What is in your bit collection?

Luseride · August 27, 2020, 8:06pm

I have a correction bit that makes one of my horses move like liquid muscle. He is good in others but that one just makes him wonderful.

The majority of my horses ride in a Junior Cowhorse. I give lessons so I need a mild bit because riders have to develop soft hands and until they do I do not want my horses uncomfortable.

There are a couple of grazing bits hanging up but I rarely use them. I think they came with horses I bought.

I also have O-rings for the young horses or for ones needing to take a step back in their training.

meaty_ogre · August 27, 2020, 8:10pm

I’ve never tried a bosal. They look beautiful on most horses. My Western friends use correction and spoon bits pretty exclusively. The all around horses go in a correction kimberwicke for hunter under saddle and a correction curb for Western events.

Does anyone use the myler Western bits with the barrel center?

With all the backlash against tom thumb bits, does a junior cowhorse bit have similar action to those? As much as people seem to hate Tom thumbs, I do seem to see a lot of them in use

Aces_N_Eights · August 27, 2020, 8:14pm

Just a few bits that I have that wouldn’t be considered “traditional” but I have hanging in the tack room.
A short, swept backed shanked “snaffle” with a dog bone made by Kieth Welling.
A Myler knock-off of a Billy Allen.
A Myler knock-off of sweetwater with fairly short shanks.
A shorted shanked chain bit.
A correction bit built up a little on the port but I wouldn’t call it a spoon per say.

I also have a sliding gag with a “snaffle” mouthpiece. A gag will generally get a horse to raise its head. As the rein is pulled it and the gag engages it pulls the lips back and uses some poll pressure but a lot of that is going to depend on the style and the length of gag used. The more gag, the more it will pull the lips back. It works more off the lips more than most people realize but it will get them to raise the head and they can’t “hide” from you by sticking their head in between their knees. But with that said, I am not much for changing the head set of a horse. If his conformation won’t allow him to pack his head in a certain position I am not going to force it. Something to consider when raising his head.

You said he was stiff in the shoulders and a few trainers don’t like to mess with the shoulders too much . I just do a lot of, not sure what you people who ride english call it, counter bending to help him learn to free up.

The junior cow horse has a different action than a Tom Thumb. A good portion of jr. cow horses have a dog bone or a three piece mouth. It also has a very small amount of gag and has swept back shanks. Unfortunately because the Tom Thumb has a “snaffle” mouthpiece and shanks people think it is a good transition from the snaffle to the curb which it is not with straight shanks along with that mouthpiece. They are also cheap and sold in about every feedstore.

beau159 · August 27, 2020, 8:15pm

[QUOTE=meaty ogre;8663953]

With all the backlash against tom thumb bits, does a junior cowhorse bit have similar action to those? [/QUOTE]

Nope. Different bit designs.

This is a Tom Thumb.

Even this bit is NOT a Tom Thumb, although it looks similar. But the shanks are swept back. (Still would not be my bit of choice, though.)

The Jr. Cowhorse has a much more balanced bit design, and also allows each shank to operate mostly independently.

aktill · August 27, 2020, 8:15pm

There are those that believe it’s fine to have a broken mouth bit with shanks, and others who don’t.

One side will never convince the other.

I’m in the latter camp.

rainpants · August 27, 2020, 8:15pm

I have
short teardrop shank with wrapped copper wire
a “training bit” (long shank, low port, sweet iron mouth)
a Les Vogt “Leverage Position 1, Mouth Power 2” bit

and a bunch of various snaffles, a kimberwicke and a mullen mouth pelham (used once, mare hated it)

I’d like a nice sweet iron chain bit and a couple different things like a correction, a billy allen and something with a roller mouth in the port. My mare likes high ports (hates anything single jointed if she has to work in it, as opposed to hack around on the buckle) and my gelding doesn’t seem too picky.

meaty_ogre · August 27, 2020, 8:18pm

Would a chain mouthpiece be considered harsh? Is it sort of the western equivalent of a Waterford?

My gelding does have a short, thick neck that ties in slightly low. Part of his reluctance to ride on contact is his initial training, but part of it in my opinion is also his conformation. Interestingly, he has more definition between his chest/neck now after a winter of mostly dressage work.

He is the most one sided horse I’ve ever ridden, and I’ve ridden several OTTBs who were definitely left sided. I like Jane Savoie’s exercise for that (ride the “good” direction counterbent, and the “bad” direction over bent). It has helped, as well as shoulder in. I also like an exercise from one of Stacy Westfall’s videos, where you ride a figure 8 without changing the bend the entire time. It’s super easy on his “good” side but very hard on his bad side. Very helpful though. When neck reining he stays straight from nose to tail. He doesn’t seem to get confused going from dressage in a snaffle to neck reining on a drapey rein in a curb, but he does exhibit a preference for the draped rein. I just want something that I can warm up in two handed, or switch to two handed during schooling without feeling like I’m sending too strong of a signal and risking dulling him. With the robart bit, I can bridge the reins and get him to bend, but when I go back to neck reining/one handed, he’s straight as an arrow again (except when he gets tired loping, he will cant himself towards the rail, but I think that’s just an artifact from his time in the show ring).

