Is anyone familiar with this bit? I only have a side view, no mouth piece to go off of. I’ve seen it on a few horses and curious as to what it is, and what it does. No particular need besides an inquiring mind :)) TIA! picture attached
Definitely a Pletcher bit. They are crazy popular and I see them on horses everywhere.
Besides being extremely expensive for a bit, what makes them special?
They somehow magically work on horses with both soft and hard mouths. You can gallop around a course and then just give a quick half halt to get a response that might mean the difference between a perfect distance or an ugly one. They’re definitely not best for uneducated hands, but for those looking to finesse a hunter ride and make it look effortless, it’s a great bit.
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Good lord, look how thin that sucker’s profile is. No wonder it works on hard mouthed horses.
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They’re incredibly harsh while looking on the outside like a simple snaffle.
The Pletcher bit is for when your hunter isn’t even remotely broke but you need it appear “pleasant” to ride in the hunter ring.
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$470.00. That’s incredible.
I thought the same thing. Nearly $500 for a bit? It should come with a trainer for that price! :lol:
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I don’t think it’s “magic” I think it’s pain. That is an extremely thin bit which is going to exert an enormous amount of pressure on a tiny area of the bars.
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Flame suit on. For me personally, this is an unconventional bit and appears to be incredibly inhumane. This just makes me shake my head. 
I think the $500 would be better spent purchasing lessons and learning how to ride properly…or taking the time to get your hunter broke.
And hunter riders wonder why other disciplines mock our sport. 
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Anybody else think the center “figure 8” links could pinch the tongue in certain circumstances? Youch!
I just shake my head at some of these “custom” or “designer” bits that are all the rage. Just, why?
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God forbid someone actually learns to use their aids to balance a horse’s canter without needing a piece of fat wire in the horse’s mouth. Yuck.
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They look like a couple chain links, which isn’t necessarily bad. In a large way, the chain mouthpieces in the western world work a lot like a waterford. Not something you’d want to ride in every day, but serve a purpose at times.
That said, the profile shot of this bit looks like a razor blade. I’ve never seen something look so benign from one view, yet have the ability to be so severe from the other. Reminds me of those “piano wire” twisted wire tune-up bits I’ve seen in the (thankfully) distant past. Yikes.
.Be surprised how few riders in other disciples know little or nothing about the latest celebrity endorsed or designed majikal bits in Hunters. They are too busy buying the same thing in their own dicipine’s version with current celbrity du jour endorsement or design credit. It’s the same old same old regardless of the saddle and clothes.
Need to actually see this bit to pass judgement. Might suit some horses in some situations in the hands of a competent rider and it’s legal. Hunters don’t drop bridles. Often wonder about the level of involvement celebrity endorsers actually have in all these products their name is on. Got a friend who does barrels and she has a BNBR bridle, known Reiners with BNR bits and Im sure there’s celebrity endorsed Dressage and Eventing products out there too. Fir sure SP has celebrities endorsing their supplements who really don’t have a clue.
Anyway, nobody really cares outside their own disciplines and most know not to throw stones from their glass house.
Sure is a lot of hate and judgement being thrown around here, from what I suspect are people who have never had first hand experience with the bit.
I have seen plenty in person and personally know many horses that got in them very well. It is NOT a razor blade. Thinner then a lot of bits? Yes. But the edges are rounded and smooth. While not for uneducated hands, I don’t see them as being way more severe then a thin twisted wire for example. Horses I have witnessed going in them know their jobs quite well and don’t need much hand at all. Keep in mind that the majority of hunter riders don’t strap their horses mouths closed so the horse can make it evident if they feel the pressure if too rough.
This feels like a lot of “drama” compared to the set-ups seen in many other disciplines. Just my 2 cents though.
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Coming from someone who only uses a Nathe or Trust…
Even George Morris says a twisted wire snaffle is acceptable – but he demands light hand and a horse trained on the flat.
Personally, never seen the bit in question.
It’s great for one that leans. I wouldn’t put it on a horse for a beginner, but for a good top level hunter rider it’s a nice option to have in your tool box. Not sure if Peter developed it, but he definitely loves the bit and uses it on several horses that I’ve seen. Someone please go tell him that he would have been better served taking lessons and learning to ride. :lol:
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That’s nothing new though. Those bike chain bits have been used for decades but they aren’t 500$.
Is it just because it’s the new ‘in’ bit?
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I don’t know that hate and judgment is a reasonable characterization of the comments here. You’re right that I haven’t had firsthand experience with the bit, but I am an educated rider and horseperson and also… this is a message board designed to share ideas and opinions.
It’s also not actually very difficult to draw reasonable conclusions about the action of a bit by looking at it. This is a very thin bit - and the little cut outs in the mouth piece have the effect of making it even thinner. Each edge of the cutout extremely thin and would exert a great deal of pressure on the bars. Beyond that, it would have similar action to most 3-piece Dee ring snaffles. The attachment of the mouthpiece to the rings looks like there’s a lot of potential to pinch, and the configuration of the link in the centre also looks like it could pinch quite a bit - but again, overall the snaffle action is going to be just like a regular 3 piece/double jointed snaffle.
In particular, I was responding to the notion that these are “magic” and let the rider all of a sudden give an effective half halt. An effective and well ridden half halt comes primarily from the seat. If one has a horse who typically runs through half halts all of a sudden back way off because this bit has been put in its mouth - the effectiveness of one’s half halts has not improved - the harshness of the bit has increased. Looking at this particular bit, I’m not surprised that a horse would back off if a sharp aid was applied. That would hurt, plain and simple.
I’m not judging anyone, let alone hating anybody for asking about this bit, or even using it. But my opinion above still stands - a bit isn’t a replacement for a well schooled half halt.
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