I just purchased a green to the sport (eventing) off the track TB. Lovely girl who is going to be a nice mover. I am currently riding her in a Stubben Golden Wings snaffle bit which at first thought would be lovely and gentle but want others opinion. What would be a good choice to help her relax and stretch down into the contact? She has a delicate head and a smaller mouth for a 16.3 girl.
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My go to bit has always been a French link loose ring snaffle for my OTTBs. Does the lozenge in the middle of yours sit flat like a French link? (Itās difficult to tell in the pictures Iām looking at). If not, could it be putting a bit more pressure on the tongue? If so, Iād try a French link.
I will try that. Thanks!
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TBs tend to like Mylers comfort snaffles.
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Youāre welcome. Let us know how it goes.
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It can take some trial and error to find a horseās preference. If a double-jointed doesnāt work, you might go the other way to something with less mobility like a mullen mouth. Iāve become a fan of titanium bits for the lighter weight. I personally have not used a Nathe bit, but itās another option that might be worth trying as it is very gentle.
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My OTTB was meh about a regular French Link, but really loves the Myler Comfort snaffle with the lozenge/bean middle link. I donāt know if itās the bean, or the curve of the bit, or the combination, but she was immediately happier in that
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The turtle top double jointed can be similar to a mullen mouth and is the favorite for my sensitive andalusian. (who had evidence of prior mouth ulcers and NO dentistry previously).
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Good suggestions here and I would also ask at the next float appointment for the dentist to give their opinion about how deep/shallow your girlās palate is. That will inform how much bit might be comfortable to her, size of lozenge, and etc. Some horses like the feeling of fullness, some like a very slender bit, regardless of how āsoftā or āsevereā the bit dimensions are considered (softness comes from hands, right?)
I like the golden wings snaffle but some horses donāt like the sensation of closed sides and like the play of a loose ring. Plus I think it is idiotically verboten under FEI? Double check as my memory may fail me. But some trainers donāt use it for that reason.
And make sure to give each bit more than one ride. The most sensitive horse Iāve ever had would act offended if anything changed, even the material of brushes (not hardness/softness, just the material). So I knew that he would need a couple rides/lunge sessions to get over the newness of any tack change. If he acted annoyed after 3 rides, then I knew it was truly uncomfortable.
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Itās worth having a conversation with Claire at bombers. I think sheās done a great job of figuring out what works for specific facial conformation.
Case in point, they have a new line of driving bits designed with Boyd Exell (a dominating force in all phases of CDE and holds the lowest dressage score record). I currently school ridden work in a straight happy tongue loose ring and was looking at one of the bits that seemed to answer the questions I needed an answer to in driven dressage so I reached out to her and gave her the ponyās backstory.
Nope, that mouthpiece apparently works best on a narrow jaw (I have a 14.1 fjord that wears a 6" bit, I think we know how narrow his jaw is!) So sheās making that bit with a different mouthpiece, the regular happy tongue (itās a swale, so not that common).
Anyway, itās nice to work with someone who is both responsive and knowledgeable!
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REALLY depends on the shape of their mouth. I had an OTTB with a rather flat roof of her mouth. She really hated a regular shaffle which poked her in the roof of her mouth, so I got her french link that seemed to sit flat on her tongue. She really liked a Dr. Bristol, because it sat flat for her, but it wasnāt legal, so we went looking some more.
In the end I had her going nicely in a Baucher - this was because the Baucher held the bit up off the bars of her mouth, and held the bit quiet in her mouth. So a french link baucher it was for us. If she is fussy with the bit you choose, try the Baucher.
Having dealt with OTTB"s almost exclusively for a number of years, I 've found that a loose ring snaffle with a big fat peanut in the center., usually worked well. I did try an Aurigan bit on one young horse , he hated it, but he was an Anglo-Trakehner, picky soul.
I have had students use them with great success.
Proper bit width is essential.
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Is the Baucher dressage legal? We are below (well below!) FEI.
Most Bauchers are, it depends on the length of the hanger piece, and also the mouthpiece. I use a Fager loose ring Baucher on my Appendix mare and it is specifically called out as legal in the rule book (the TD had to check).
I tried any number of snaffles and a turtle too. My coach suggested a mullen and that was waaay better, but not great. Then, after much trial and error i found the greatest bit for my fresh backed Standardbred. It was a fullcheek mullen. Heās still in it a year later and going well. Someday iāll probably be tempted to change, but for now: āif it aināt broke donāt fix itā
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Highly recommend the Duo or Nathe (pretty much the same bit, but different makers and one is a smidge thinner than the other- but canāt remember now which. by thinner I mean 1 or 2 mm).
Duo is slimmer/thinner than Nathe
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Thanks! Itās been scattery around here, My Dadās not well atm, and coming so soon after my Mumās passing, well, I sometimes lose track of those kinds of factoids. 
I canāt remember which one I have on my bridle [I think itās the Duo], but I know the horse is happy-ish with itā¦
