I'm just starting to learn Dressage. FINALLY FINALLY found a trainer in my area We haul in an hour and a half once a week. ITS our happy time LOL
My question is what is your favorite bit to use for beginning dressage work and why do you like it. I've borrowed a bit from my trainer and am looking to purchase one of my own. My Big guy wears kind of a weird size 5 3/4. the only bits I've even seen in his size are Herm Sprenger (which i ordered in the KK Ultra Aurigan loose ring 16mm) and Stubban.
I use a KK Ultra 2-Type on my big gelding. I always thought it was a 6" but the catalogue says it only comes up to a 5 3/4" :lol: . It fits my big boy beautifully. I also have KK Ultra weymouth and bridoon bits for my double and another KK french link snaffle for one of my other horses. I find my horses really like them and are quite responsive to them. My only complaint is the price tag, but, I love them and would definitely recommend them!
We used a big O ring double broken snaffle at the trainers ( He went beautifully in that) but didn't know what brand it was as it was an older well used bit. Hes been picky about bits in the past i used a full cheek fat snaffle by stubban and he literally hated it, was always pulling through my hands and sticking his nose out. that was a single jointed and the new one will be double jointed maybe that's the difference?
For youngsters, fulmer (or full cheeks) single broken or a loose ring single broken. For horses with a sausage tongue/flat palette perhaps a double broken KK type. For a full bridge a sliding cheek weymouth.
My gelding is in a French link eggbutt snaffle. The link doesn't lie flat against his tongue - in actual fact the edge is against his tongue, sitting like a Dr Bristol "should" [it is a french link though, it's just the way it sits in his mouth] - but he prefers it over an oval link for some reason, salivates better and responds more quickly off a lighter aid.
My filly is in a D ring snaffle. Single broken. She doesn't like double jointed bits for some reason, and I'm not a fan of full cheek snaffles because of the safety risks [and forget keepers, she likes to be able to dictate the angle the bit sits at]. I won't use a loose ring on a breaker. The D-ring seems to be the best option. She has a sweet iron D, and a stainless steel D, and while she's still a breaker not just a greenie, she's going nicely in both, though she seems to respond better to the sweet iron.
(Hadn't noticed--are you lunging from the bit?? Ideally use a caveson (to save the mouth's education). Side reins (if used) set about the height of the point of the rider's knee, and always first onto the caveson.)
I've got a small "collection" of various single and double jointed snaffles made of different materials, with different cheek pieces and of different widths.
My "go to" bit is a loose french link snaffle that is a bit on the thinner side. I have quiet hands and while it may not be every horse's favorite bit, I have yet to have a horse object to it, so it is usually where I start. One of my horses still goes in this bit for dressage work and jumping other than hunting/xc (for that he wears a hackamore).
After some trial and error, it became clear that my other horse vastly prefers a single jointed snaffle and really prefers his bit to be quite stable. So I ride him with a single jointed eggbutt snaffle that is of moderate thickness and is a bit heavy.
my all time fav., go-to bit is the KK Ultra, lozange mouth loose ring. it's just the best bit I know. but, if a hrose needs more bite, an eggbutt side piece is better than a loose ring.
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