# What kind of bit do you use?



## IheartPheobe (Feb 15, 2009)

Just for the sake of the question.. and answers... so, go 'head. 
On Gonzo, I use a slowtwist eggbutt. 
Luke and Rocco have elevators..
Milo has a rubber pelam (sp?)
Rupert has a d-ring snaffle..
What 'bout you guys?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

For starting young ones in the very beginning, a simple loose ring snaffle. For when they progress a bit in their training or when I want to give an older horse a refresher course, a kindof D-ring snaffle. On all of my old finished horses for general work, I use a bit almost exactly like this.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

I use a brass loose ring french link bridoon on Bundy, and on Wildey I just have an eggbut bridoon. I like little bits :]


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

Pinchless D ring.


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## 1dog3cats17rodents (Dec 7, 2007)

Painter has a happy mouth snaffle, Ben and Trump have a waterford.

I'm not sure what dillon uses, I haven't ridden him yet, my parents just bought him


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## hollybee (Aug 14, 2009)

Bradley - loose ring snaffle (jointed) with a lozenge
Snufkin - flatwork: hanging cheek snaffle, 
 jumping / cross country: dutch gag (both jointed - french link)
Trouble - vulcanite kimblewick
Connie - full cheek snaffle (jointed - french link)


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## Appyt (Oct 14, 2007)

I used to ride with just a simple ported curb bit, then my appy went blind and I had to switch to a direct reining bit. I can ride him in about anything but he needs the direct rein to correct his direction more precisely at times. 

Abe normally has been in a simple jointed snaffle(D ring O ring it doesn't matter), I am moving him up to a curb bit with port, short shanks, and everything is jointed. lol Ok, not the port.. He seems to like it. 

Gypsy, who belongs to my DIL, loves her ported curb bit. 

Heidi is still in a D ring comfort snaffle as she's not ready for a curb yet. 

Lightning(my granddaughters horse) loves his Billy Allen style mouth Kimberwick, which used to be the appy's. I like to ride him in a simple ported curb bit.. 

Peanut the pony goes in a loose ring snaffle. 

I rode Cinder in a jointed curb bit. Haven't figured out what she prefers yet.


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## PiggyPablo (Jan 17, 2009)

Herm Sprenger KK Ultra Loose Ring Snaffle w/Aurigan on Pabi

Herm Sprenger KK Ultra Turnado loose ring snaffle w/Aurigan on Mario


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

With Nelson:

Dressage: Loose Ring KK Ultra Snaffle Bit
Hacking, Jumping, CC: Myler Level 1 Comfort Snaffle, D Ring or Full Cheek.
Fox Hunting, Hunter Paces: 3 Ring Elevator Bit, French Link.


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

French link D-ring


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## paintsrule (Aug 20, 2009)

full cheek snaffle


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

Cougar - loose ring snaffle
Greylite - happy mouth D ring snaffle.


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## Fire Eyes (May 13, 2009)

_Just loose ring snaffles or eggbutts for me. 
_


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## 7Ponies (May 21, 2009)

loose ring snaffle or bosal. My avatar shows a variation of a tom-thumb, but I ditched it and put her back in the snaffle, she does much better in it.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I don't know the names of anything, haha.

For english work, I use an O ring, solid rubber bit. It really is rubber all the way through and it doesn't have a joint.

For our trail rides, we ride in this.












What would you all suggest I start my filly Gracie in?


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Since you already have it, you might give the rubber snaffle a try. If she doesn't do well in it, give some form of ringed snaffle a shot. I don't particularly care for using a d-ring on a horse until they kinda get going and have a nicely developed soft mouth...... No reason, that is just my preferance.


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## savvylover112 (Jul 17, 2009)

i mostly ride in a loose ring french link snaffle but when out on hunts i need a bit more control and use a three ring bit which is also a french link she doesnt like single jointed snaffles


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## themacpack (Jul 16, 2009)

When we ride with one, it is a basic D-ring snaffle. 99.9% of the time, though, we ride bitless with a Dr Cook's


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## Dressage10135 (Feb 11, 2009)

I ride Ellie with a full cheek snaffle and she does great.


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## drafteventer (Jul 6, 2009)

Remi goes in an eggbutt jointed snaffle.
Only bit I've only used with him, so I dunno if it's the right one for him..


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## Hunter65 (Aug 19, 2009)

*Bits*

On the Percheron they had a snaffle bit but he was hard to stop and control so now I changed to a kimberwick and he responds beautifully. Haven't started Hunter yet so not sure what I'm gonna do there.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

I always ride in a french link loose ring. Started out with a full cheek on my TB, but I hate full cheeks, so I switched to the loose ring, and even when jumping 4+ foot jumps, she was fine. My dad's gelding we unfortunately had to use a jointed corkscrew pelham as he was a barrel racer who had been ridden in a twisted wire gag hackamore combo bit. The pics are attached. When doing nice easy flat work, or trail riding, I would use the loose ring, but anything jumping, barrel racing, or rodeo type riding I had to use the pelham. 
http://www.horseforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11313&stc=1&d=1250794210am.
http://www.horseforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=11314&stc=1&d=1250794222


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## Hali (Jun 17, 2009)

I use a french link D ring snaffle.


