# What type of bits do you use?



## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Oh that's broad. I have a LOT of bits for a LOT of different things.

Right now since most of my horses will do both gaming and performance events, they will have a gaming bridle and a show bridle.

Almost all my schooling at home is done in a plain myler comfort snaffle, smooth or twisted depending on the horse.

I'll go with just my two main kiddos right now.

Selena does a long shank Billy Allen for reining, the cowhorse, equitation, etc. She is ridiculously soft in the face so doesn't need much mouthpiece, I choose the long shank on her though just as an "in case measure." Then for the gaming, barrels, drill, any "go hard" events she gets a short shank smooth jr. cowhorse dogbone with copper rollers. It's extremely light. It's enough bit that I can take a hold of her when she gets strong but not enough that if I snatch her on accident she's going to get slowed up and bound by my hand. That teensy bit of gag just says "come here" when I need it to.

Ruger right now is still mainly in a snaffle. He is four and coming along very well, but every now and then I'll put him in my o ring dogbone twist combo. Mainly because he's lifty and I can shut down that front end pretty fast with the gag and nose pressure if he comes up too far, but admittedly it's also because he inhales shanks and reins if he can...Even if the shank is long he will suck it in. Put him in Selena's cowhorse when I first started getting him up in the bridle and almost instantly he had the shank and half my reins in his mouth and there was nothing I could do about it.


However, these bits are relative. I like to use a lot of Myler bits to show in, as well as the billy allens. I'm sold on those as far as reining and other performance events goes. The gaming is a whole 'nother story though. I have a LOT of different options there.


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## Wanstrom Horses (Dec 23, 2012)

Snaffle, hackamore, half breed, Mona Lisa, Spanish spade


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## jumanji321 (Dec 1, 2010)

I use a thick french link for most of my dressage and english flat work, a pelham with double reins for tune-up rides, a sweet six sweet iron lifesaver for gaming and a low port curb bit for western riding, but I want to get something that isn't solid so I can have more flexibility with it.


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## BarrelRacingLvr (Feb 26, 2012)

Hmm wow....where do I start lol! 

ALL of the horse get rode in Snaffles 80% of the time when they are at home. When we are doing drills, fast work, or making runs they all have a specific bit. 

JJ has his training bits which are to get him to back off at the first as a reminder (usually only have to use them when we are at a 3 day race and he is getting pushy, just the type of horse he is). Those bits are the Banana Bit and the Charmayne James Pretzel Bit. 

His slow work bit is a Easy 5 smooth mouth 3 piece with a roller. And when not training on the pattern and just need to make a blow through I will put this bit on him (also good to see if he is listening to my light aids or if we have to do a refresher and mini CTJ).

His running bits are the Sharon Camarillo Drop Nose Correction bits. I have the long and short shank. The short shank is for pens that are close to the wall, the long shank is for when we are in BIG OPEN pens where the 1st barrel is in BFE and nowhere near a fence. Another tight pen bit I like is the SS Sherry Cervi. 

His bits mainly reflect off of his 1st barrel....


Now Scrat is pretty simple...his training bit 50% of the time is the Banana Bit, the other 50% is the Jr. Cowhorse. 

Slow work bit is the Jr. Cowhorse 

Running bit is another one of the Charmayne James Lifters. 


Zoey (formally known as Polly....well there was a name change lol.) She is still in the training parts so she is in the same bit 80% of the time. I like to ride her in the Tender Touch, some times the Banana Bit (set it really loose and low in her mouth). I also have been messing around with a Little S, and plan on doing some modifying of it to make it have less bite for the sensitive giant lol. 

Like I said before ALL the horses are ridden daily when not doing drills ect in a Snaffle. I do a lot of soft and supple work with them when we are doing our daily routines.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

My mare rides in a mechanical hackamore because she knows how to run through a bit and responds better and prefers the hackamore. When she does start trying to disrespect the hackamore (trying to run through it) I switch her to a high-ported correctional curb bit for a ride or two, and then put her back in the hackamore and she's fine.

My gelding rides in an O-ring snaffle because he responds best with it and likes it, though I also sometimes switch to a twisted wire dogbone curb bit when I'm trying to teach him something and he needs more in his mouth than a snaffle.


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## Northernstar (Jul 23, 2011)

I ride for pleasure on my property, and not often. I've been riding bitless for over a year now, and really enjoy it! Just as long as my horses do well, I'll probably continue that way


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## Haileyyy (Mar 10, 2012)

For Skippers I have been using an S hackamore, he has been going great in it. I have tried on a few different types of bits but he prefers to be bitless.

If I ride either of my mom's horses I ride in a snaffle. Her gelding prefers a thicker loose ring and her mare likes a thinner copper mouth piece d-ring.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

I ride for other people, so I always at least start with what they want. And, I'd better have a good reason and convincing story to get someone to change. They are all as opinionated as we are on this board!

Snaffles, bosals, hackamores, tom thumbs, variety of curbs, pelhams, double bridles.


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## WesternJake (Jan 29, 2011)

I've been riding my gelding recently in a Jr. Cowhorse w/ copper rollers. He's finally getting some nice brakes going, and I barely have to bump the bit to remind him to whoa. Still working on stopping from a fast lope, though! lol. 

Not sure if I'll actually game him in it yet though, as I'm always afraid of pulling on his face. He games well in a little S hackamore. We'll just have to switch it up and see what works best.


