Bits tried and failed: Myler Comfort snaffle, Myler french link, Baucher french link, KK loose ring snaffle, Neue Schule training bit…he now seems happiest in a cheap thinner, loose ring snaffle!
That is the truth! At least Myler has a rental program!
But i never throw away any bit. the next horse might love it. They also progress and move out of bits. it makes you crazy!!!
Right now i own every bit known to man so I am ready for whatever comes my way
JLR1 those are ALL snaffles. Try a ported bit. your horse is telling you tongue pressure sucks. Or try a hack or a Myler combo!!!
This is a point worth pondering. My little mare isn’t totally comfortable in the hackamore, either, so I’m wondering if the teeth/face conformation is bothering her.
But I have not tried her in a ported bit. I’d love to borrow one. The bit search gets expensive. Right now somebody else is riding her and conditioning her for distance competition this spring. Unfortunately, while the mare is sound, I am not sound enough for all the mileage required to condition for distance riding at this time. I finally have a horse with the potential for a sport I love, yet I’m not up to it. Bummer. But, I still want the mare to be successful with another rider. Maybe I should try a ported bit and just see how she goes.
In the past I have used a double jointed snaffle with oval mouthpiece and the Myler Comfort Snaffle (MB02). My mare liked the Myler but when I purchased it it was legal unfortunately it is not so now (it is 1 millimeter too narrow for EC Rules).
I am currently using a KY Rotary Bit and in particular a double jointed eggbutt bradoon.
I do prefer to use an eggbutt bit over a loose ring in general. My mare has fleshy lips and some loose ring bits pinch her. She can be a little stronger in the canter in the eggbutt but overall I find that she is much more confident and adjustable. It is easier for me to work on lateral movements and/or affect one shoulder at a time. I am in love with rotary type bits.
To rent bits try your tack shop. Myler does have a rental program which takes the sting out of bit purchases. Not every store does it, the ones in my area do and it was a big help. Myler bits curve forward much more than other bits, they follow the natural curve of a horses mouth so it is not just marketing bull, they ARE different. My tack shop charged 4 a day to try a bit. Well worth it as I have spent hundreds on bits that don’t work over the years. :no:
Or borrow bits and try them, you can tell right away what your horse thinks!
With that said, I still think every horse is an individual. Every horse I own rides best in a completely different bit. But all of them go best in a port or mullen bit, NOT a snaffle type.
howardh…I have only used snaffles on this horse and he doesn’t seem to appreciate them. Perhaps I will borrow a port before I spend half a paycheck on a Myler 
and I’d like to put some more miles on this horse before he goes bitless.
PRS-thanks for the financial encouragement lol
Good luck! If your horse is sensitive try a port that has smooth sides vs the sharper edged correction types. Also, try to find a port that curves forward a bit instead of being straighter. The straighter the bit, the harder it goes down on the bars.
The higher and wider the port the more you free up the tongue. You may not want to give total freedom if your horse is hot or not that broke!
You don’t have to spend a fortune. I just have had really good luck with Mylers, but I have had $30 bits work well too, the trick is finding what your horse likes. I almost think we should all do bit parties where we swap out bits to help each other out! Much more fun than Tupperwear or Slipsada jewelry!:D:D
An important thing I haven’t heard mentioned is bit size. You want to make sure you are using a bit that fits your horse’s mouth. A ‘typical’ bit is 5" but many arabs’ mouths are smaller than that. My two Arab geldings have 4-3/4" and 4-1/2 mouths while my half arab 13hh pony has an amazingly tiny 4" mouth.
minuspride - no, no adjustment issues at all. Poor baby had been in a different bit every month for a while so he was getting used to us screwing around with him. We got the Myler “on trial” from some website with the try it free for 15 days or something like that. The first day we rode him in it we knew we would purchase. Instead of fighting the bit and raising his head/hollowing his back he started relaxing and coming down, accepting the bridle, etc. He went from looking like a wild untamed pony to an actual dressage pony.
I forgot to add that we trail ride in a hackamore. He is FAR happier with the hackamore and having nothing in his mouth at all (wouldn’t you?) but alas, not allowed in dressage.
I’ve been having bitting issues myself.
