I used a Happy Mouth mullen mouth, a Myler Triple Barrel Mullen Mouth or a Pee Wee bit. The last two are metal but are thinner mouthpieces (more room for his tongue).
If you can find one, bits with a Quarter Moon mouthpiece are often very comfortable for horses. I have one that I bought on eBay but I don’t see them much in the US.
My OT Appendix QH sounds pretty similar to your guy. He used to be very irrirtated about bits. He would avoid them but was very happy in a halter. However, I had his teeth done by an excellent dentist and there were some definite issues (despite his teeth having been done regularly by a vet used by his prior owners). Even after this was done it took him a while to be really quite in a bit. He is vastly improved though. He currently is in the gentlest, fattest, kk ultra loose ring (so lozenge in the middle and I think aurigan but it is really old so maybe not- I got it as a hand me down) I could get and is doing wonderfully. Much of it was first making sure his mouth was ok, and then lots of training.
I had tried pretty much every thing I could think of. Eggbutts, dee rings (too much leverage), nathe(just nqr), thinner mouth pieces (waaaayy too harsh)…I joke my horse is the princess from the princess and the pea (even though my horse is a he :lol:).
My OTTB was a serious head flipper when I got him 2 1/2 years ago. Had my vet out to do dental work and he said that whomever did he teeth before did a terrible job. Uneven and some ground down to the nerve. I then switch to happy mouth and less head flipping. Rode in happy mouths for last 2 years, still head flipping when riding a line or turning ( I most do jumpers). So on went the martingales that soon came off. I did not like them and he felt ‘stuck’ when he had one on.
This year I bought him the Micklem bridle and major improvement. The frequent head flipping immediately stopped. He ability to turn, particularly to the right, improved dramatically. No wide bulging turns, he can make very tight turns now ( His turns got us 1st place at the last jumper show!). I get a little bit of a head flip when I ask him to go forward, jump, then collect if he starts to get long but nothing like it was. Now he seems to be less worried about his face and learning to listen to my body.
My warm up is always dressage work and after riding in the Micklem for ~ 3 months now, my instructor has seen a huge improvement in his self carriage. She said that his front is elevated ( does not go behind the bit like he did when learning how NOT to go around inverted!) and he is round, you can even see quite a bit of slack in my reins. I use it with my happy mouth jointed snaffle. I am still a happy mouth fan.
Quiet, steady contact and forward. I also was using my body more than my leg, which really irritated him, and didn’t result in me effectively getting him forward. I have had the most success with the Myler comfort D and a baucher with my guy, he doesn’t like single jointed bits and does better with a thinner mouth piece and no flash. Doing lots of flexions in hand and ground work has helped with his bit acceptance also.
My last OTTB was so fussy with his face, straight off the track, and we had so many problems in the first year…that when a trainer suggested a (mullen mouth? No joints, just straight bar) rubber happymouth… well, I Tried it and he went in that for three years.
Then when he was suitably progressed, I switched him into the KK (ultra? nice fat bean in middle), and he liked it.
That straight-barred rubber bit saved our bacon, though. HE tugged, he flipped, he fussed, he complainted, he threw his head up, down, sideways … one ride in that bit and he was a different horse.
I have an army of extremely mild bits for the TB I’m riding, and we’ve had the best luck in the Stubben Golden Wings loose ring snaffle. Something about the construction of the bit makes it easier for me to keep contact and for him to maintain it. I don’t know exactly what it is that makes it milder than my other bits.
Unfortunately, it’s not dressage legal, last time I checked, because the “wings” are considered bit guards. But it is a lovely and very mild bit and I plan to ride in it for a while and then move on to something I can show in.
I also like the Stubben EZ Control bits. When you pull back on both reins, the bit “locks” into a solid piece, similar to a Myler, and does not completely collapse/fold like a traditional snaffle. This prevented the TB I’m riding from being so fussy with his mouth.
We tried the mullen route, but the Happy Mouths, etc did not agree with him like these other ones did. I think it’s an individual thing for the horses, plus has to do with our hands, riding style, etc.
Dang! Everyone’s already made the suggestions I’d have made!
I like the curved JP bits for small-mouthed horses.
Dang. There’s little left to suggest. It’s all been done above.
