Bit Help

[teh_Kibbster]

Training level Horse has a low pallet, thick tongue and average lips.

Bought horse - going in a Happy Mouth D ring single joint snaffle. He destroyed the plastic bit in awhile. Teeth marks everywhere. He was a hunter/jumper and in a false frame.

Re-Started horse in a loose ring french link. Funny but not funny. Horse hated the instability. No breaks or steering. Fussy. Inverted. Icky rides. Horse was 6 and had been under saddle since 3. Figured bit not training.

Horse went ok in an eggbutt french link. Breaks were not as crisp and horse would “root” when asked to halt and/or slow. He would fall on the forehand slightly, but mostly just shove his head down after stopping. Gently chewing bit, good foam. Everything seemed lovely until the rooting started about 3-4 rides in.

Horse went much nicer in a D ring, copper roller single jointed snaffle. Gently chewing bit, good foam. However, horse will gape his mouth on occasion with this bit when asked to halt from the trot. He will also invert. Not every time, but at least once per ride (about 45 minutes). Obviously doesn’t like being poked in the roof of his mouth. I also feel this might be me given the infrequency.

Tried a D ring with hooks, low port with copper. Horse tried it on but it never made it on the bridle. Even a low port is too high.

Horse also tried a full cheek single jointed snaffle. Rooted in this one (thicker mouth piece).

On trails he went nicely in a mullen mouth pelham used only on the curb ring. Crisp woah. No fussing, on the bit. Gently chewing bit, good foam. Pelham was used for added security on the trails. I would rather have it and not need it then need it and not have it. However, not dressage legal.

We also went for awhile in a Stubben golden wings 4 in one gag bit (french link) that I used more like a modified baucher. Top right photo here. Went nicely, but not dressage legal.

Pattern seems to be horse likes more stability and a larger cheek piece. I really don’t like a D ring (I find the reins can slip too low and get caught on the corner, then release and he gets jabbed in the mouth - not helping on the contact front)

Should I keep going with the D ring? Get the eggbutt version? I heard the copper roller bits aren’t the kindest as they are very straight and therefore harsh against the bars of the mouth.

Would a baucher french link help or hinder the rooting? My understanding is it provides slight pole pressure, so that would reinforce the rooting.

I don’t show (at present) but may in the future so I just want to get our gear sorted out, preferably with legal options.

I get that this is also a training thing which we are working on. Horse is still figuring out contact, etc. but is leaps and bounds from where he was. I just find with french links there isn’t enough and single joints are too much. I’m wondering if there is some happy medium that I am unaware of.

[Maude]

My horse can be funny in her mouth though a lot of it comes from discomfort in her back. When she is through and loose in her back her mouth gets quieter. That said, I have had good luck with the Steuben eggbutt with the center copper looking piece. My horse goes better in a narrower bit. Some people think a fatter bit is gentler but if your horse has a small mouth it can’t close it’s mouth around a fatter bit. I use a thin Steuben loose ring double jointed with flash noseband and a thin Stubben double jointed eggbutt with a drop nose.

[Twigster]

What about a B ring? I believe they are dressage legal, and would give you a bit of the stability and action of the stubben bit.
http://www.doversaddlery.com/herm-sprenger-kk-conrad-ultra-b-ring-snaffle-bit/p/Z1-01769A/?eid=X18A00U1000&utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchantAdv&zmam=1460880&zmas=1&zmac=114&zmap=0001769000056Z1-01769A&mkwid=sBJaKHYfy&crid=75877044847&mp_kw=&mp_mt=&pdv=m&gclid=CI_e9ZqWuscCFZKBaQodyj8JIQ

[LadyNeon01]

The Baucher is dressage legal, and it could be worth a try. And contrary to popular belief, they don’t exert any poll pressure. If you really look at it, your reins are directly connected to the mouthpiece, unlike a curb bit (or the curb ring on a Pelham) where the reins are below the mouthpiece to act as a lever.

My horse hated the loose ring French mouth because it had way too much movement. We then tried a full cheek French mouth and an eggbutt oval link before we finally settled on the oval link Baucher. He likes the stability of the Baucher.

This is the bit I have: http://www.dressageextensions.com/dewsbury-link-baucher/p/10401/

[BatCoach]

I echo maude’s suggestion of a narrower mouthpiece. My low palate, small lips guy is happy in the Neue Scheule Turtle Top http://nsbits.com/product/turtle-top0000012300001/ - its a loose ring, but it is really quite stable.