Tried a plain french link snaffle-he hated it.
Tried a Myler comfort snaffle-he REALLY hated it.
Tried a thinner snaffle-nope
Tried a thicker one-nope, not that one either
Tried a mullen mouth-nope
Tried a kimberwick-I got off really fast on that one, off a spinning, pissed off horse.
Finally decided there had to be pain somewhere, and pulled the bit all together and rode in a rope halter for six months.
I have recently re-introduces a plain french link snaffle, which was the least offensive to him. We were on ride 2 with that before Snowmageddon hit, but it was encouraging. There was a bit of fussing, but no fighting, and he seemed to forget about it after a few minutes.
I am barely using my reins, thank goodness I seem to have installed some good leg and voice cues. I’m hoping with some time, I’ll be able to use my reins. It’s hard to ride endurance without them…
I love having all these options! This was exactly what I wanted from my post!
howardh-LOVING the idea of a bit party If you ever do it count me in lol
Thank you for the advice on the port…I will definitely take it to heart.
oldpony- MUST find myler “trial” website…off to spend my work hours scanning the internet for one
Arrowsendure- whew, maybe you want in on howardh’s bit party seems like you would have a lot to offer the bit “library” haha. I haven’t looked into the french…but I’m sure one of my friends have one. I’ll have to borrow!
Thank you for all your options/opinions!!
After trying a bunch of options, I went in a completely different direction that has worked out really well for my Arab.
I found that he generally hates jointed bits. He also hates poll pressure and nose pressure, go figure, so hackamores have been generally unsuccessful too. I was trying a happy mouth mullen, which worked pretty well, but of course he chewed right through it. The bit that I finally ended up with is the Pee Wee bit. http://www.peeweebit.com/. I know that there have been contentious discussions on COTH before about this bit, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt or not, as you prefer All I can say is that it’s working for my horse.
Basically, it’s a very thin, curved sweet iron mullen with loose rings. It has 3 configurations from snaffle to curb, but I only use the snaffle configuration. When you use the reins, the mouthpiece rotates up slightly to avoid putting pressure on the tongue and bars. It does not seem to be curved enough to hit the roof of the mouth. So although the thinness of the bit makes it look severe, it’s actually really mild in the snaffle configuration. However, if you need brakes, there are external bars that lay against the horse’s lower jaw. So I can use one rein or the other to turn his head slightly using the indirect pressure on the opposite side of the jaw, which seems to be really effective at breaking up the resistance in his head and neck and allowing me to use my seat and legs to slow him down. It’s kind of hard to explain, but the videos on the website do it better.
I worked at a hack barn that used approximately 20 arabian horses- mostly geldings as hack horses. The barn was associated with a hotel resort that did a lot of advertising in NYC. Lots of beginners. Only one arabian went in a bit. The rest went in a mechanical hackmore with very short shanks.
No beginners hanging on the horses mouth, no horsey get annoyed by having his mouth jerked on but there were still brakes so safe for beginners.
We could go out with a group of advanced beginners, gallop across a field and safely stop before the road at the end of the field.
Many of these horses can straight from New Holland Sale and straight into a hackmore. A guide would put a weeks worth (or less) of rides on the horse to make sure they were safe and onto the hack line they would go.
In the 6 months I was there we had 1 fall- that was a guide on a green 3 year old arab that was not part of the hack line and I had one arab hed back to the barn twice with a 10 year old. Go figure that was the best tip of the season as mom said her child had sooooo… much fun running.
Before I started at that hack barn I had an ex-endurance arab. I used to stop him by running into pine trees. I had all kinds of suggestions on what to use- pelham, tom thumb, running martingale etc… I got run away with & dumped more times than I care to admit.
Put him in a mechanical hackmore and I could put advanced beginners on him out cross country and he would stop and was a much happier horse.
Regretfully that solution won’t work for my new arab X. I plan on doing some dressage and eventing with him in addition to trail rides.
