Bit question??????????

Question

i use a snaffle bit on my horse. I really have no clue about any other kind of bit!!! My horse is a 4 year old paint, and i ride him enlglish, is their any bits that will set his head better. r there any bits that you could suggest that would help me with anything, i dont want anything that is rough and mean!! thanks

Answer 1

No, a bit won't help him set his head. You need to train him to set his head properly.  There are no shortcuts.

Answer 2

I'm using a copper snaffle on my 5 year old paint. Copper helps a horse salivate more. Though they are expensive, mine was $200, they work well.  

Answer 3

i will have to agree with the others. . . there are SO many different bits out there, i could go look up some websites that were given to me that would make your head spin (they made mine spin)

so i'm going to copy and paste my basic paper i wrote this morning on the general topic of bits. . . the two main kinds being direct(snaffles) and leverage (curb). i suggest before you do anything, research and ask questions of a trainer in your area you trust (and know what kind of snaffle you are using and how it works, if you can understand how the bit works you may find you dont need to change it but use it correctly/better)

my short paper that sums up curb and snaffle bits. (this is in no way saying you should change bits, better training for the horse and rider should be tried first before a bit change.)

A word or two about bits from my point of view.

It seems to be a topic of debate as well as a "wall" of confussion. Gag bits, Curb bits, Snaffle bits, and some bits we dont even know what they're called when we see them on the wall.  What bit is what? What bit is best for my horse? What bit is harsh? What bit is soft?

Tons of questions, with simple answers when you take apart the name and look of each bit.  Each bit has an intersting history.  I couldnt even beging to take talk about each bit out there, so I'm going to just take about a few basic ones that I have used or researched about.  This information is just for basic bit talk, and I suggest going to a trainer for any advice about bits or changing a bit.

There are a few different things that decide what makes a bit harsh or not in general terms, besides the any bit can be harsh comments.  The thicker the bit is, the less harsh it is in the horse's mouth.  The length of the shank on a curb bit will determin how harsh. The longer the shank the harsher the bit; meaning that a 3 inch shank is going to be less harsh then a 6 inch shank.

The snaffle, a direct bit, are mostly a jointed bit.  Meaning there is two metal pieces that hook in the middle, this causes a "nut cracker" action.  When the reins are pulled the two pieces squeeze and apply pressure on each side of the horse's mouth.  Not all snaffles are jointed.  

Snaffles in general are considered a "nicer" bit, but there are some that have harsher points. Like the slow twist and single twist wire snaffle. The single twist wire snaffle  is server because it's thinner and because it has morse twist then the slow twist snaffle.  This goes back to the width of the bit and how thicker are less harsh. Thinner are harsher and the twist on top of the thin makes the bit a harsh snaffle bit. The slow twist snaffle is a less harsh bit, but it still has the twisting parts that apply pressure to the horse's senstive areas of the mouth.  With the twisted snaffles the more twist they have the harsher the bit is in the horse's mouth.  

I have used a twisted full cheek snaffle on my quater horse.  He loved to take off on trails and while jumping, so my trainer suggested this bit and with some other training tips he became easier to collect and keep from running off.  

The curb bit is a leverage bit. The mouth piece is the fulcrum, and when the riens are taken up the shanks apply pressure to the poll thru leverage while the crub chain under the chin applies pressure to the lower jaw. With curb bits quiet or soft hands are a must because it is easier to hurt the horse with these bits then with a direct bit.  

The kimberwicke is a cross between a direct bit and a curb bit.  It also has a curb chain as well as three different "settings" of harshness.  The first is through the D ring protion of the bit and riding in this setting is like using a direct bit.  The second is the top hole of the bit, this has slight curb action.  The last is the bottom hole of the bit, and this is the most server portion of the bit.  It is a curb when used in this setting.  I use this bit the most, from what i understand you can use two reins with this bridle, and teach a horse to go from a curb to a direct bit and from a direct bit to a curb with this bit and not have to change out bits.  I have never used it with two riens, but I do like to use it with a german martingale as a training device.  

This are just the basics of bits.  There are tons of different bits not mentioned here, like gag bits, pelham, and others.  The following web site has pictures and more information on each bit.  Some of the information in this small paper is from this site, some is from personal experiance, and some is from friends and trainers.

http://equisearch.com/horses_riding_trai...

Answer 4

A bit wont help hold his head high,

I would keep him on his regular bit if he is already accustomed to it =)

Answer 5

for english, I'd perfer snaffles over anything else especially since your horse is young.

Remember collection isn't just about having their head set (on the vertical) it's about them engaging their hind-quarters and "rounding" their back (not hollowing it).

I use an eggbutt snaffle when I ride English for my horse, and I can get him nicely collected in it. It can take years if not more for a horse to learn to properly carry itself in a collected fashion so don't be too impatient or expect too much.

Answer 6

The bit you picked out is excellent--especially for younger horses! I use a eggbutt french link on my six-year-old. It is very soft, but gives a good amount of control because of the contact with the horses tongue. The french link is also an excellent choice for horses that tend to carry their head very high because since it's double jointed it doesn't have the nutcracker action of other single jointed snaffle bits, which tends to make high-headed horses raise them even higher. The eggbutt mouth piece is also a good choice because it doesn't pinch your horses mouth. One of those was copper i think which is good if your horse doesn't salivate much while your riding. If a horse has a really dry mouth the bit can become very uncomfortable--the copper encourages the salivation in a horses mouth. I don't ride with one cuz my horse is a clover fiend and has lots of drool to spare lol. I'm also working on getting my horse to ride into a frame--and while no bit can make him do it, i find that we have been making progress with this bit. Keep in mind it is VERY hard to teach this to young horses NO MATTER WHAT. Everyone else covered other options but i thought i would share my experience with the bit you were considering.

Answer 7

stay with the snaffle and work on collection and balance. lots of circles at the trot and canter will help to bring his hindquarters under him. as this happens he will round under you and come up on the bit and there will be the headset

Answer 8

the bit u picked out looks great! =]] but there isnt a particular bit that will help with head set just go with a drop noseband and help.

Answer 9

- There are so many types of snaffles. You need to be more specific.

- Nothing will set his head better. Getting a horse on the bit/teaching him to go on the bit requires work, dedication and skill. Its not going to come with a nice bit.

- Helping with anything is really unspecific. I use different bits for different activities to help get what I want out of my horse but none of them help with everything at once.

- All bits can be rough or mean when used by the wrong person. A twisted wire can be kinder than a thick smooth bit in the wrong hands.

EDIT: Each horse is differnt. The bit that works for one might not work for another. I use a full cheek snaffle by Korsteel for jumping and a thick hollow loose ring snaffle by some random cheap-o brand for dressage. He hates Pehlams but went OK in a big ol' western curb.

EDIT: The link doesnt work but if its the bit described on the page that pops up then yeah, it should be fine. Its not very huntery though. I have never used a solid copper or egg butt snaffle so I cant tell you much about the bit.

EDIT: What bit are you using on him anyway? Again, never used a copper, egg butt or french link bit so I cant tell you much.