Has anyone tried one the titanium ones? www.fagerbits.com
I just ordered one, I am intrigued and curious to see how much lighter it is.
Hi Nova2000
Thank you for telling us about the Fager bits. I have had excellent results with my titanium coated bits, but I am now riding one horse in a double bridle and I could not find correct sizes for this horse in titanium. I settled on stainless steel.
Please report to us when you get to use your new bit!
I have found with my titanium coated bits that some problems sort of disappear. The horses settle down some, their tongues seem to relax, and they just are not as resistant as they were in the stainless steel bits of the same design (various snaffles and Kimberwicks so far.) If Fager had a ported Weymouth curb and an eggbutt single jointed snaffle it would be ideal, but at least they have a 4 1/2" Weymouth curb, the only titanium one I’ve seen for sale on the web.
It arrived today, just in time for me to head out of town :rolleyes: It was shipped internationally, so it arrived quickly all things considered. I believe the entire mouthpiece is titanium, not just coated, but the rings feel heavier so they might be stainless. The bit is really quite light. I ordered the eggbut with the center roller, I cannot wait to try it when I get back. My guy really needs a 4 3/4”, so we’ll see how it fits. I’ll update when I get a chance to try it!
My guy ideally needs a 4 3/4” also, maybe if enough of us ask, they will add the size! He’s in a 5” happy mouth right now, and size wise it’s ok, I feel like they run a little small. The KK Ultra 5” was huge. I can’t wait to get back and try it out. I confess, I put it in my mouth and tasted it
:lol: It was quite nice 
silky smooth, so light!
Tried the new bit out yesterday, he played with it a lot at first. Once he got going on the lunge he seemed to go well in it, and a few minutes under saddle went well also. So far, the only thing I didn’t like, i got the D ring, and the D feels a little large for his face. Probably fine for a larger horse, but for his little head it was a bit overwhelming. I’ll check back in after about a week of working in int.
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Sadly I don’t think it’s going to work for us. The 5" is really just too big for him. It hangs too low in his mouth, he really needs a smaller version. I haven’t given up the idea of these, just maybe need to look at a different one. I may try the 4 1/2" and see how it goes. The bit itself is lovely. It’s light as a feather!
The horse’s head widens the further up from the corners of the lips it goes.
You could try shortening your cheek pieces with the 5" bit until there are 2-3 wrinkles as long as you are riding in the 5" bit.
With the 4 1/2" bit you could try lengthening your cheek pieces until the bit is just touching the corners of his mouth.
The horse I am riding in a double is 4 1/2" wide, measured vertically right above his curb groove, and 4 3/4" wide up at the corners of his mouth. If I shortened his cheek pieces one or two holes I might be able to get a 5" bit to work well, but I hate putting so much pressure on his poll (2 or 3 deep wrinkles at the corner of the mouth.)
I did try this, it didn’t work so well. The bit just made a big “V” shape and sort of pushed his lips/cheeks in. Not sure if that makes sense the way describing it!
It does make sense.
I do wish Fager made 4 3/4 (120mm) bits.
I have successfully used bit guards to take up some space on 5" bits for 4 3/4" mouths, but it sounds like they would not take up enough space to fit your horse.
Good luck with the 4 1/2" bit!
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I just ordered my Fager double bridle bits today. They should be here in a week.
Fortunately the horse I’m riding in a double bridle takes a 4 1/2" curb and a 4 3/4 bradoon, so I was able to order bits that should fit him.
This horse seems to like the taste of the titanium bits, and he seems to like the double bridle (I am sure that like is too strong a word.) I just hope that a combination of the two pleases this horse.
Please Bingo, like these bits!
They are expensive, but not as expensive as the Lorenzini bits, plus the Fager bits have free postage world wide, which is much better than the postage from abroad I’ve seen on the Lorenzini bits–over $40 USD.
They are supposed to be here in a week. I am SO looking forward to them.
Next I hope to save up for a Fager titanium single-jointed snaffle. I’ll have to get a 5" bit, so I guess I’ll use bit guards on the 4 3/4" mouth horses.
I just wish they did 4 3/4" bits, then my happiness with this bit company would be complete.
I do wish the 4 1/2” bit was thicker. It’s only 12mm and I don’t think that’s legal? We ended up in the Herm sprenger dynamic bit, and he seems really happy in it
My Fager double bridle bits arrived today!
