I have a 9 year old Holsteiner I event who tosses his head and tries to snatch the reins our entire dressage test. I am trialing this bit From Mary’s Tack and will use it for the first time on Wed. Is this bit worth the money?
To me, “worth the money” is so independent for each person. I use this on my mare and it works really well, but it was also combined with hooking up with a trainer who helped me learn to ride my horse correctly so it’s hard to say if it was the bit or the corrected training!
I also was able to try the bit through my trainer and find a lightly used one on the Facebook tack groups that took some of the sting out of the price.
I do think that spending a bit more, albeit painful, is worth it for me personally to have a quality piece of tack that will be used every ride, every time. Kind of like spending more for a helmet that fits properly, or a saddle that is fitted well to both horse and rider.
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That’s a tough question to answer… if you find that it immediately solves all of your horse’s problems, it very well may be worth the money to you :lol:
I’m fairly obsessive about bit-fitting, I feel it’s as important as saddle fit. If your horse likes the bit, you may be able to find something less expensive. Consider: his mouth anatomy; the shape of the bit and how it will lay in his mouth when the reins are engaged; does he prefer a bit that acts more on the bars or his tongue; a bit that is more stable, like a baucher or eggbutt, or something with more wiggle like a loose ring; does he prefer something thinner or thicker; heavier weight or something lighter; and the material the bit is made from. I’ve had some horses who HATE the taste of copper in their bits, and others who prefer them, or prefer something neutral like titanium or steel.
Considering all of that… you might be able to get a bit for under $50 to be honest. Once I figured out what they liked in a bit, I’ve had plenty of horses go very well in the shires or centaur knockoffs of more expensive bits. They have nice widths to their bars and a nice anatomical curve - a lot of horses respond positively just to that. Korsteel makes a nice bit too. Personally, the horses I’m riding now have responded best to some Neue Schule models.
Sorry for the long-non-answer! Like everything else with horses, I guess the answer is: “It depends!”
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Yes.
But don’t expect miracles.
What type of bit are you using currently?
What is your training plan regarding these issues?
Have these issues been there for long?
Tossing and snatching the reins are the result of great discomfort in your horse’s mouth and tension in his body and neck.
1.You need to find a bit that fits your horse’s mouth.
What type did you pick? A loose ring or a D-bit?
2.You need to check if your horse’s mouth is pain free, when was his last floating?
3. You need to find a trainer that will work with you on your contact and understanding of it.
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He is fairly new to me, didn’t work for 2 years then has been back to work for the last 9 months. Extensive vet involvement, lameness checks, injections, expert saddle fitting. His dressage score weren’t stellar in his prior life. We are working extensively with a good trainer. He also can be a turd so you have to factor that in.
I am trying different bit and bridle combos. Am trying him in a baucher , didn’t seem to make that much of a difference, was in a thicker 3 piece loose ring with a bean prior. Also he is going in a Micklem. Not sure if he hates the bridle also. He likes to carry his nose forward of vertical, (I’m not using the right terminology) and had spent a year as a hunter so likes to carry himself that way so this is a hard habit to break. However, you put him in draw reins and the problem is 80% cured. He knows what they are immediately. But they are a crutch and if he can work in them, he can carry himself.
Good.
He also can be a turd so you have to factor that in.
Horses are just the reflection of our training.
I am trying different bit and bridle combos. Am trying him in a baucher , didn’t seem to make that much of a difference, was in a thicker 3 piece loose ring with a bean prior. Also he is going in a Micklem. Not sure if he hates the bridle also.
Nice that you are thinking about his needs and likes.
Some horses are less stoic than others to ill fitted tack.
He likes to carry his nose forward of vertical, (I’m not using the right terminology) and had spent a year as a hunter so likes to carry himself that way so this is a hard habit to break.
I don’t know which level of eventing you are showing, but a « regular » steady hunter frame would get you higher in the scores than the tighter frame you are aiming to do.
However, you put him in draw reins and the problem is 80% cured. He knows what they are immediately. But they are a crutch and if he can work in them, he can carry himself.
The problem here is how you see the problem.
It’s not him, it’s you.
The crutch is yours.
You can fix 80% of the problem only because you have draw reins.
I’m sure he can carry himself, he does it, it’s you who don’t know how to ask and maintain without draw reins.
You need to learn how to ride your horse from back to front, how to get an elastic contact and how to properly use your rein aids.
Your trainer should be able to help you out.
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My mare finally has a bit, bridle, girth and saddle that she likes. I’m not changing anything for a long while. I can say each piece was very important. My gelding had a strong opinion on boots. He likes Majyk dressage boots - same set lasted 3 years. I cater. Both liked this bit.
Have you always ridden him in the Micklem? Mine really doesn’t like it. I have no idea why, but it’s pretty clear he doesn’t approve. He doesn’t have any issues in a regular cavesson, but my coach had a Micklem for sale and I wanted to try it just to see if he liked it. One more thing to try before spending lots of money on a bit.
