Can anyone give me some feedback on the turtle top bits? Are they really different, or just the latest fad?
I have a horse with a bad parrot mouth and a funky palate due to lack of care in his younger life on the track. I got him when he stopped racing around 9. He is much happier with the turtle top bit as opposed to theāregularā bits
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It does have a much different mechanism than a standard double jointed. I personally have not met a horse crazy about it, but it is certainly unique.
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I tried about 20 bits on my young hunter over the past 18 months. He has a bit of a dead mouth and can get heavy. But he doesnāt pull or get strong. Just hard to put together as heās very big and he doesnāt want to work very hard to go correctly.
Lazy as they come and Iām not a very strong amateur.
The turtle top is the bit he goes best in and thatās his āAt homeā bit now. Jumping and flatting.
I love it.
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I have several that go noticeably better in them. Especially my one mare who had her tongue severed nearly off a few years back. One of my
go tos now.
I did a bit fitting clinic with my young horse and it was the winner. He tends to get short and curly in the neck, and the Turtle Top helped with that a little. To be honest, the difference was so minor that I havenāt bought one yet (though I check eBay and FB marketplace occasionally). I recently started him in the double and he feels amazing in the single-jointed bradoon that was left over from my old GP horse, so maybe he actually has simpler tastes.
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I had to laugh, just because it reminded me of a friend of mine who had a tough horse in the barn some years back.
He eventually tried every single bit that was on the property on that horse, including a couple that had been hanging on the wall of the lounge for years strictly as decorations.
I think the final number of bits he tried on that horse was something like 88. Lol.
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I just donāt know if it is something worth trying or notā¦ Mare is QH, tends to drop on forehand & get strong. Sometimes will root. Goes well in a Pletcher, but thatās not something I want to use all the time (plus is not legal for AQHA shows). Right now mostly just use in lessons, so once a week or so. Have a snaffle with a cricket & very slightly squared mouth piece parts that is what I use for day to day.
It is our favorite bit.
Young horses getting started may like a mullen mouth, and the turtle top feels similar if they have good contact with the bit.
For my gelding with the sensitive mouth (he had evidence of mouth ulcers when we bought him) he really likes it. This is a horse who will ācurlā, get behind the bit, so it encouraged him to reach out.
I will say a different horse of mine preferred the single jointed snaffle, so I would say it is up to the individual horse
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My older jumper goes in one and loves it- he likes to be heavy on the forehand, lock his jaw, and not work over his back (he the laziest jumper possible), and the NS Turtle Tactio 2-ring is perfect for him. I used to ride him in just a loose ring turtle but he would still stiffen his neck, so we tried the 2-ring. Itās great. He is soft and likes to move it around in his mouth (he only does that with bits he likes) and is very willing to be legged up into the bridle.
My younger jumper HATES the turtle bits. I tried the loose ring Turtle Tactio on him, a few different times just to check, and he was very angry about it each time. He prefers a fat HS French link loose ring. He has a much shorter neck than my other boy and will make it into an unforgiving, hard triangle and just brace if he doesnāt like the bit.
The rest of my barn events and the turtle bits are very popular with several of the mid-level and UL horses.
What is this bit? Just curious. I googled and too many things came up to make sense out of it.
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Gotcha. I can see why itās not allowed.
Really? Why?
It doesnāt look very severe.
Look how thin the mouthpiece is in one of its dimensions. Thatās severe.
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Hmm. I guess I thought it was more rounded at first glance.
Chain links in the center & it is too thin. Needs to be 5/16, it is only 4/16