I got them on my bridle and tomorrow I get to try them on the lesson horse I ride (with permission from his owner, of course). I really hope he likes them since he seems to prefer the taste of the titanium bits I’ve tried on him–as in it is not as hard to get him to open his mouth for the titanium bits I’ve used on him before this.
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I got to ride the horse Bingo in my new Fager titanium double bridle bits this morning.
Bingo is resistant to change. These double bridle bits are different than my stainless steel double bridle bits (ported curb, eggbutt single jointed bradoon.)
The curb has a Mullen mouth. I had trouble getting my leather lip strap through the little eyelet holes. The mouthpiece has a nice smooth arch just like a Mullen mouth snaffle. The mouthpiece is 12mm thick.
The bradoon is DIFFERENT. Instead of the cannons being slightly arched they are straight, I can lie the bit flat and every part of the mouthpiece touches the flat surface. The center joint is flat, the joint does not project upward like it does on a regular single-jointed bradoon. The mouthpiece is 10mm thick. The center joint goes no further than a 90 degree angle. I have never seen a bradoon like this.
On Fager’s website they explain the straight cannons of the bradoon. “Due to the straight design and low weight, your aids will be more direct and precise.” Then further down the page “We design them that way to keep the balance point on the mouth. If you have a bigger bend forward, you will also move the balance point forward and slowing down the process of your aids. More stable and less confusing for your horse.” I suspect that there could be a better translation from Swedish to English.
At first, leading him to the riding ring, Bingo balked several times. However by the time I mounted up he got used enough to his new bits so he did not balk anymore (and I was ready for it, and expected it.) At first he was loathe to move out at the walk but he did not seem to mind my contact with the bradoon. The first few times I halted him he acted like he did not know what I was telling him to do, but after the third halt he got much better. All his turns in place were OK, he obeyed my rein aids and did not argue about them. Turning was fine after he realized that the aid meant the same thing as before. I only walked because it was hot and sweat was pouring off my face, I just did not have the energy to trot.
When he stretched his neck down and out he showed no distress when he “met” the bits.
I finally got him to extend his walk some. His contact was pleasant, no boring down on the bit or flinging his head, his favorite resistances to the bit.
Hopefully by my lesson next week Bingo will have processed the new bits in his mind.
Considering that the titanium bits taste different than the stainless steel bits, and that the shape of the mouthpieces are different than what he is used to, he actually did quite well, for Bingo.
@Jackie Cochran i’d love to get an update after your lesson next week. I mentioned in one of my posts I actually tasted the bit 😂. I thought it quite nice.
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I had my lesson today. Bingo had all sorts of excuses to “forget” everything (another handicapped rider rode him–in a Western saddle, he had a kick mark on one of his hind legs) but Bingo, bless him, did not have to be reminded what my aids meant. Because of his hind leg I just walked, he was sort of reluctant to move but his really liked standing there when I did my stretching exercises.
His reaction to the bradoon was better, it took me just two of his body lengths to get him to stop instead of half the ring. He kept contact fine, nice and light with no boring down. He is still getting used to the slightly different bradoon (straight instead of curved cannons), but today I successfully used rather light rein aids which he obeyed. He did not seem really sure but apparently decided to give me the benefit of the doubt that my aids meant what they always mean instead of forgetting.
I did not have to use the curb at all, the last time I rode him (first time in these bits) I had to tweak the curb reins several times each time I asked him to halt to convince him that yes, I mean halt!
Even though any reasonable horse could have thought that they had a very good reason to balk he did not balk (and he was a bad balker when I started riding him.) His one hind leg was bruised up in the thick muscles, and I am sure that after the Western saddle and a total beginning handicapped rider in the saddle his back probably did not feel that great. Luckily it was cool enough to keep his BOT exercise sheet on which helped. He also has a minor infection in one of his eyes (the vet checked it out.)
So Bingo was loathe to move, but he did not balk. He could have ignored my halting aids like he did the previous ride but he consented to obey them without much repetition. His turns were OK, especially with a bruised muscle in one hind leg.
I am actually surprised he did so well. Instead of his habitual balking when not happy he moved forward when I insisted (repeated squeezes with my leg, and some very light taps with my crop.) Instead of his usual sour attitude when the Universe does not go as he likes he actually tried to please me, within his current and temporary indispositions.
Bingo could have done a LOT worse! He was a good boy.
