worthington bits. They are made very well and are -gasp- reasonably priced. Check 'em out: http://www.smithworthington.com. These are seriously the ONLY bits I will buy now.
For starting babies: I ride in a full cheek french mouth snaffle, until they graduate to the below bits once steering is well established.
For dressage: I use a loose ring snaffle bit with curved mouth and wafer.
For hunters/everything else: I use a hunter dee snaffle with oval link.
I use a full cheek snaffle because my boy needs firm direction. I started him in a Kimberwicke since he was formerly western and used a curb chain. I quickly realized he didn't need it- he has a solid head and basically no spook. I had an eggbutt snaffle but felt like he needed clearer steering signals from me. Tried a full cheek- loved it, and 6 years later we are still in it.
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure you've read on my blog, I've gone through a ton of bits for Fiction. We settled on a dressage bit a long time ago - myler loose ring french link that is super thin. He can't handle double jointed bits or thick bits because of how his mouth is configured. As for cross country and jumping....we're still working on that. He seems to do well in a hackamore, so I'm trying out a combo hackmore + bit bridle that I concocted myself with the french link as his steering and the hackamore for the 'stop' I need. I would look into combo bits, but I can't seem to find any with mouthpieces I want. All the myler ones have rollers and those cut his tongue :(
ReplyDeleteFor years and years I rode Moe in a single-jointed D-ring snaffle. That was the bit his former owner rode him in and it always worked just fine. If I needed a little extra on XC or stadium, I rode him in the D-ring with a flash noseband. A few years ago, his bit and bridle mysteriously disappeared from the tack room, so these days he's going in a French link eggbutt snaffle. He goes about the same as he did in the D-ring.
ReplyDeleteGina came with the aforementioned French link eggbutt snaffle. She liked it okay, but my dressage trainer suggested I try her French link loose ring because every horse she'd ever met when better in it. Gina REALLY likes that bit, so I bought one, and that's what she goes in, regardless of what we're doing.
The only other bit I own is a copper roller D-ring- I'm not even sure where it came from! I am not an adventurous bit person. :P
I use whatever bit I need for my red beast to not kill me.
ReplyDeleteOk well maybe there's slightly more than that, but the whole "this helps her not kill me" part is the biggest one.
I use a Myler Comfort Snaffle D ring for flatting and some jumping. My step up bit is a Triangle (also called knife edge which sounds really awful) D ring snaffle. I've tried way more, but he seems to do well with those two so I stick to them.
ReplyDeleteBobby liked his HM french link dee for two years before deciding he hated it and started clenching his jaw and/or gnawing on it any given ride.
ReplyDeleteSo I went back to my bit box to try a few different choices. He finally decided he likes a thin, single jointed racing dee. I don't know why, but it makes him very happy. That's how I chose my bit.
I admit I was largely ignorant of bits and their purposes. I leased for 5+ years, and rode in whatever tack was provided for said horse.
ReplyDeleteWhen I purchased Boca, I though a single-joint snaffle was the kindest go-to bit. Turns out, Boca HATES single jointed bits and actually flipped over repeatedly trying to get away from it (on the lunge line, not under saddle, thank God).
Right now he seems happy in a french link Happy Mouth D.
For years I've used an eggbutt french link, with the idea of using the softest bit possible and only increasing severity if needed. Lately though I've been playing around with options (loose ring, happy mouth, etc) to see if Hemie has a preference. Hadn't had problems with the eggbutt french link, but think experimentation is good. Wish I had access to a bit collection like yours so I can try out all.the.bits! =)
ReplyDeleteMia hates french links, which is funny because it is the majority of what I own. TWH and Appy go in a loose ring french snaffle for dressage, TWH jumps in a short shank hack. Appy jumps in a loose ring slow twist because he forgets how to listen half of the time, not that he gets to jump much anymore. Mia loves her copper eggbutts but our current instructor is having us try a loose ring single joint snaffle and she is going okay enough in it. Started her in a copper full cheek which she loved but I hated. Have a kimberwicke with copper inlays as a backup in case Mia needs it but I don't think she will. Oh the bits!
ReplyDeleteHS KK Ultra loose ring ... gotta have the doubled joint for the narrow tb palette. Eli and a previous, similar horse both seem most comfortable in it--no more head flipping when I touch the reins.
ReplyDeleteMy horses usually tell me, and I tend to ascribe to the KISS principle. My two TB's like the lozenge bits (KK style) but with eggbutt rings. They seem to prefer the stability of a solid ring connection. I tried Chance in a lozenge but he didn't seem as happy as he is in a plain fulmer snaffle with fixed rings. I find the loose ring bits move around too much in the horse's mouths. Some people like that, I don't. I prefer a steadier connection.
ReplyDeleteIf I could just ride in my western D snaffle bit forever I would but sometimes you need to change it up. It depends what I'm doing. If I want a little more contact, I use a softer big like my KK Loose Ring French-Link or my 3-piece Happy Mouth (which is my favorite). Sometimes I use a Myler D Level-1 too especially because it fits perfect with his Micklem bridle. I'm huge on don't change a good thing, but I want to keep B's attention and him versatile so he's never put in a situation where someone throws something in his mouth and he has a meltdown. Hell... I'd rather just ride in a side-pull or a halter, but that's not so good in the show ring. Tried a Mullen Happy Mouth for kicks once... It was a no go.