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## GamingGrrl (Jan 16, 2013)

I either use a side pull or d ring snaffle with copper rollers for every day riding. For gaming and cow work I use a sweet iron gag bit, for a little bit more turn.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## stingerscricket (Oct 3, 2011)

I ride my mare in a low port loose cheek bit because she has a pretty soft mouth and this bit is relatively mild in good hands..she responds great in it!


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

Hmm..I have two snaffles in which I use one or the other for any new horse I start riding (new/another lease). I have a single and double joint D-ring to choose from, first is the single, and if yhe horse doesnt like it, to the double it goes.

Now, currently, I own a short shank, single jointed jr cow, a 3-piece reiner with short shanks and a copper roller, and the two snaffles.
With ST, I won't use the single jointed snaffle anymore. She has issues with it, and Im assuming it's the joint hitting her palette. So, if we're having a day where we're riding in an enclosed, smaller place, she'll get the double jointed snaffle and we'll work on lightness. If we're out and about going along the fence and outer edge of the corn field (aka groundhog hole heaven), she gets either of the shank bits. While Im light with my hands, I won't risk having to do a one-rein stop or her run off where she can easily break her leg. She generally responds nicely with minimal effort with both my reiner and jr cow, so rarely do I ever give her much pressure with those.

If we're going for a road/trail ride, she gets the jr cow. She'll respond to relatively light pressure with this bit, but it takes her a little longer than if I were to be heavy handed. So, if I absolutely need something done (aka run off the side of the road because a school bus and truck are coming opposite ways and not slowing down at all), I can give one yank and have her 8 feet over in whatever direction. The jr cow is also the only bit I can get her collected in (cantering, she usually rushes). I concluded this on monday when we got 3 different instances of a nice, slow collected canter, at times of different energy levels. The first time I got her into a nice canter was with the jr cow. While I doubt it's actually the bit (because we canter on a loose rein until I pull her up), I'm gonna keep the jr cow for any arena work and if it continues, then we'll see how the other bits are..It might just be how it sits in her mouth that she doesn't grab it and go. She chews on both snaffles and sucks the shanks on the reiner into her mouth if we aren't in a working trot or faster, but even while we're standing around, she just lets the jr cow sit there. I knew there was a reason I was searching for this bit for 4 years until I could find it in a local store ****.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## MissColors (Jul 17, 2011)

I use a tom thumb in western. This is gonna sound funky, but I use it for the precision. That and my boy likes it. I ride soft in the mouth. 

In english I use a copper french link.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oldhorselady (Feb 7, 2012)

I ride in this bit and love it!

Myler Bit 89 20035 Shank MB 03 Size 5 | eBay


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## Tiffany01 (Apr 21, 2007)




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## katieandscooby (Feb 14, 2010)

I have over thirty bits. All of them have a use in my barn. Some may sit for a couple years depending where I have horses in training but each one works at some time or another. As I am always starting young ones I never get rid of bits. 

My absolute favorite is a dutton d ring french link snaffle. That has to be the one bit that I could not live without. I can put almost every horse on the place in that bit if I am having issues or doing some training that requires a snaffle. 

I have some jr cowhorses for gymkhana and correction bits and three piece shank bits that I use on the broke/rope horses. What I use on them depends who is riding and what we are doing. I have different bits for trail riding then I do for working cattle. And if I have someone green I will throw something different in them as well mostly for the horses sake.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

For initial training, all of mine are started in a simple loose ring snaffle.

After that, once their training has progressed to the point that they are prepared for a curb bit, I generally use one of these types. I have quite a few that are similar but with just minor variations in diameter and port height/width.


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## OneFastHorse (Jan 13, 2011)

Barrelhorsetrainer said:


> Just wondering what types of bits you use for riding in on your horse and why?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


There's really only 2 bits I use... My o/ring myler comfort snaffle with a roller mouth piece or my little s hackamore. 

Occasionally I will use a little short shanked bit with a broken mouth piece or a bit with a little gag such as an argentine snaffle or a jr cowhorse, or my myler Lynn mckenzie bit. Very occasionally I'll use my small twisted wire o/ring snaffle if a horse is pulling on my hands, but that's about it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tailskidwest (Jan 8, 2013)

I find I only need a full cheek snaffle, Monty Foreman leverage (modifed pellam), Pat Wyse hackamore (allows for lateral control), and occationally a springsteen (for the peanut rollers).


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## Tazmanian Devil (Oct 11, 2008)

I used to use a full cheek snaffle. Then I switched to a bitless bridle. I was surprised to learn that my horse is much more responsive in the bitless - we both like ti better.

There is only one exception - speed competitions. We do mounted shooting and my horse needs something in his mouth for that. For that I use something that looks exactly like the second picture in smrobs post above. 

It is tricky since my horse is very sensitive to what is in his mouth. The bitless bridle can make you get sloppy hands. When we use the bit, I have to concentrate on VERY subtle hand movements. Too much hand or a tight rein and my horse will react poorly. Tough to do when racing through a course.

We definitely practice with different bits.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Just simple folks here. We use eggbutt snaffles on everyone from the greenies to our seasoned penner.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## GotaDunQH (Feb 13, 2011)

1. I would NEVER put a Tom Thumb in a horse's mouth. But that's a whole different discussion that has been talked about many times on this forum...how bad they are.

2. I ride in ported bits with a swivel shank...like correction bits, grazers, spoon mouth, even a lifter bit here and there. I own one snaffle bit and I use it when I want to do some schooling that requires more contact. I have WP horses so it's usually a ported bit.

3. Then there are times when I just drop the bridle entirely and school with nothing whatsoever on the my horse's head.


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