Hopefully next week he will feel better and I’ll get a better idea of how much he likes these titanium bits.
Hi everyone, I just wanted to give a shout out for Fager bits.
I had ordered two of the Fager snaffle bits, both in the 125mm width (around 5"). My bits came in 8 days and I was so excited, BUT when I opened the package one of the bits was 105mm (they said on the site it is equivalent to 4 1/4", really though it is more 4.133" using the formula I found on the web of multiplying the mm by .03937), 2 full centimeters too narrow. I had ordered the snaffle Fanny–Fagers Titanium FSS Tongue relief Eggbutt bit (the one that came in the wrong size) and the snaffle Lilly–Fagers Titanium Single jointed Eggbutt bit (for bar relief.)
My son had to order them for me since I do not have Pay Pal, so I called my son and he sent an e-mail to Fager about the problem. Fager got back to him immediately with an apology, they wanted the too small bit back and said they would refund the postage for me, and include a free gift.
Ten days later (today) the correct size bit came. Fager bits came through for me, they even included a bottle of their “Friction and Rubbing Saver” which is my free gift (on their site for 12 Euros.)
Fager bits will not take used bits back, and the tag cannot be taken off if the buyer wants to return the bit. I know one horse this bit could fit but I could not risk losing almost $150.00 USD just to satisfy my curiosity with a pony I do not own, so I sent the too small bit back unused and with the original tag still on it.
I was going to try the Lilly bar relief snaffle last weekend but, alas, it rained (not complaining, we NEED the rain.) If it does not rain this Sunday I will get to try the bar relief snaffle out on an Arab-Welsh mare. I had told the mare’s owner about the two types of snaffles I was buying and asked her which one she wanted me to try out first on her pony. It is a lot like a regular single-jointed snaffle with slightly thicker cannons than the regular snaffles.
The tongue relief bit I am going to try on a probably pure Arabian gelding at the other stable whenever I get to ride him. The bit is interesting, the FSS designation means that the closing of the center joint is extremely limited, just 1/4" of movement if both hands give the aid, and 1/2" of movement if just one hand gives a rein aid, and then the bit locks up and will not close any further (IF the bit is put on the bridle properly.) The center joint is designed to only allow this much movement and it also limits the movement of the center joint vertically the same amount. This bit will never squeeze the tongue painfully or drive the center joint up into the palate of the horse.
The bar relief bit is different. The single joint is fully foldable like most single jointed snaffles, but the comfortably wide cannons (15mm wide) sort of flatten out where they meet the horse’s bars instead of being a circle all the way around.
If the weather and horse deities allow it I hope to try these bits out soon. When I do I will come back and report on them.
Bingo still likes his Fager double bridle bits. For the first time today I had to bridle him with the double myself and I had minimal problems getting the bits into his mouth, in fact I had fewer problems than when I was putting single stainless steel bits into his mouth. Bingo approves of the titanium bits and seems to prefer them to the stainless steel bits. Since Bingo is a horse who is never hesitant to express his disapproval about a bit, I take this as proof that Bingo, for one, really likes the titanium bits compared to the stainless steel bits I’ve tried on him. He tends to be more responsive to the Fager bradoon than to regular snaffle bits (titanium or stainless), and I have had no problems with contact with the double bridle.
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I FINALLY got to try one of the Fager snaffle bits.
The snaffle is the LILLY-Fagers titanium single jointed eggbutts bit, which is made as a bar relief bit. The center joint folds fully like a regular snaffle bit, and the bit’s cannons by the eggbutt are 14mm thick, and the center joint is around 12mm thick. The mouthpiece tapers toward the center joint so there is some room for the horse’s tongue. Since the the mare’s mouth is 4 3/4" and the bit is a little bit wider (125mm=4.921875") I used the silicon bit guards that Fager sells. These silicon bit guards are infinitely easier to put on the bit than the regular rubber bit guards, it took me a little effort and maybe 5 minutes to put both bit guards on instead of a lot of effort, swearing, and crying with total frustration while putting the rubber bit guards on, which would take me much, much longer.
I had been using a titanium coated “rainbow” three piece snaffle with a copper roller in the middle on this mare, Cider. She liked this bit OK, mostly because she could play with the copper roller.