It sounds like this is more of a training issue than a bit issue. I doubt putting him in draw reins really solves 80% of your issues, it just makes the front end more like the picture you have in your mind. His “frame” will come together through correct dressage training, not making him “give to the bit”. The hind end is literally the driver here, not the face. I’m not saying this to be mean, just to save you money running through tons of bits when that is likely not the issue.
Does he have behaviors that suggest he is actually objecting to the bit? Holding all else equal, what changes if you go from say, a double-jointed snaffle to a Myler Level 1 bit?
As to your original question - if the horse likes the bit, IMO, it’s worth the money. However, needs change with time. The Sprenger NovoContact helped my 5 year old understand contact after being started western before I bought her. But once she understood contact, that bit was too heavy and bulky, and she started to lean on it. Now she goes in a single-jointed curve mouth Korsteel eggbutt ($35, yay!). I really like these curved mouth Korsteel bits now and plan to use one on my filly when she is ready to start, and only branch out to the pricier bits if there seems to be a real reason to do so.
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Yes. When I take off the bridle, he spends a lot of time rubbing his face on the wall. His teeth were checked and floated a month ago. I will try a regular bridle vs the Micklem. He may simply hate the whole thing. Tried PS Sweden High Jump bridle with a Stuben Gold Wing snaffle. He really didn’t like that combo but I wonder if it was the bridle. https://www.centerlinestyle.com/ps-of-sweden-high-jump-bridle-brown/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIk6jlkqus3gIVTIezCh0P4wUpEAQYAyABEgIgjfD_BwE
Just looked at a stadium video and a cross country video with the previous owner. Both were in a Micklem. I don’t have a dressage video.
I bought one for my green 4 year old Arabian whom I plan on showing dressage. He loves it do far and feels so soft. It was hard to spend that much $ on a bit but well worth it.
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I personally have changed how I approach bitting. I would read details and buy what I felt would work, but after doing a bitting clinic, I sold a lot of bits and will keep a few very basic bits for any new horses, and before investing in $$$ bits, I’ll do a bitting clinic. It was incredible to watch every pair in the clinic immediately change as they tried bits!!! Way more efficient and spending $150 or whatever on a clinic and then buying one bit is smarter to me than buying a lot of different $150 bits that have mixed results… That said, I like the RS Dynamic bits, but recently moved both horses into Neue Scheule bits.
We’ve got several at my barn (TB and TB x now that I think of it) who clearly dislike the Micklem. But, you might not realize it unless you’d also ridden them in a regular cavesson bridle. It’s strange, because I just figured worst case I wouldn’t notice any difference if he didn’t care about the nerves not being touched anymore, but there was an obvious dislike. In my horse’s case, he was rushy, spooky and silly, and just lugged on me during the canter. Switch back to regular bridle, problems went away. I rode him twice in the Micklem to make sure it wasn’t just an off day and it was the same until I took it off. Similar feedback from a couple others in the barn.
I like this bit, and the mouthpiece was my horse’s favorite for a long while. Now, it’s not his favorite but he can deal, which he is having to do because I have him in a full cheek right now and full cheeks with similar mouth are not that easy to find. His head and teeth have changed a lot from baby 4 yo till now; in fact, just had to get him an oversized bridle and he’s gone up a couple bit sizes.
For now, he prefers the NS trans angled lozenge mouth which is very similar but obviously not quite the same. But the NS is hard to find in the full cheek (he has an eggbutt of that he likes), so here we are. It is my 3rd of this HS mouth bit that I have had for him–4th if you count the loose ring he grew out of that was replaced in a larger size. I have the loose ring in 14mm, full cheek in 16mm and pelham in 16mm.
He also occasionally likes a Myler, so that’s why I’ve been sticking with these more forward curved mouth designs for him.
I’d used the loose ring on a few others and have not had one really object yet, so I think it’s a good bit to have on hand.
He’s like that on cross country…I will try a regular bridle. And head tosses in dressage. Did not consider it may be the Micklem.
I can’t give you advice on this particular bit, but I think it’s great if you can try different bits before plunking that kind of money down. As others have said, some horses are just as happy in a $35 Korsteel bit or some other knock-off. Dressage Extensions has a “rent a bit program” that allow you to “try before you buy”. When you are considering these pricey bits, I think it’s well worth it to pay the money to rent one first. Also, I think if you decide to buy, you can apply the rental fee to the purchase price. Pick out a few that you want to try, including the HS that you are interested in and try several.
That being said, he may just be fussy in the contact and you will need to work with your trainer to learn how to keep him working from behind into your contact. Plus—he was off for an extended period so he may need to get stronger–that may take some time.
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What i have learnt about bitting is that i have no idea what my horses like.
mostly my horses choose something i didnt think would work, but tried on an off-chance.
Ive also found my bitting solutions change as the horses life experience grows. My current boy 12mo ago only responded to a myler. Then a few months ago he became very resistant in it, his training had refined him to a level where the myler had too much movement.
I go to the HS KK ultra as a general rule. Had no horses dislike it. I think they are worth the money.
My guy went into one after the myler and is steady, responsive and soft (was snatchy, wiggley, and mouthy in the myler in the end)
IME, horses snatch the reins forward when they’re uncomfortable from a saddle that’s not fitting properly, particularly under the tree points.
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