Talk to me about the Beval bit

[runNjump86]

I tried one in my jump lesson yesterday and LOVED how my horse went in it. He was soft, round, and, and listened to my half halts. I liked how I was able to stay super soft while getting him to sit on his butt. Unfortunately I was not able to take it home and try it out some more.

The only reason I didn’t buy one as soon as I got home is I’m not sure it will be enough on XC. Our jump lesson was fairly straightforward; working on bending and staying fluid through the grid, not changing anything last minute, etc. We were in a mid-size arena, so not really enough room for him to open up and get a little “wild” (he’s not wild, the arena sounded like it was going to fall down around us because of the 40mph winds and he didn’t care) but he can get a little amped up.

We are going Novice but I’m wanting to move up early in the year. How he typically goes on XC is “Wheeeeee!!!” with his head in the air, ears up, strong and forward. I’ve never felt out of control but I’ve had to have a couple “if you don’t pay attention I will rearrange your molars” conversations. However, he gets very offended and is opinionated about his bit, which is why I was so thrilled that he liked the Beval. We were going in a full cheek Waterford with a figure 8 and a martingale, but there are times I feel like I have to work REALLY hard to package him up. He gets strung out and on the forehand. A few weeks ago we were popping over a vertical on our own in his waterford/figure 8/martingale setup and he started sucking back behind my leg and getting very pissy whenever I touched his face. I have quiet hands so I wasn’t yanking or constantly pulling. He has made it clear that he no longer will tolerate the figure 8 (tried it on his dressage bridle). I haven’t played with the Waterford with a regular noseband, but I plan on doing canter sets next week and that should tell me a lot. His teeth were just done so that is not an issue.

For reference here are bits we have tried in the past: Slow twist full cheek & 2 ring elevator (too much bit), myler eggbutt (no brakes), loose ring Waterford (preferred the full cheek). His dressage bit is a double jointed Happy Mouth loose ring.

ETA - Is there really a difference between the $155 bit and the $25 bit??

[Foxtrot_s]

I usually stay away from giving advice to someone I don’t know or don’t know the horse. Think you need to borrow a bit for a longer trial period. X-country is about schooling.
It is about adjustability and half halts and not letting the horse tank on. Out in the open you need to go quietly until he is ready for outdoor exercise, i.e. trot canter sets on a slope with adjustability. Then add small jumps. Mine goes in a rubber bit, never pulls, and her extensive flatwork shows on her cross country. Cannot run before walk. If he tanks, come to a firm halt, three seconds or so to think, and move on quietly. He will know why he was pulled up.

[Lusoluv]

The “harshest” bit I’ve ever had to use with any of my horses has been the Beval, and obviously it’s not very harsh. It’s a half step above a plain snaffle and a step below a 2-ring elevator. It is much cheaper than a KK Universal and because you can put the bridle and reins in various places on the bit, you can make it a plain, loose ring, a Baucher or a mild elevator when it’s on connected by the loops. A very multi-dimensional bit for around $28 if you get a stainless steel one made by Centaur. Also comes in a Happy Mouth version. Really can’t go wrong with this bit. I have it in the French link version. My horse is doing Novice and 3rd level dressage, so don’t use my Beval any longer, but keep it on hand in my collection.

[soloudinhere]

I see no difference between the expensive one and the $28 one. I have one that was like $35 with the blue iron mouth from shires.

[Ceylon_Star]

I have a lozenge link beval/wilkie that I use for jumping on days that I just don’t have the dexterity to deal with double reins to use pony’s double bridle (our preferred setup for over fences)

I like it because it’s versatile, it gives a bit more warning than a dee ring or eggbutt with hooks does, it’s the mouthpiece he prefers (whereas I have yet to see a lozenge link hooked dee or eggbutt), and it gives me the lift I need on the landing side of fences in order to regain control (I can’t use my left leg due to nerve damage that has left me with limited feeling and strength in that leg, so closing my legs and sitting up just doesn’t work anymore; I need a little extra help)

I think that for us it will be a great cross country bit because he’s not strong in the approach to fences, he just gets excited on th landing and drops his head, and when the head drops, his entire neck disappears with it, and I have one stride to get it up or i’m likely to go down with it.

I have to make absolutely certain that I use it with a neckstrap (I ride with one 90% of the time, but I definitely need to use it with the beval every time I use it) because I don’t like the thought of accidentally bracing off of it. Anything with leverage or gag action I’m super careful to use the neck strap (not that I brace off my hands regularly, but if the bad leg gives out, I don’t want to punish my pony for my own shortcomings).

I personally wouldn’t use a running martingale with it, but I do use an irish martingale to stop my reins or neckstrap going off over his head if something were to happen. But that’s just my own personal preference.