This morning it was much colder than it had been, mid-30’s F. Cider was interested in the bit when it was put in her mouth, with some exploration with her tongue and a few gentle chomps with her pre-molars thrown in here and there. This mare has arthritis and her owner wants me to ride her to keep her moving. If she is distressed with the bit or my contact she tends to “spit the bit out” and refuse true contact.
Contact was fine, Cider gave no indications of discomfort from this bit. We walked around a little bit then I asked her to stop with my usual hand aid, alternating tweaks of my fingers when the hind legs moves forward. Cider stopped IMMEDIATELY instead of the usual three or more hand aids it usually takes (this mare does not particularly like stopping.) Going down-slope it took me two of these hand aids. At no time did she lean on the bit, tense up her tongue, set her jaw against me, and she was pleasant about stopping.
Backing up was also easier in this bit, she responded quicker than usual to my hand aids.
Generally the mare reacted to my hand aids quicker than before when I used other bits, both titanium coated and stainless steel snaffles.
I am pleased. Her owner reminded me that it sometimes takes this mare a few rides before she comes to a final conclusion about a bit, but neither her owner or I saw or felt anything that would indicate any distress with this bit.
If everything works out I will try the other snaffle, the tongue relief one, during my lesson next Wednesday on the QH gelding I ride.
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Today I had my lesson on Bingo and I used my new Fagers Fanny FSS Tongue Relief single-jointed eggbutt snaffle. (The FSS is Fagers Smart System, the joints look regular but they lock almost immediately.) The cannons at the corners of the mouth are 14mm thick, narrowing to about 10mm wide at the center joint.
Previously I was using my Fager Mullen mouth Weymouth curb and the Fager single jointed bradoon in a double bridle on Bingo. Before then I used various snaffles (Wellep snaffle single jointed and double jointed, double-jointed titanium coated lozenge, and single jointed titanium coated 20mm thick snaffle.)
Bingo is a horse in his mid 20’s who has a very unfortunate throatlatch, while he is wide enough between his jowls so I can get my fist in easily, but his neck muscles behind his throatlatch are WIDE from side to side, and there is no way that Bingo can get a pretty headset or use his neck in the classical manner. Together with his extremely high croup and very low set neck Bingo in an illustration of how bad conformation can really limit the proper training of a horse. Due to this conformation and previous bad training Bingo had learned how to resist his rider really, really well, setting his jaw, resisting turning hand aids, and backing up a goodly distance whenever he did not get his way. He also forgets most of what he knows whenever ANYTHING changes. I’ve “fixed” a lot of his resistances through sympathetic training with clear aids and prompt rewards for obedience.
Bingo was sort of “shrug, another snaffle” when we bridled him. When I mounted he took up good contact (good for him that is) and was OK turning from hand aids, somewhat resistant but not his usual horrible behavior at any change in his life. Stopping was another matter, with hand aids it was “I do NOT know what you are asking for” in spite of the fact that he understood these aids with other bits and the double (this happens with every bit change.) By our fourth or fifth halt he finally remembered what I meant and started being more responsive to the bridle. As usual in this process he opened his mouth some (my riding teacher said he was not in a full gape) but this went away later in our ride.
I told my riding teacher that I wanted to try this bit in a lesson since it is a very mild bit with little “authority”,and I wanted her in the ring so I had someone to send Bingo to if he refused to stop at all.
Bingo got upset some at the cord of the exercise sheet irritating his thighs (he has worn this exercise sheet for months) and he gave a little, polite crow-hop that did not disturb my seat in the saddle. We took the exercise sheet off and there was no repetition of this.
After I trotted Bingo a little bit and did several turns (some in place) using just my seat, thighs and lower legs he started understanding this bit a little bit more. He became more responsive to my hand aids and I had no problems backing him up (he usually resists backing up unless it is his idea in the first place.)
I put the double bridle bits back on his bridle for my homework ride on Friday. I will go on periodically riding him in a snaffle every few weeks (or months) or so since I am the only one at this stable who rides with a double bridle, and my riding teacher wants him to go in the snaffle better for when she uses him as a school horse with other riders.
My riding teacher was sort of puzzled why I wanted to go back to the double bridle. I told her that every time I pick up the double bridle for my ride on Bingo I just start smiling and feeling happy. Bingo does not mind two bits in his mouth, he seems to use them to figure out what I want when he does not understand me fully, even on the days I do not use the curb rein at all. He just goes better for me with the two bits in his mouth and I have to “argue” with him a lot less than I do with just a snaffle bit, any snaffle bit.