ReplyDeleteI use a mechanical leather nosed hack - not technically a bit I suppose but oh well. Red has had some bad past experiences with bits so we go bitless, and he loves that hack the most and works best in it. :)
ReplyDeleteI ride almost every horse I train in a double jointed, full cheek snaffle to start. I like the soft mouth piece, and I like the full cheeks for lateral leverage in case of problems. When I get a choice, I compete in an s-hack instead of a bit so the horse can eat and drink uninhibited. The s-hack gives me a great bit of control without being harsh on the horse.
ReplyDeleteI've always just played around until I found one my horse liked. Miles came in a hunter gag and goes in a Single-jointed D ring happy mouth. While he seems to like that one best, you could really probably ride him in anything haha
ReplyDeleteI follow "simple is best" theory for all my tack choices; so I've always ridden in snaffles. However, I did discover that due to the insanely fat tongue my horse has the Eggbutt French link snaffle with a lozenge was completely the wrong choice for him. He didn't act out or object, but he certainly wasn't as comfortable as he could have been and was very heavy in hand.
ReplyDeleteI switched him to a Myler Loose Ring Barrel Jointed Snaffle, and he really likes it. He was softer and lighter immediately with that bit because the shaping allowed room for his tongue, the thinner bit fit in more comfortably and the loose rings stopped him from leaning. I was very happy with the results from switching to this bit. :)
bonita of A Riding Habit
I use a narrow-bodied D-ring snaffle on Apollo because it discourages his hanging on the bit without being at all harsh. He doesn't need any more bit than that, but the fat-bodied snaffles were too easy to lean on. The D-ring I chose because it gives a teeny bit of lateral support/reinforcement, because it doesn't pinch like a loose ring might, and because I think it looks better than an eggbutt.
ReplyDeleteI have in the past used Happy Mouth snaffles both single and double jointed, mullen mouth bits on Rev, et cetera. I'm quite happy with the simple narrow D-ring.
I'm new to this whole horse-ownership thing so I do a combo of personal research and what my trainer tells me to do. We found out early on that Murray couldn't stand the feeling of the single-jointed snaffle in his mouth when dressaging, so switched to a french link early on. I hated the instability of the loose ring, bought him an eggbutt with a bead that he struggled with because it was too fat, and now we're onto a thinner D-ring with a wafer in the middle. Works great, but I'm considering changing to a Stubben EZ Control (french link with a bead in the middle that locks into a Mullen in the right position). I kinda want to do this because I know it's a soft bit, and kinda because M can be fussy even with a very soft rider's hands, so maybe he needs something a little steadier in his mouth. Not sure.
ReplyDeleteI rode in the same eggbutt French link with a bead for jumping until June. In June, M's pulling/bolting with his head down became intolerable and we switched to a loop gag for a little bit of head-lifting action. This has worked wonders, and while my trainer has suggested at times that we might need to move to a 2-ring elevator, we've managed to stop the pulling with some riding changes on my part so in the loop gag we stay.
First, the bit must be legal - no point getting attached to something that I can't show in. After that, I choose my bits based on what seems to work. Both of my horses go in an eggbutt with a lozenge mouthpiece. One is the Mikmar lozenge and the other is a JP Korsteel lozenge bit. The Mikamar is a little bigger and has slightly different metals, but essentially, they're the same bit. It is steady in the mouth, wraps around the bars in a curve to provide at least some tongue relief, and it doesn't pinch their lips or whack their palate. And since neither is too fussy about it, it's what I use.
ReplyDeleteRico's snaffle was just any old snaffle laying around. I randomly changed it to see what would happen and nothing, if it's a snaffle, he goes the same in it. So I usually used a single jointed german silver loose ring snaffle because it was one of my few loose rings and I liked the way it looked best.
ReplyDeleteFor his double, he went in a mullen mouth short shanked wheymouth and a french link loose ring bradoon, both stainless steel because they were cheap. He doesn't need much in terms of bit and I actually liked having something in the double bridle to hold onto rather than him being hypersensitive to it.
Wow I'm really glad I DIDNT do my WDW on bits *crying laughing emoji*
ReplyDeletesidenote, you have an impressive collection of bits.
I change bits quite often, William goes in the Happy mouth Mullen mouth and Penny uses that for jumping too. Parker goes in a very fat Stubben full cheek and I am still searching for the perfect bit for Penny. Right now we are trying the MB01 Myler and it seems to be working. Its gentle in the mouth but strong which I need for her because she is one strong lady.
ReplyDeleteDang I should have begged a bit off of you when I figured out Chrome's was too small for him. I started him out in a D-ring snaffle this year but he hated it, so now I'm trying a French link. That's as far as we've gotten on our bit journey so far since the first two years I rode him bitless. :)
ReplyDeleteA plain dee for miss Ellie. I am dying for a tom balding bit- http://tombalding.com/products/bits/snaffle-bits.html
ReplyDeleteLoose ring french link snaffle (that you sent me!) for flatting, trainer's preference, and Connor goes well in it. But for jumping, I needed a little more leverage and a bit that would encourage him to carry his head higher and look for the fences, a bit that would say "we are not doing Dressage right now, bro". So we're in a 3 ring french link elevator.
ReplyDelete