[lidador]

I’ve been doing my stadium and xc in a beval (+lozenge, from Centaur) with a figure 8 at training level. When we’re fit, I can ride all of my stadium off the leg fine, but even then, he’s young and built downhill so he tends to run down onto the forehand coming off a jump. So I agree with Ceylon Star about it being good for this. It’s specifically why my trainer recommended it in the first place, in fact.

However, I think it was too much bit on the approach when I was unfit. I had a weird period last summer where I did too much straight dressage, and lost confidence over fences because I wasn’t practicing enough, so defaulted to using my hands more than I should have. He started sucking back and coming in too deep.

On xc, we had been awfully slow and didn’t worry so much about running downhill right after a jump, so I don’t think I needed it for novice, even though I had it. At our last two training level events, he started to “get” the running part of xc, and then it suddenly didn’t feel like enough bit to check him!

Not sure if competing this year will be in the cards for me, but I’ve been wondering if an elevator with 2 reins would be a good fit for us on xc at this point. I’d train to ride off the snaffle the whole time, but in case I really needed to get his attention in the moment, I’d have the option to do so. I’d continue to use the beval in stadium either way.

[runNjump86]

I’m glad Foxtrot’s horse can go in a rubber snaffle and never pull, but that’s not realistic for every single horse.

I’m definitely interested since he can get a little strong before jumps but can land and stay on his forehand right after a jump. I wish I had access to a bit bucket like I did in CA…alas, it seems I will be building my own bit collection. :lol: I figure worst case scenario it doesn’t work for us and I can either toss it in my tack trunk or sell it on ebay! Also, no, we haven’t been galloping around Novice like idiots, but the few stretches where he can canter forward he enjoys the hell out of it, and we have schooled Training and a few Prelim questions in the past plus done some “gallop” sets on a training track, so he knows what forward means. We have been working hard over the winter on adjustability on the flat but haven’t had many opportunities to jump, which is something I am going to start doing regularly.

[Highflyer]

It has not been enough bit for xc for most of the horses I’ve tried it on. My boss does have one with bigger cheeks that was much more effective, but I haven’t seen it for sale locally. My current horse blew through the Beval like it was a fat rubber snaffle the first time he got excited. I ended up with a Cartwheel gag, which works well. http://www.bitofbritain.com/v/vspfiles/photos/8011-3.jpg

[skipollo]

I use a double jointed Happy Mouth beval bit for stadium/XC. In any other situation, it’s way too much bit for my horse, but for shows he gets strong/excited. He doesn’t try to drag me, but after a jump he’ll want to get heavy on his front end and want to pull down and play a little bit. The beval makes it really easy to just squeeze the reins a bit and he lifts his front end back up and carries on business as usual.

I got the HM version from England for about $50 including shipping (shipping cost more than the actual bit.) If you’re looking for a basic beval bit, there’s no reason to spend $155.

https://scontent.fagc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13339525_10209830924909006_3503995253902548231_n.jpg?oh=cf7795006ca07a11daad1aecfe880776&oe=592B75D2

^^^here’s my setup for stadium/XC. Figure 8 (not super tight) with the beval. It’s just enough lift so he doesn’t haul downward without overwhelming him. He’s nice, soft, and malleable even out on XC.

[SonnysMom]

I use one for Finnegan for jumping and xc. For foxhunting I normally use a Myler Combo bit or a 3 ring elevator with 2 reins. He can now hunt in the Beval. I use one that is the French snaffle that was about $30 and it does fun. My guy tends to land and put his nose at his ankles and play after the jump. This is just enough to keep him balanced. I am currently using it with a flash but will likely switch to a Figure *.
It is a useful bit to have in the bit box.
I friend borrowed mine for her greenish mare and she liked it enough to buy one of her own. The mare is big and long and the rider is tiny. The mare sometimes needs a little brakes to keep her from rushing and to balance up and not get too low.

[Heinz_57]

If he’s sucking back already, I don’t know that I would up the leverage in his mouth. I mean it won’t hurt to try it for a ride or two, but I’d probably try adding a kineton or a lever noseband before going to a completely different bit. Are you using a figure 8 because he’s crossing his jaw?

[runNjump86]

I know that I will need leverage on XC. I was using the Figure 8 because I had one, he went decently in it, and it added a bit more brakes. This was a set up we created when he was green, so a few years ago. He’s much more broke now, just really enjoys his job. He made it crystal clear that the Figure 8 was causing him to suck back. I tried using his dressage happy mouth with the figure 8 and he wasn’t having it. Once I switched back to the crank noseband (I always leave minimum 2 fingers space) he was happy and forward again.

If he hadn’t been so lovely in the Beval during our lesson I wouldn’t even consider trying a whole new bit, but he really liked it, and like SonnysMom said, it seems to be a handy bit to have in the box. I’ve only seen one used once before, on my old trainer’s Intermediate horse who was game but would root down. I like how mild the gag action is, and how I can play around with the rein/headstall configuration. It seems like it would be a fabulous trail riding bit!