Since you said he likes a mullet mouth pelham, why not try a mullen mouth snaffle? http://www.ridingwarehouse.com/Myler_Eggbutt_Snaffle_Mullen_Barrel_Bit_MB_32_5/descpage-MEM32B.html?gclid=COnyv9zUuscCFQiEaQodUacC7w I’m 99% sure this is dressage legal, but you’d have to check the rulebook to be sure.

Of course. before you drop more $$ on bits, have a dentist come out and do your horse’s mouth - he might just have some hooks & ramps that are making him uncomfortable.

[DiamondJubilee]

My pony sounds very similar to your horse. He did not like french link bits, or any thing with a peanut roller - pretty much anything that had more than one joint as they moved around too much in his mouth, he would root and get head fussy (I do his teeth every year as well, so its not a dental thing).

He went really well in a pelham - seemed to really like the mullen mouth bit, but I dont like to ride him in it all the time. I’ve tried several different types of bits and the one he really seemed to like was the myler that the poster above put a link to (myler comfort snaffle - no hooks). It is dressage legal (at least in Canada - they changed the rule a few years ago) and he seems to be really happy in it.

Perhaps you know someone who has one to try? I was also going to try a baucher - single jointed bit as he seems to like those as well, as I believe he would like the stability of that bit as well. But he is happy with the myler for now

[CFFarm]

Go with the simplest, legal, bit that the horse is comfortable in and stop thinking about the head and bit so much. Teach him to work off your seat, weight and legs and the bit won’t matter so much. I really hope this doesn’t sound snarky. I think we’ve all been there. Sometimes we get so hung up on tack that we can’t think about anything else. Whether it’s saddle fit, bits, noseband, etc… Don’t let it become all consuming. Do the best you can.

[clint]

I had a mare who pretty much hated having the roof of her mouth poked, and didn’t like fat. She loved this bit: http://www.toklat.com/Products/BP/89-21024 It has a barrel over the bit joint, and isn’t a fat bit. It is dressage legal. I have also had a mare love the Sprenger baucher bit suggested to you, because it didn’t have much movement.

[Hampton_Bay]

Why not try the pelham with the rein on the snaffle ring? That’s essentially a mullen baucher. It’ll give you a free option to try.

[teh_Kibbster]

[QUOTE=Hampton Bay;8283788]
Why not try the pelham with the rein on the snaffle ring? That’s essentially a mullen baucher. It’ll give you a free option to try.[/QUOTE]

I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me. I will try this tomorrow, thanks for the great suggestion!

[teh_Kibbster]

[QUOTE=CFFarm;8283499]
Go with the simplest, legal, bit that the horse is comfortable in and stop thinking about the head and bit so much. Teach him to work off your seat, weight and legs and the bit won’t matter so much. I really hope this doesn’t sound snarky. I think we’ve all been there. Sometimes we get so hung up on tack that we can’t think about anything else. Whether it’s saddle fit, bits, noseband, etc… Don’t let it become all consuming. Do the best you can.[/QUOTE]

I appreciate the snarky disclaimer because at my first read, it was a bit harsh. We are working on training as I mentioned in the first post.

However, he obviously doesn’t like getting poked in the roof of the mouth by the gaping. I don’t use a flash and leave my noseband a bit looser than normal because of this.

I don’t want him to evade the bit because it hurts. That’s why I was asking for bit suggestions - something with a bit more “woah” than a french link but a bit less than a single joint snaffle for a training level horse. Brakes aren’t crisp at this stage. They are there, but the rooting is a problem that is persisting.

[magicrider7]

I know this is a bit off topic, but how do you determine if a horse has a low or high palate? and whether they need a thicker or thinner bit for their palate?

Does it have to do with tongue thickness?

[caper]

I can vouch for the french link narrow mouth piece BUT in a Baucher style. My pony in his previous life did mostly driving. I couldn’t believe some of the bits she used. I guess his whoa or stand wasn’t great.

When her daughter rode him he would ride in tight contact and almost touch his nose to his chest.

I bought the bit in the US because it was hard to find a smaller size for my Welsh. Almost immediately he stopped rooting. I was actually able to pick him up. He was almost immediately on the bit at the walk/trot. By the second ride no rooting or BTV. I got a good 5 solid rides and there was definite progress.

Family obligation caused me to abruptly stop riding. I hope to be back in the saddle next month and continue our journey.

I highly recommend giving this bit a try. I noticed a huge change in my horse. He seems extremely happy in his work now.

[hoopoe]

mullen snaffle

focus on the hind end and timing