I’m leasing a 15 year old TB with option to buy. She was a school/lesson horse. She currently goes in a snaffle but pulls and gapes, essentially running through your hands when she jumps. She is a cribber so her teeth are misaligned.
I’m thinking of a Myler bit, specifically a Level 2 MB04. Low port, comfort snaffle. Any experience with Myler bits in general (not necessarily that specific model)? They are pricey, and I found old threads on renting Mylers but nothing recent.
[QUOTE=peedin;8980072]
I’m leasing a 15 year old TB with option to buy. She was a school/lesson horse. She currently goes in a snaffle but pulls and gapes, essentially running through your hands when she jumps. She is a cribber so her teeth are misaligned.
I’m thinking of a Myler bit, specifically a Level 2 MB04. Low port, comfort snaffle. Any experience with Myler bits in general (not necessarily that specific model)? They are pricey, and I found old threads on renting Mylers but nothing recent.[/QUOTE]
In my experience, horses either really like them or don’t care at all. In general I have only found them to make a difference in about 1 out of 10 times. The big question is what type of mouth she has. If she has a malocclusion, she needs it fitted to her bottom jaw. Being a TB, chances are she has a very thin skin and sensitive tongue. Double joints, slightly wider, curves all seem to help those mouth types.
No matter what, nothing will replace good, soft sensitive, responsive and consistent hands. Good luck with her.
My OTTB did the same thing, pulling down, with all his weight in my hand. He LOVES the Myler D Comfort Snaffle with hooks. I recently added a curb chain and this seems to be a dream bit for him!
It’s much easier to communicate correct, forward riding when he isn’t bracing on my hands and is MUCH happier in the mouth. This bit fits the contours of his mouth loads better than any 2 or 3 piece snaffle or many of the other bits I’ve tried. This is the first bit my horse graciously accepted and did NOT grind his teeth against constantly. I LOVE IT!
I PM’ed you.
I have one that LOVED it for ever but moved away from it. I haven’t had it in since he decided that he didn’t like it (my horse is ever deciding that he doesn’t like bits that he was in love with previously).
Had the same problem of pulling through my hands with my horse (he is young so this came as a stage) and this bit really helped while being super soft.
My go-to bits are Myler bits. I end up riding most of mine in my MB43LP with hooks (D-ring, low port). I’ve had the occasional horse where I preferred a double jointed snaffle of some sort (usually the horses that get uber-reactive with anything more than a snaffle). But most of mine have preferred the shape of the Myler bits to my double jointed and single jointed snaffles.
My High AO/GP horse (an OTTB) now shows in the MB43LP bit with a curb chain. Took a while to get to that point - I showed him in a slow twist gag for many years to help with his desired 42 foot stride out in the big fields. But once he became a bit less green I moved to the Myler and I’m really happy with it as both his schooling bit at home (no curb chain) and in the show ring (with curb chain).
The young horse I sold this year was one who wanted to pull and build. I rode him in one show with a double jointed snaffle and got off with dead arms after each round. The next show I moved him to my Myler (with the reins not on the hooks) and he still pulled my arms out. I stuck the reins on the hooks halfway through the week and holy moly, I suddenly had a soft and light horse who I could almost float the reins on the whole time I was riding him. Something about the mild poll action made him pay attention - and it wasn’t a “yikes that hurts!” type reaction. He just seemed to understand the multiple action points better than a bit that worked only on his mouth. With the reins on the hooks he got round and light and responsive - I called it my miracle bit! I suspect a pelham would have garnered a similar response.
You can often find them significantly cheaper on eBay and FB groups.
I have that model, and my horse with a bit of an overbite liked it. He used to bare down on the bit, and he was much softer in that one. I think he liked the tongue relief from the low port. It doesn’t fit him anymore, and it was only used a few times because the D rings would rub his face in the hot, sweaty months. I emailed with Mr. Myler about that and concluded the Ds were just too big when the mouth fit. And now the mouth doesn’t fit. I’d be willing to sell if you want to PM me.
My previous horse hated the Myler bit that I tried. She went back behind the bit, and didn’t want to have anything to do with contact.
If you’re currently using a single-jointed snaffle you should know that horses sometimes react to being poked in the roof of their mouths by the bit when pressure/contact is taken up. One way that they react is to pull hard down on the bit because it changes the angle of the joint.
So if that’s what’s going on, you might have better luck with the softest bit possible: something like a Nathe or Duo soft plastic mullen snaffle.
Good luck.
I use this exact bit on my appendix (well 7/8 or more tb) gelding that likes to get heavy on the front end. He doesn’t pull exactly, but just lays there and tries to get downhill. I use this bit on him on those day, and usually the first day of a show. But I have the one with hooks and a chain. After that first day and I get him backed off a bit I either go to my corkscrew or to my Dr Bristol. He has a small parrot mouth and it seems to fit inside his mouth nicely.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
