I’m interested to know what your thoughts & experiences on a Dr Bristol bit would be. How many use this bit & how do you feel performs for you.
Do you use only one type of bit on your horse? Or do you use one style for training and a different for show?
And what style & maker do you like best?
Robert
I know I’m getting frustrated and need to step back when I find myself thinking, “I’ll just get that Dr. Bristol!”
I have one. I have used it – for one horse – and the truth is I will never use it again. Even with light and tactful hands it has a lot of bite, and I feel it is coercive.
My favorite bit is a Baucher Waterford made by Dewsbury. My second favorite bit is a Baucher French link, also by Dewsbury. These are the two that I use to remouth unhappy-mouthed horses, and to lighten and restore confidence in horses that have become a little sour in the school.
I have several Myler Comfort Snaffles, and some horses go quite sweetly in them. I like fulmer cheeks for training, and some horses stay in them because they like the stability and communication of the cheeks. I prefer eggbutts to D rings.
Usually I show in what I train in, except for the Waterfords, because they are not dressage legal.
Sparrow loves her Glory bit for driving – can’t remember the make, but I bought it from Andy Marcoux. I also have a KK Ultra Correction loose ring – -- that’s a deceptively named bit: it’s soft and kind. Currently Talisman goes in that bit when we drive.
Fairy Luna was extremely bit phobic when she came. She was frantic to get the thing out of her mouth, desperate whenever it moved on her tongue. I studied her for a while and saw what seemed to please her with this bit and that. The composite picture was of a thin mullen mouthpiece with some tongue relief, made of sweet iron, with half spoons. Hunted around and found the Peewee Bit, which suited her well and got her past the worst of her bit angst. She still wears that bit while driving, but goes in a fulmer cheek Waterford under saddle.
Currently I’m experimenting with a Rotary jointed bit, and one of my horses is very happy in it.
How about you? What do you like? Why were you asking about the Dr. Bristol?
I’ve used one on different horses, including one that had to be herded around the track. He loved the Dr Bristol because it didn’t compress his fat tongue, and he would take enough hold you could rate him. One thing you have to remember, however, is the angle of the centre link is for a horse wearing a tighter overcheck, not for something with its head down - it is a racing bit originally, named after the horse it was created for.
I don’t have much experience with driving in different bits. I use French links but would not use a Bristol because of the way the center link bites into the tongue. But I’ve never had a horse who might require one.
Cookie has 2 riding bits she likes a lot. One is a Sprenger or Korsteel French Link D, and the other is this Myler Triple Barrel Mullen Mouth with D cheekpieces.
http://toklat.cust.firepoppy.com/img/48:09_g_mbits_mb323_sm.gif
This above Myler is also our current driving bit. It’s very gentle on the tongue, can’t crack the roof of her mouth, is flexible so she will mouth it, yet gets frim for whoas.
Yip
Here’s my reason for asking: I have used Dr Bristol’s & really like the bit. I can’t understand why so make people are against this one bit. The bit design is for the plate to rest flat on the tongue & use the tongue as a “sponge” untill contacts on the lower bars are made. What I have found over the years is people put the bit in upside-down & lay the plate at the wrong angle in the mouth.If put on upside down the narrow edge of the plate will make hard contact with the upper bars and cause you all sorts of problems.
I’m not sure how most of you feel about tongue pressure? But have you ever placed your finger flat on you tongue and felt how hard it is to cause pain. It takes quite alot & more than you would apply when driving ( I feel). I’ve always like the bit and feel it has gotten a bad rap. I don’t think tongue pressure is a bad thing! If you think of the tongue as a sponge that “floats” the mouth piece & softern the contact on the bars if used correctly and in good hands, as with any bit.
Robert
Now I have always heard just the opposite.
The French Link rests flat on the tongue and the Bristol’s thin side rests on the tongue making it more severe.
Otherwise, aren’t they the same bit? The difference is in how that center link lays. I can’t see how inserting it upside down would change the way it lays. My French link would still be flat in the center if I turn it upside down. I don’t think my FL Dee bit has a correct top and bottom side. It fits & works the same either way. But mine has a rounded front mouthpiece like the Mylers so that could make it different. I’ll check to be sure when I go out.
Are you positive it’s not a French Link you have there? They’re wonderful bits for horses who don’t need much.
Yip
Hmmm. I too wonder if we’re talking about the same bit. I went out and had a look at my Dr. Bristol. No matter how I look at it, the edge of the center link is going to be in contact before the flat face of the center link. I’m not sure how the center link would just lie flat on the tongue even with no engagement of the bit.
I’m not an engineer and I usually just tie myself in knots trying to work out the leverage and forces at work. It’s easier for me to go by the horse’s response. My horse told me that the Dr. Bristol is pretty sharp in action compared to the other bits I commonly use.
Edited to add: I certainly agree with you that the hands are the most important ingredient!
Robert I have used the sort of 1/2 Cheek Dr.Bristol bit that Cash Lovell makes, the square lays flat on the tongue, and I find it to be a milder bit than a single jointed snaffle. This is what I am talking about http://www.4showhorsetack.com/images/clsmoothsnafflebristol22-rd.jpg
I have seen Dr. Bristol bits made by other makes where the center plate is longer and set at an angle, like this http://www.equine-direct.co.uk/images/bits3.jpg never used one like that myself.
Aha … BITS… my favourite topic 
I posted quite a bit on my philosophy on mouthing and bitting here:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223453
I’ve personally never used a Dr Bristol on anything of my own or that I’ve trained. I never will do either.