Arrows,
Most of the bits you tried worked off the tongue. The mullen was the only different shape, but what happens with a mullen is that when you pick up the whole bit rolls down over the entire tongue. It is only “off” the tongue when you leave it alone or have really light pressure. It sounds like your horse hates tongue pressure. I hate to say it again but try a port. The kimberwick is a cheekpiece, what matters is what is inside the mouth of the horse so if it is a kimberwick with a snaffle jointed middle mouthpiece, nothing gained. Per Mullen mouthpieces, my arabs all hated mullens too! I don’t know why, many horses go great in them, but not one of my arabs ever liked them.
AND FORGIVE ME FOR BEING BOSSY I just am so adamant about bits from personal experience. Only listen to your horse! Not your friend or your farrier or your trainer who demands you ride in a certain bit. BULL. Once the bit is inside the mouth no one can tell what it is anyway, except sadly for dressage riders who’s horses are so well trained that it is a crime they are forced to ride in jointed bits. JMO
PORTS ARE NOT EVIL. They free up the horse. They rotate DOWN off the sides of the tongue. A horse needs its tongue to swallow. Imagine your tongue being pinned down while you try to jog! That is what we do with tongue bits. Try jogging with your finger pressing down on your tongue. I know a ported bit is a huge brain swap as we are trained to think a snaffle is gentle but give it a try. My arabs have thanked me.
And Big horse little horse, I don’t own a peewee yet! I guess i better get one since I own every other bit! HA. Glad it works. I never care what anyone says, if it works it works! It looks like a mullen but I can’t figure out the sides without using it! Woo hoo a new bit!
There are many ported bits. Can you give some specific makes and models or links to ones that you’ve tried and liked? Thanks.
[QUOTE=howardh;4681674]
And Big horse little horse, I don’t own a peewee yet! I guess i better get one since I own every other bit! HA. Glad it works. I never care what anyone says, if it works it works! It looks like a mullen but I can’t figure out the sides without using it! Woo hoo a new bit![/QUOTE]
The external side bars use indirect pressure on the lower jaw to turn the horse’s head. So if you use the LEFT rein, instead of pressure on the bars, tongue, etc., the bit slides slightly through the horse’s mouth until the RIGHT side bar comes into contact with the horse’s lower jaw. So it’s a pushing action instead of a pulling action, which is much more comfortable and creates much less resistance from the horse. You can sort of see it yourself by putting your fingers on your own jaw and PUSHING to turn your head, as opposed to putting your finger at the corner of your mouth and PULLING to turn your head.
And what you were saying about mullens putting pressure on the horse’s tongue is completely avoided in the PeeWee bit. When you have rein contact, the mouthpiece rotates up in the horse’s mouth to keep it from putting pressure on the tongue.
Rack On
I have gotten good success with the myler 04 for a step up for a young horse, (all Mylers are vailable in different cheek pieces so you can ride in a shank or an eggbutt etc)…
For my really broke horses the 33 mouthpiece is great. I am not good at doing links but I have used the Myler combo bit in an 04 mouthpiece for really pushy horses and the 48 and 25 port.
These are all Mylers.
For the others I don’t know the brands, sorry, but one is a straight bar and the others are just just look like they curve upward.
I think I have a few Reinsmen. I guess my favorites are the Mylers as my horses have gone the best in them. The combo bit was a lifesaver on the trails with a hot horse that had learned to put his head up in the air…
Well, I’m willing to try out anything. I hate it when the poor guy fusses while I’m riding.
Anyone around Rising Sun, MD have a 4 1/2 inch or 4 3/4 inch ported bit I can test ride??? I can supply a few different bits for test riding in exchange. I think I still have the Myler comfort snaffle, the french link, and a couple others. I’d have to go dig in my tack box.
Of course, it may have to wait until my poor horse can walk outside of the plowed path from the barn to his pasture. We had to plow him paths in the pasture. 14.2 hand horses with three feet of snow have issues. Especially since we just moved here from Florida, and he’s never seen snow before this year. Poor guy has been threatening to walk home…
My arab mare will not tolerate poll pressure (Cooks bitless) or nosebands, or the metal of a hackamore.
She goes beautifully (endurance/ hacking) in a Myler Level 2 MB04. This mouthpiece has a low port. It has 5" shanks. She has learnt that if she maintains pace/gait there will be no contact on the tongue or bars.
My gelding frets dreadfully with anything in his mouth, he froths and lolls his tongue so he has an english hackamore and is completely happy with that.