Bingo can be MUCH more resistant than he was in this particular snaffle bit. His resistance to this particular bit seemed to come more from “I really do not understand you right now” rather than his usual “I don’t wanna, F-k you!”
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Today during my riding lesson I got to try the last Fager snaffle I bought, the “Frida” titanium side lock loose ring TOL, a double jointed snaffle.
The TOL system has a “sleeve” around the loose rings where the mouthpiece meets the rings. The rings only move a tiny bit toward the horses cheek teeth, then they lock up. According to the Fager site “TOL protects your horse’s molars from being pressed by the rings…(they) are more between loose ring and egg-butts rings. If the horse lays/pull on the bit, the rings will lock and work as an egg butt ring. When you receive a stable connection to the mouth, the rings will be loose.”
Due to this system you may have to go up a size if you are between sizes. (Direct quote from the Fager site including their weird English grammar.)
My bit is 125mm wide (their 5" equivalent), and since Bingo takes a 4 3/4" snaffle I put on the wonderful, easy to put on Fager silicon bit guards. The center plate is 27mm long and 14mm wide and looks sort of like a French link. The cannons are 14mm thick. IF the bit is put on properly the joints to the center plate will lock if there is a strong contact. My first impression from just handling the bit in my hand was that with this bit the horse could move the bit in his mouth so it was on the most comfortable place on his tongue.
Bingo seemed happy with this bit in his mouth as we led him to the ring. When we started out Bingo took contact regularly and kept a nice contact throughout the ride. However when I asked him to halt it was as if I was speaking in Martian, he seemed to have no idea of what I was asking him to do. I had to ask him to halt repeatedly and I finally had to tense up my fingers some. He turned readily enough, and was not too horrible when doing turns in place.
After a while I trotted him a little, and he transitioned down to the walk promptly and pleasantly.
When I backed him up–well he gave me the best back-up that he has given me in months of riding, prompt, light, and he backed up straight.
After several more unsatisfactory halts we stood in the ring while I told him that I was going to practice halting in this bit until he started obeying my hands, several times each ride for as many rides as it took for him to start obeying me promptly. We moved on out at the walk, did some big curves, and I asked for the halt again. This time I only had to ask three times with alternating reins instead of the 7-8 repetitions he needed at the beginning of the ride. I took the opportunity to reward him by getting off and ending the ride.
It was cold, wet and windy this morning. He had a new bit in his mouth. All things considered he did quite well, for Bingo.
Bingo seems to think that the straight, non-curved cannons on the Fager bit mouth-pieces are GENTLER that the normal slightly curved cannons, at least he does not obey my rein aids as promptly. He seemed to consider this bit another big non-event and nothing to get worried about. My hands liked the contact with this bit better than with the Fager single jointed snaffles/bradoons. The contact felt more “alive”.
I LIKE the Fager bits so far, I just wish they were not so expensive. The two horses I’ve used them on seem to consider these bits as GENTLE, much gentler than normal snaffles, and I get good contact with them.
Just a note about the Fager silicon bit guards.
While they are super easy to put on and take off (5 minutes at the most) I stopped using them.
These bit guards are SMALL (2 3/4" diameter) and I, my riding teacher and the other lady I ride with have all had problems bridling the horse with them on the bit. The bit guards are small enough that they end up IN the horse’s mouth no matter how careful we are bridling the horse. The last time, while I stuck my fingers in the horse’s mouth to get the bit guards back to being on the outside of the mouth, it hit me, what in the world am I doing putting my fingers in the horse’s mouth while the horse is expressively telling us with a lot of chomping to get the darn things back in their proper place?
I took the silicon bit guards off (super easy) and put my 4 1/8" leather buckle-on bit guards on the bit. My riding teacher had no problems bridling Bingo properly and he was content not to have those pesky bit guards in his mouth.
He responded to the Frida three piece bit a lot better today and we had a pretty pleasant ride at a walk. He did not argue, dispute, or disagree with me and he seemed much more cheerful without the drama of the silicon bit guards ending up in his mouth.
There are bigger silicon bit guards out there, but right now they seem to be out-of-stock. I might try some out later, or I might just stay with my old buckle-on leather bit guards that almost all the horses I’ve ridden with them find acceptable (one exception, an OTTB who gets super fussy if he does not approve of something).
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