What bit do you prefer?

[Auventera_Two]

I don’t think bitless is about “control” so much as communication and training. I think a lot of horses go better in a bitless setup than they do bitted, but certainly not all. My goal is always to be bitless, but ocassionally my young Arab mare needs a bit for a little tuneup, or when she’s not comfortable in the Little S.

My stallion is going in a Myler level 1 snaffle and will probably stay there. I’d love to ride him bitless but if anything ever “did” happen on trails, I’d be nailed to the tree if he didn’t have a bit in his mouth. Gotta cover my arse, you know.

I have high hopes for the Micklem, it seems to be working great so far.

[katarine]

Chip is broke to death when he wants to be. When he’s overly stressed, he chews the bit to distraction, dives to the ground, just sucks his thumb incessantly. I have less precise control in his Little S hack, but I can ask him to whoa/turn/slow with my body, and more easily get his attention on his head in the hack, when in a bit, he’d be a PITA to fool with.

we’ll show in his full cheek, we’ll navigate 100+ other TWHs on a cool Fall Day, out in the open flat land, in the hack. It’s the best thing I can offer him.

[tpup]

French link or single jointed snaffle.

[Mtn_trails]

The mustang goes in a Mylar comfort snaffle and the older gelding goes in a Mylar curb with swivel shanks and a comfort broken mouth. I’ve tried tons of bits on the gelding and this one is the one he decided he liked the best. I even bought one of those Mikmar bits and he absolutely hated it. Once I got it on him he went like a dream but he went from my lower his head easy to bridle horse to head in the air, teeth clamped shut impossible to bridle horse. I couldn’t do it to him any longer if he hated it that much and sold it and went with the Mylar which he loves.

[starkissed]

My horses go in regular snaffles. I like the 3 piece (such as french link) but my younger horse goes in a rubber D snaffle.

A lot of times I just go out in my rope halter, it’s easier, no tack to clean, can get wet. etc.

I would love to get a sidepull cavesson to put on an english bridle. I like letting my horses eat grass and such and honestly they don’t need a bit most of the time.

[LuvMyNSH]

I ride in whatever that horse needs that day. :lol:

Usually either a KK ultra B-ring for the ones I want to go into contact or a plain single-jointed myler for the western ones I want backed off the bridle.

The broke ones each have a curb they like.

If I’m just kicking around and only need stop/go control, I have a couple hacks. A myler one and a little s with flat leather nose. I just hate the loss of finesse in a hack.

I’m not married to any one bit - no, “My horses have to all go in _______ (snaffles, bitless, whatever)”

It either works or it doesn’t, and sometimes they surprise you with what they like. The paint that was super touchy about her face was happiest in a big correction. Go figure!

[Painted_Horse]

Depends on the horse.
The most robust horse I own hates bits. So I’ve always used a Little S hackamore. He does great with. My mares do well in full check snaffles and my other gelding a walking horse bit that is broken with a roller in the middle. I also use a standard grazing bit and sometimes a correctional bit with a 2" port.

I’ve got lite hands and rarely have to pull very hard on any of the bits. it’s more a matter of what the horses are comfortable in.

[Guilherme]

My mare is 15 and we’ve come to the agreement that a Myler Pelham with Comfort Mouthpiece is what we’ll use.

She can get “strong” on the trail and I often ride in four reins to ensure that I can “communicate” with her when her brain fills with “go-go-go” thoughts.

Even when she gets “forward” she does not run away, buck, rear, or show other vices. She just gets a bad case of “getthereitis.” Or “gethomeitis” as the case may be.

G.

[matryoshka]

My favorite quote about a runaway horse is from Going Postal by Richard Pratchett.

“The horse wanted to take a bite out of the horizon.”

(or something along those lines–I loaned the book out so can’t check it). G’s talk of gethereitis made me think of it.

[katarine]

I nearly got yard darted by a WP mare we tried in a copper mullen mouth shanked bit. Bad wreck ensued. Got her stopped,and in CSI’ing the situation, found her tongue was nearly severed where the bit rests. Bad training somewhere, likely left her snugged back, bitted, and nearly killed her tongue. OHHHHH, so THAT is why they ride her in a super high ported whoa-maker type mouthpiece. She was good as gold in a bit that avoided her damaged tongue.

[Lori]

[QUOTE=katarine;4412337]
I nearly got yard darted by a WP mare we tried in a copper mullen mouth shanked bit. Bad wreck ensued. Got her stopped,and in CSI’ing the situation, found her tongue was nearly severed where the bit rests. Bad training somewhere, likely left her snugged back, bitted, and nearly killed her tongue. OHHHHH, so THAT is why they ride her in a super high ported whoa-maker type mouthpiece. She was good as gold in a bit that avoided her damaged tongue.[/QUOTE]

My POA has a nasty scar across his tongue that must be from something like this happening in his past, too. It looks like it was nearly severed.
He goes in a full cheek myler snaffle with a barrel and copper roller in the center.
When I first got him, he rode very stiff in the head and neck like he was forced into a frame of some sort. After a few months of forgiving, soft hands, he relaxed and began to reach for the bit more.