My fussy mouthed Trakehner goes in a Micklem with a loose-ring Stubben EZ control bit. He loves it (and consequently, so do I). He has a tendency to go from uber soft, hide-behind-the-bit to lean and refuse to yield. The EZ control disperses the pressure across the tongue instead of breaking in three parts, so it is like a mullen if they push against it or pull, and it stays nice and soft if they do. I have progressed further with this particular combination than with any other. He is now soft, supple, and swinging across the back with no fussing, faces, or head tossing. Downside is that this is not a cheap bit.
I second (third) the Baucher idea, especially since the full-cheek with keepers has worked the best so far. I found that the sensitive mare I ride really likes the stability of the Baucher.
[QUOTE=quietann;5873973]
Side question: WHERE do you find HS bits that do not have Aurigan mouthpieces? They are too heavy for my mare. I have her in a borrowed, older KK D-ring from the days before Aurigan, but I can’t keep borrowing it forever, and would probably prefer an eggbutt KK.[/QUOTE]
I wish I knew! I would have preferred a double in german silver but gave up and went with Aurigan. I bought his current snaffle when I bought him six years ago…and I can’t recall from where! Originally I got my KK from PetSmart for my first thoroughbred… back when they had horse stuff! I just checked Dressage Extensions and Dover and even though german silver is listed in the description they only have Aurigan as a choice 
Damn.
Becky
My fussy Arab likes his JP Korsteel eggbutt oval mouth bit. He also likes a mullen mouth pelham. Anything else I’ve tried results in flinging his head around like a maniac.
My friend’s fussy Arab likes a French link baucher. He flails his head around if his bit has too much movement.
I like the JP oval mouth loose ring for the sensitive ones. It’s a little fatter, so it’s softer than a thinner bit.
But really, get a very good dentist to check things out. That has made MUCH more difference in my horses than anything else I ever tried. I’m talking power tools, speculum, sedation, bit seats, all done by someone who really pays attention to the alignment of the bite, and goes slowly, checking often.
I use the KK on my WB and we have another WB that is a Belgian that is very TB like and she is also on a KK.
However, before you spend all the money… there are a few horses also in my barn that are in happy mouths - two are TBs and one came to us sensitive but also had been somewhat abused so he would throw his head before he knew he trusted the rider on his back. I was told when we got him that his mouth was ruined and there was no turning back. The happy mouth was key. I think its because it is not cold when put in the mouth in the winter - its light - its smooth…
With a sensitive horse - keep the bit MILD, I would not be putting copper or anything like that in an already-sensitive mouth. Keep the bit simple - with a TB I usually want double jointed… for dressage I rarely use a full cheek. I stick to loose rings and egg butts. D rings are hunter stylistic but sometimes you pick what works best for your horse I think. The loose ring and eggbutt open sideways more and offer a horse more to stretch into than a fullcheek. The full cheek is more fixed and allows a little bit of leverage by holding the bit still and I see it more as a way to get a horse around a jumping course who tends to bully with his shoulders. In dressage, a horse that bullies with his shoulders needs training that targets that specifically not a bit to help. Of course you fix that with training too in jumping but some horses get aggressive when jumping due to adrenaline.
[QUOTE=Alibhai’s Alibar;5877287]
Unfortunately, it’s not dressage legal, last time I checked, because the “wings” are considered bit guards.
[/QUOTE] not to derail, but I always thought that was the dumbest rule in the book.
My OTTB was also incredibly hard to bit at first. We started with a happy mouth mullen mouth bit, and finally ended with a french link. He hated single jointed bits. Eventually, he could seek contact with any french link mouthpiece, even on a pelham.
.
You can get the stubbed golden wings without the wings.
Another option is a leather bit. This seller on Etsy has great reviews, and I’m considering getting one for my sensitive gelding. She has lots of different options (eggbutt, baucher, kimberwick, pelham, dee, full cheek, o ring…) and rolled or flat double-stiched leather.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetBillysBits
https://www.facebook.com/Sweetbillysbits/
Someone else will have to chime in on whether these are dressage legal or not.
IIRC there’s nothing in the rulebook that even mentions anything about leather as a bit material. But I’m not sure if the USEF is the kind of organization where if it’s not explicitly stated it’s allowed, or the kind of organization where if it’s not explicitly stated it’s forbidden. Someone more in the know would have to fill in, but I’d guess the latter.
OP, try a Baucher, or try using your hands in such a way that they act more on the corners of the lips than the tongue and bars.
Another bridle option that I’ve heard good reviews for bit sensitive horses is the P.S. of Sweden jump revolution. Wish they made one big enough for my mare.
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