Right now I use a loose ring single jointed copper bit with a soft twist. I am wondering what is all of your go to/ favorite snaffles? TIA
This one is my personal favorite, from Reinsman.
1 Like
Started and trained way too many horses to count and practically all, when using a bit, we had an old regular medium mouth thickness steel plain D ring.
Every horse we had did just fine with that snaffle.
Here a race bred filly we were starting, transitioning from our grass rope bosal to a bit.
Sorry, only picture I have on the laptop of that bit:
Well I always read that a snaffle was mildest and a double-jointed snaffle mildest yet…but after reading Myler page about tongue relief, I am in their MB43LP. Can’t say that I notice much of a difference, but I think my KK Ultra might have been slightly more effective – which gives credence to the idea that tongue pressure from the KK was a bit “stronger.”
My default colt starting bit is a JP Korsteel oval mouth loose ring.
https://www.smartpakequine.com/pt/jp-korsteel-oval-mouth-loose-ring-6446
Where we go from there depends on the horse’s opinion.
But, if I buy a horse and he’s already working well in something else, I follow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it rule.”
I don’t like twists.
My favorite snaffle is the one the horse likes best, the one that fits his palate and the thickness of his tongue. I think a French-link eggbutt is a nice bit because I prefer its action to the nutcracker effect of a single-joint. Some horses prefer a Baucher, or the movement of a loose-ring.
But the bottom line is, I like the one the horse likes best. And I doubt that would be a twist.
2 Likes
I use a Myler comfort snaffle. All the horses I’ve tried it on have liked it, which is more important than if I like it.
1 Like
Agree. Soft twist seems like an oxymoron to me.
I don’t have a favorite. I use a Myler Comfort snaffle with a loose ring on my mare, a single joint copper eggbutt on the gelding, and I’ve used a French link and lozenge on various horses. All smooth mouth, no twists. I’ve tried various bits on my mare and I really can’t tell if she’s done better in one over the other.
1 Like
I only said a soft twist because the mouthpiece is fat with a twist versus a tiny(thin) bit with more severity and harsher of a twist. At least IMO.
Thank you all for showing my your bits! I love seeing what others favorite snaffles are, no one usually seems to the same answer:)
Do you mean a slow-twist snaffle vs. a corkscrew one? I can’t imagine any horse liking either. Any twist is a severe bit.
What is it that you like about the bit you are using?
My favorite for 2 year olds after they are going around and steering in a loping hackamore and packing a snaffle bit.
https://www.tombalding.com/s4-west-c…g-snaffle.html
preferred “move up” snaffle. Note the fixed rings add just a little “more” than the loose ring
https://www.tombalding.com/s5-ted-robinson-ballhinge-d-ring-snaffle.html
and finally my favorite introduction to a bit of leverage
https://jimedwardsbits.com/Shop/?t=Non-Palate%20Pressure&s=Rope%20Gag&mp=Smooth%20Snaffle#bits
Yes, I mean a slow twist. Thank you for that. I don’t necessarily like it, my mare at least seems to like it above other smooth snaffles I have tried. I will be trying a few more but at the moment this is what she is liking and responding to. By responding I mean not grabbing on to the bit and running with it. I wish I could have her in a hackamore but she absolutely hates it. She will toss her head up and down and yes, it is fitted correctly, she just does not like nose pressure at all. Thank you very much for asking me though. I love explaining my thoughts:D
1 Like
Thanks.
IME it’s more a matter of the rider’s seat and hands than the hardware in the horse’s mouth. 
1 Like
I found interesting a comment by a well known western trainer and breeder that has started and shown successfully many colts, many of his own raising, on what he used on his colts and why.
He said that he had used mainly snaffles, all kinds, had a wall full of those in his barn.
Then this one time lately he had a colt that just didn’t seem happy no matter what snaffle he used.
He could not find anything different with the colt, just thought he was ultra sensitive.
Looking at his wall of snaffles, his eye caught on one he didn’t know where it came from, just hung there.
There was not a picture of it, but he called it a “chain mouth snaffle”.
He thought, maybe lets try that, see how it works.
He first tried it on a nice, go with anything colt and he was fine with that?
He tried it on the reactive colt and he was also fine, he finally was happy with a bit?
So, after that, he has been using that strange snaffle as his main one and, so very surprised, colts seem to really like it.
He was thinking, maybe it is because it doesn’t has a stiff, solid piece anywhere, it drapes over their tongue and doesn’t has anything to bind or poke anywhere?
He warned, any bit can be misused, but such a bit especially could cause much pain to a horse if ever misused with pulling, not gently guiding hands.
He would not recommended it for any but in the most educated, experienced, steady and responsible hands.
I have never heard again about that, don’t even know which kind of mouthpiece he was referring to.
I wonder if he is still using it and what he thinks of that today.
There are several called such for sale, that is all I know.
I was wondering, maybe the difference is similar to wearing a wristband that is made out of one piece, or several long pieces, and a chain one, that will drape following along every bit of your wrist, which when tight may be more steady and comfortable, more like a metal watchband?
That’s an interesting idea, Bluey. You could probably test that theory with a Waterford mouth piece without the risk of ripping a mouth open on a chainsaw bit.
1 Like
I am assuming he was talking of those bits with chain links, not the bicycle chain type found in mechanical hackamores, but don’t know.
Not even sure if he was talking of a true snaffle or like so many around here, even those curbs they call snaffles as they don’t have a solid mouth piece.
I just looked and found this, even more puzzling how some of those bits may work.
Once you add leverage without solid bits, where do signals go and how consistent can we expect them to be without defying laws of physics:
https://www.horseloverz.com/western-…its/chain-bits
I was thinking, direct bits from mouth to hand, as standard snaffles, could possibly work with a chain.
With leverage as many of those there, well, guess they work for someone.
Too many bits out there today, too many questions.
1 Like
You make a valid point on the too many bits too many questions. One of my favorite bit makers, Jim Edwards, puts a lot of informational videos online about how all of his bits work. He’s huge on tongue relief and leather chin straps as opposed to chain. I just love that he takes the time to explain his ideas behind all his bits. And if you can find him at a horse show and tell him about your horse, he will hand you a bridle and follow you to the warm up pen with your horse to watch him ride…and 9 times out of 10, the bridle he handed you works like nothing you’ve ever used! The man knows his business!
I know, I have one of his bits.
He is passionate about that, is he.
Absolutely! I think more bit makers need to make themselves accessible to riders and trainers! It has certainly opened my eyes!
