Never had any problems with bits with my girls. One Legion of Supreme Merit and two Legion of Honors. Four National Champions. I think they should be fitted as individuals and not as “Arabs.”
I could not agree more! Bitting has nothing to do with breed, it is all about the individual animal. Add to that the rider’s hands.
That is why I get so frustrated when people ride in a bit because someone told them to use that bit! If the horse hates it and goes like crap, what is the point?
What works on your horse may not work on others. I have 4 arabs, and four additional different breeds. ALL go best in a completely different bit.
You will know when you hit the right bit, it is just a frustrating journey, thus the need for bit parties!:lol:
howardh…still waiting for the bit party 
I’m so glad to have so many options!
5" JP Korsteel oval mouth bit-its a triple jointed bit. The thicker the better. My horse LOVES this bit but I have had good luck with eggbut and french link snaffles.
In my case the jacknifing of the single joint of the traditional snaffle ended up pinching my horse and anything with a center bean/link was best. My horse never seemed to have a hard time with wider bits
Thanks Howardh.
I have looked at the Myler bits but THERE ARE SO MANY. So many combinations…I think I will just get a medium port with a short-ish shank. I too have a rather large bit collection so what is a few more.
I’ve got 2 arabs that are totally different…
1).I tried everything from nice gentle bits to more severe bits like a double twisted wire…nothing and I mean NOTHING worked for more then a few rides on my Arab. He’d be fine for the frist 2-3 rides in each new bit then go back to grabbing down, pulling and running away with me, screaming, yelling, pulling, panicing… I’d had enough and he was only 5 at the time when I was desparate to find something that would make him happy and us to enjoy our Volunteer Horse Patrol Rides especially out in open fields when the rest of the group went for a canter we went for a death run leaving everyone behind and getting into some dangerous situations.
After some research I found Dr. Cooks bitless and I have the synthetic one now. I had a loaner from another board memeber who excelusively did training on the bitless Hatrick is her name on one of the BB’s. We tried it on my Arab and I was def nervous on how he’d act and respond to the completely different feeling and signals of the bitless. After the first ride in the ring I was still slightly unsure but after the 2-3rd rides and then trails I will never look back. It’s like I have a totally different horse. I can ride on the buckle at a canter use JUST my voice to slow or stop and he reacts smoothly and immediatly. No more death rides, no more fighting, and crying and cuts on his lips. He is relaxed on our rides, can canter in a group no problem, bends, turns, stops prefectly with little pressure and usually just voice commands. I didn’t do any other training with him for the run aways he simply just couldn’t have a bit in his mouth it was like overload for him. Now he is happy to go for rides, will call if we ride on a regular basis and we skip a day. So for this arab Bitless FOR THE WIN!!!
2). As for my HYPER ADD-Arab/NSH I still have him in a loose ring french link snaffle. He has a hyper oral fixation issue where he puts everything and anything in his mouth and when riding the bit relaxes him. I tried going bitless with him but he panics, doesn’t listen and he acts like the straps under his chin are killing him. So until we get him at a state where he is riding properly and consistenyl and safely I will keep him in his current bit and then slowly switch him to bitless to see if he will calm down with it. Even with many training sessions both with the bit and bitless he is not SAFE without the bit currently but we hope to some day get him trained enough (he’s coming 5yrs this yr) to go bitless on both arabs.
Good Luck!
who knows?
I had one horse who went best in a thinner racing D…
another in a regular tom thumb…
A stallion who seemed to hate tongue pressure and went well in a waterford bit–linked balls between D cheeks (comes in loose ring and full cheek too) I found in a 4 3/4". You’d think he’d hate that with it still contacting the tongue, go figure…
I buy about everything I find in 4 3/4" in case I’ll ever need it because they can be hard to find.
I start my young horses in double linked bits-- oval, roller, french link and see how it goes.
The peewee looks interesting, and pricey. I’ve looked at the Mylars but couldn’t justify the price for a chance someone might like it while I’m not having a real problem yet.
Both of my arab gelding have been completely happy in medium copper mouth eggbutt snaffles. Some of the bits out there are super complicated and I have to wonder how they even work. The one super sensitive mouthed mare that I had was actually quite happy with a straight mouth snaffle (that is what is is called even though since there is no joint it isn’t technically a snaffle). This bit kept her nice and happy without resorting to nosebands to tie her mouth shut or other gimmicks. The only problem with it is that if you don’t have brakes, it sure won’t give you any. Good luck with your bit search! A collection is always useful to have.
Eggbutt snaffle for dressage work, hackamore & S hack for trail, but next time I compete a snaffle gag.
My Arab went well w/ a 4 3/4 eggbutt French link snaffle. The French link was a vast improvement over the traditional snaffle.
We have used the Monte Forman Humane Bit for over 25 years on all our horses, which includes my Arabians.
Here is a photo of one in the link below. (You can see where they flair out at the top so that they are pinchless):
http://members.tripod.com/~BOZ_Obsession/9.jpg
You can save the jpg image and enlarge it to read more about them.
We purchase them from either Fallis Saddlery (http://www.fallisbalancedsaddles.com/) or Boz Saddlery (http://www.bozsaddlery.com/). You have to call to order them.
Happy Trails!
Joyce
http://www.lwbits.com/Mouthpieces.html
Number 7 mouthpiece, loose rings.
Only bit my Arab is happy in. I have a curved shank bit with the same mouthpiece for barrel racing as well.
eggbutt snaffle: jointed or french link.
No gobstrap. Just a plain noseband