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## Sunny06 (Jun 22, 2009)

^ Gosh those look horrible! /

*youch*


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## loveverythinghorses (May 15, 2009)

My horse uses a Sweet Iron off-set D. But she's also light mouthed and works off leg cues so not much contact is needed in the reins, but she does need some, which is nice. Now when we show, she will naturally have a low port curb bit in her mouth.


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## mom2pride (May 5, 2009)

My guy rides in either a rope halter or a sweet iron snaffle...depends on what I feel like putting on! Lol! He also goes well in a Kimberwick.


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## dressagebelle (May 13, 2009)

Ya, I never liked using the pelham, but unfortunately there was a serious risk of someone getting hurt if I didn't, since he had been ridden for so long in the other bit before I got him, and when we got him, he was about 27 or so.  The vet guesstimated he was 35 (that was being generous, he was probably reasonably older than that), based on what we could read of his teeth. He had all his teeth, they were just extremely worn down, and the galvin's (sp) groove was completely gone, and we know he wasn't a young horse.


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## RiddlesDarkAngel5 (Jun 2, 2009)

i ride Rocky in a d-ring french link snaffle. he goes best in a mild bit that he can play around with.


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

Depends on what we're doing, and who I"m on. I use everything including: a bosal, elevator, loose ring, d-ring, eggbutt, full cheek, pelham, tom thumb, longshank, hackamore, or straight curb. Most of them have sweet iron or copper in them as well.


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## ridesapaintedpony (Apr 14, 2009)

I use a JP Korsteel full cheek snaffle on Toby.


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## Spastic_Dove (Oct 4, 2007)

Depends what we are doing. For drill/barrels/rodeo when we are being competitive we ride in some sort of wonder bit. I have yet to find another like it and have no idea what it is called...it is double jointed with keys in the middle and he loves it. 
We also ride in a sweet iron D ring or a kimberwick. When I was doing the western pleasure thing my BO had me trying out all sorts of things but I can't remember for the life of me what they were called.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

On my paso fino gelding, I use an Imus Comfort Gait bit designed specifically for gaited horses


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## Mira (Aug 4, 2008)

For western I alternate between a cathedral ported curb (gasp!)









and a mullen mouth curb









For huntseat I use a simple D ring snaffle.


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## vivache (Jun 14, 2009)

I use an eggbutt snaffle on Razz. My instructor/leaser said he came with a tom thumb, so they didn't want to mess with it. But I finally got her to let me try him in a full-cheek. He was fine! Then we made the downgrade to a really mild fat eggbutt snaffle.


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## RubaiyateBandit (Jan 25, 2009)

Magic is in a tom thumb, occasionally a Jr Cowhorse (I'm still trying to decide which one she handles better in)
Tanner, I've used a tom thumb without issues, but I might go to a eggbutt snaffle when I start her again.
Ruby takes a double-jointed snaffle with a roller
I'm not sure what 2-Pak's is called, but it's jointed with a roller and short shanks...
Bandit and Dante both take the same bit... either an eggbutt snaffle or a half-cheek snaffle, pony sized. Though I might try to lay my hands on a fullcheek snaffle or something for Dante, since he keeps grabbing the rings and chewing through bit guards.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I use a jointed coppermouth eggbutt on Norman and a copper D ring on Victor.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

pistol has a double copper roller for english and a copper trail bit for western (broken)
blue has a port
beauty uses pistols bits
black doesnt ride anymore
riley has a slow twist snaffle for dailey rides and a port for shows (his english bit is also a port)
sierra has a small port for now, not sure she needs it though.


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## horseluver2435 (May 27, 2009)

I usually ride Rainy in a Kimberwick, but at our last show I ended up having to use copper roller snaffle (blah, we did horrible, since it was ten times harder to set her head) because I was doing dressage, and Kimberwick's aren't allowed. Awesome.


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## RoCru (Jul 19, 2009)

Right now, Sundance is riding in a Mulepost Tom Thumb...


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## Kentucky (Aug 2, 2008)

i use a copper coated snaffle bit


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## NordicJuniper (Jun 9, 2009)

On Junior I either use an eggbutt snaffle or a d-ring snaffle. I might be buying a slowtwist d-ring snaffle because he gets really hot at shows in the ring but who knows.


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## RacePony007 (Jul 4, 2009)

I use the "Robart Pinchless" kimberwick! My horse loves a ported bit! But this bit rotates from the middle instead of collapsing, which my horse completely hates, but my horse has a high head carriage and lots of go, so it works wonderfully!


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## andysgagirl (Aug 6, 2009)

When I brought Andy he came with some kind of snaffle (please excuse my bit ignorance) but he hated it! When I used to board him all the other horse owners would recommend a different bit to me but he hated them all. I finally tried my other horses 4 3/4in medium port curb bit on him and he did wonderful in it! I wish I would have tried it sooner. It's almost impossible to find a 4 3/4 in curb bit but I just ordered this one for him: 








Junior Cutter Bit ½" Medium Port Sweet Iron with Copper Roller 
"Probably one of the two best all time shanks with medium plus leverage and excellent balance, this mouthpiece provides more control than a normal medium port while adding some tongue pressure to help break a horse over at the poll for a better head set . The copper roller is good for a nervous horse that likes to play with the bit."

I am so excited to try it out on him!


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## omellika (Aug 27, 2009)

Currently , i am using Jointed Loose Ring Snaffle bit , but i used to use like these(http://helketmar.ee/ftp/suuline 6.jpg) , pink and apple flavoured


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