But if I presume that the Dr Bristol type there is the same as here then for sure I’ve taken horses out of them and weaned owners off them and know what they are. It’s quite severe even in the most sympathetic and experienced hands.
You’re right in that it works on the tongue but it’s got a severe action because of the angled plate. That’s the main difference between it and say a french link. The Dr Bristol actually digs in to the tongue.
I’d agree totally that pressure on the tongue is infinitely preferable to similar action on the bars but personally I’m not convinced at all that pressing a finger on your tongue would be anything like what’s felt with the angled flat edge of the Dr Bristol when it bites into the tongue when it’s applied.
I’d suggest to feel what that’s like that you do what I often do with my heavy handed customers… Put the bridle head stall on your shoulder and the bit in your hand or on your arm and get someone to VERY GENTLY apply the rein pressure. Trust me it will hurt! Dr Bristols REALLY dig in! HARD!!! Even when used very carefully.
Do you use only one type of bit on your horse? Or do you use one style for training and a different for show?
I think I’ve only got about 6 horses that only have one bit.
I posted about that here:
http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4497476&highlight=bits#post4497476
I’m not hung up at all about makers. Just need to be decently engineered and manufactured. Good quality metal, nicely engineered joints. NO sharp edges or places to pinch and well fitted. Far and away the majority of the ones I have are stainless steel. But I’ve straight bar thick rubber mouth pieces which I use quite a bit on youngsters.
I hate “happy mouth” bits. Do you get them there??? Seems the oddest name in the world to me for a cheap crap plastic that goes to sharp edges as soon as it’s used. But great marketing though as it’s people you sell bits to, not horses!
Myler are very nicely made and excellent quality but wayyyyy overpriced and over complicated for me. Myler tends to have (recommend) 10 bits when 1 would do.
Driving bits are predominently all 2 slot Liverpool bits. Always used on first slot or smooth cheek. A lot are straight bar mouth ALWAYS with grooves down on the tongue. Sometimes mullen or port and occasionally rubber. I’ve a few go in Liverpool Hanovarians.
Riding bits are nearly all snaffle or kimblewick or pelham.
i go along with what you said thomas
i have mainly eggbutt snaffles or loose ring. d ring ring types pelhams and kimblewicks and a weymouth bit
my old horse arran like the fulmer snaffle and will say some that use them use them without keepers which is incorrect and doesnt do what its surpose to as its at an angle that or its upside down the amount of times i have seen that and had to alter it straight off , done that at shows to tend to just come out with and say your bits upside down did you know
and they wonder why horsey puts his tongue over and is advading them
this might help others apprecaite what types of bits do and how they work
see this link on my helfpul links pages has working diagrams of bits nosebands and other tack
http://www.sustainabledressage.com/tack/bridle.php#kineton
Check this thread; http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238602 particularly the Dr Bristol patent pictured in the link. You will discover that a genuine Dr Bristol does not have an angled plate.
[QUOTE=Equibrit;4590186]
Check this thread; particularly the Dr Bristol patent pictured in the link. You will discover that a genuine Dr Bristol does not have an angled plate.[/QUOTE]
That’s interesting. I wonder when and where the plate got angled?
Always something to learn from this forum!
Probably when it was copied in Europe.
Have used half cheek snaffles, full cheek snaffles, d-ring snaffles, half cheeck french link, butterfly with french link, kimberwick mullen mouth, but in the end–both of my horses go in a mullen mouth liverpoole 2 slot.
Because Arabs have low pallets, single jointed broken bits cause more problems like head tossing and avoidance. The french links are nice but not a lot of stopping power when my guys get strong. The mullen mouthpiece provides the tongue clearance my ponies need.
Thoughts on Dr Bristols
[QUOTE=Equibrit;4590860]
Thoughts on Dr Bristols[/QUOTE]
Do you use only one type of bit on your horse? Or do you use one style for training and a different for show?
And what style & maker do you like best?
Robert
quoting the OP, thank you very much!:lol:
Thank you for posting that Equibrit. The Dr Bristol is a very mis-understood bit, more so than any other bit I know. What I call the modern Dr Bristol is indeed a strong bit and a harsh bit is the wrong hands. I’m a great believer in teaching students different bit uses and drifferent rein handleing with different bits.
The main reason I was asking about a Dr Bristol was that I was giving a talk on bits & there history to a club and brought up that a Dr Bristol was made as a driving bit & that the modern Dr B’s are not as Mr Bristol had designed.
I tried to explain that the bit (today) is often placed in the mouth upside down. But most people in the crowd had the same kinds of thoughts against the bit as seen here.
Thanks for the feedback.
Robert
Hello, Robert. Do you know if he original Dr. (Mr.) Bristols are still available? And at what point was the design changed?
Happy New Year!
Hello Dale, Happy New year to you also & everone one on here!
There are some original bits floating around, I have a couple that I was given by a friend of Mr Bristol but none are being made the same way as of yet. Springer has one that is close, but untill you get into the western bit makers none are being made to the original design.
I have one of mine currently at a bit makers to copy it onto a different shank. When it comes back I’ll post some photo’s of it.
Robert.
I have a couple and just posted a pic on this thread; http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?t=238602
I last purchased one in about 1994 at Atlanta Saddlery. http://www.atlantasaddlery.com/ They are the only folks I know of that had them, so there may still be some about.
Apparently Dr J S Bristol was a harness racer and owned a horse called Dr B who raced at the Parkway Track in NY.
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