I’m looking at the Billy Allen bits, or the myler type with a low to medium port. He does seem to prefer some degree of port (I have a very low port Pelham and a medium ported polo Pelham and he definitely prefers the polo version). I’d also like to try a sliding cheek/gag bit but I haven’t found a mouthpiece that I like yet on one. They seem to be marketed toward the barrel racing crowd and I don’t need a mouthpiece with that much bite. We have power steering and excellent brakes.

aktill · August 27, 2020, 8:18pm

[QUOTE=meaty ogre;8666149]
Would a chain mouthpiece be considered harsh? Is it sort of the western equivalent of a Waterford?[/QUOTE]

Is your horse a bicycle? If not, then it’s just as barbaric as it sounds to take a BICYCLE CHAIN and put it in a horse’s mouth.

Aces_N_Eights · August 27, 2020, 8:18pm

[QUOTE=aktill;8666302]
Is your horse a bicycle? If not, then it’s just as barbaric as it sounds to take a BICYCLE CHAIN and put it in a horse’s mouth.[/QUOTE]

You’re confusing a mule bit (bike chain) with a regular chain bit.

Meaty Ogre, not sure if I’d use the chain bit on him. I typically use it for horses that want to push through my hand team roping in the arena. They can’t brace against it like they can most bits because it collapses in the mouth. (Just as a side note you can wrap the chain in sealtex, but yes it’s about the same as a waterford).

gaitedincali · August 27, 2020, 8:18pm

A mule bit isn’t a bike chain either.

Bike chain-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-stainless-steel-bike-chain-bowmans-409/

Mule bit-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-mule-bit-in-solid-mullen-mouth-shape-bowmans-433/

Chain bit-
http://www.teskeys.com/tack/bits-spurs-curbs/bits/chain/paul-petska-bit.html

I don’t like any of them but I don’t know why people confuse them either.

rainpants · August 27, 2020, 8:18pm

[QUOTE=aktill;8666302]
Is your horse a bicycle? If not, then it’s just as barbaric as it sounds to take a BICYCLE CHAIN and put it in a horse’s mouth.[/QUOTE]

As has already been pointed out, I was not referring to that type of bit.

The kind I am referring to is very similar in action to a Waterford. My mare seemed to like it (used it at the trainers, when she was in cowhorse training), and I can see it being a useful addition to the tack room.

Good for a horse that wants to get heavy in your hands and lean. Because it breaks all over, there isn’t really anything to lean on.

For the OP’s horse, I’d suggest something more like my Les Vogt, which has a lot of independent action and is meant for a horse where you are doing corrections with two hands. Its designed for just the issue and type of horse you describe. (There are other, cheaper, less pretty versions out there too that would work just as well.)

aktill · August 27, 2020, 8:19pm

[QUOTE=gaitedincali;8666329]
A mule bit isn’t a bike chain either.

Bike chain-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-stainless-steel-bike-chain-bowmans-409/

Mule bit-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-mule-bit-in-solid-mullen-mouth-shape-bowmans-433/

Chain bit-
http://www.teskeys.com/tack/bits-spurs-curbs/bits/chain/paul-petska-bit.html

I don’t like any of them but I don’t know why people confuse them either.[/QUOTE]

Because chain just doesn’t belong in a horse’s mouth, and it causes an emotional reaction when people talk about using them. Unlike a Waterford whose links are smooth and designed not to kink and pinch, chain has none of those benefits.

On that last bit they couldn’t even be bothered to smooth down the chain weld marks on the links.

spotnnotfarm · August 27, 2020, 8:19pm

[QUOTE=aktill;8666302]
Is your horse a bicycle? If not, then it’s just as barbaric as it sounds to take a BICYCLE CHAIN and put it in a horse’s mouth.[/QUOTE]

LOVE your response!

Pocket_Pony · August 27, 2020, 8:22pm

I’m not very educated on western bits, so I just stick with one bit. I use a loose ring Myler comfort snaffle with a sweet iron mouthpiece.

https://www.toklat.com/Products/BP/89-28025I

The other setup I use is a hackamore (bosal & mecate, not a mechanical hackamore).

Those two work pretty well for me. With my pony (who I’m starting in my jumping saddle), I use a Myler also, but hers is an eggbut with a wide barrel. I tried a few others, but that’s the only one she seems to like.

Aces_N_Eights · August 27, 2020, 8:26pm

[QUOTE=gaitedincali;8666329]
A mule bit isn’t a bike chain either.

Bike chain-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-stainless-steel-bike-chain-bowmans-409/

Mule bit-
http://www.mcconnellshorsesupply.com/bits-accessories/half-cheek-bits-full-cheek-options/half-cheek-mule-bit-in-solid-mullen-mouth-shape-bowmans-433/

Chain bit-
http://www.teskeys.com/tack/bits-spurs-curbs/bits/chain/paul-petska-bit.html

I don’t like any of them but I don’t know why people confuse them either.[/QUOTE]

The trainers I worked for that had them hanging in the back of the tack room called the bicycle chain bits mule bits. shrug

Cuttergal · August 27, 2020, 8:32pm

I can’t even begin to list or get pictures of all of my bits. I’m trying to make a collection of bits. From snaffle to correction to curb, short shank to longer shank, smooth mouth to spoon mouth.

Yes, I am a bit-aholic. Just bought a new one last week.