Bits for TWH

Hello everyone,

I bought a TWH last summer. I have always been a hunter/jumper, but I feel in love with this horse after I rode him a few times. Right now, I am trying to find a bit for him to go in. I am currently riding him in a three ring elevator bit, which he loves, but it is a jumper bit. It is very similar to the western Wonder bit. He goes well in the elevator bit but I can't show him in it. Does anyone know if that wonder bit is legal for the flat shod pleasure classes?

He really is a good boy, but he can get strong. I tried riding him in a plain d-ring snaffle and he was fine in it, until I tried to ride him at feeding time. Then, I needed something more. Put the three ring bit on him and he was much better. I have tried a tom thumb and a grazing bit, but I didn't have much steering in them.

I don't want a harsh bit. I would prefer to keep a snaffle in his mouth...don't care much for ported bits. I don't mine if the bit has shanks. Any suggestions? I just don't know enough about walking horses to know what it legal or not.

I just bought a walker and they trained all their walkers on a double twisted wire with a 7 inch shank.Thats what im using anyway works great.but im a newbie

I HATE walkers trained like that! 7 inch shanks and a double twisted wire cover poor horsemanship. It's a shortcut. Think how much contact people use on walkers. It's basically man-handling a horse into a headset.

This is what I school in(excuse my throat latch, we were doing showmanship and I didn't notice it):


This is what I show in, and love it.


So yes, Wonder Bits are OK. My trainer has a plantation-shod horse who goes in a plain argentine curb with a copper roller. It's your choice.

Like I said im a newbie.i didnt know that.I will look into a new bit

When I got the TWH I had he came with a "so-called-TWH" bit. Needless to say that previous owner thought a TWH needed everything
"labeled" for TWH exclusively. The TWH bit has shanks of no less than 6-12 inches. Will did not by any means need a bit with that much leverage. He was such a sweetheart my 13 year old granddaughter and I could ride him bareback. I trained Will in a loose-ring true snaffle with broken mouth-piece initially. Then I put him in a short-shanked broken-mouthed
Bit, definitely not a Tom Thumb, but more a reiner bit with swept-back shanks for less leverage.

As ever said, "Always less is more".

I think the question has to be not "what bit is best for this breed?" but rather "what bit is best for this horse in this discipline?"

We should start with the proposition that the bit is a communication device, not a brake system or a head setting system or anything else. It's there to allow the rider to effectively communicate with the horse.

There's an excellent book by William Langdon entitled Bits and Bitting Manual. I think you can find it at Amazon. Libertyville Saddle Shop also had it at one point. Google, again, might be your friend.

The book is valuable as it explains in great detail the different types of bits, their actions, some of the consequences of those actions. There is a companion book by Langdon entitled Training With Bits. I'm not as comfortable with all aspects of this one, but it's also pretty good.

I'm not a "snaffle bit Nazi" but IMO the simple snaffle is the "default" bit. Once you have a horse going well in this bit you can look to use more powerful bits to improve the communication between horse and rider.

Some disciplines require bit types by rule and some disciplines require bit types because that's what's going to work in the job to be done.

Remember, too, that bit selection means making two intelligent choices: cheek piece (curb or snaffle) and mouthpiece (broken, French Link, mullenmouth, etc.).

I don't think there is a "school" answer to this question, beyond the above.

G.

We use the Imus bits at the barn, I;m in the training on right now as my mare is just 3, but the older horses use this and it's good for shows. Imus comfort gait Bit

My mare loves the bit, she drools like crazy with it.

I have three different types of gaited horses and they are all ridden in D Ring snaffles, but I do not show my horses. I only trail ride, ride in parades, search and rescue operations.

Both my walkers go in an Imus comfort bit. There is NO need for a twisted wire anything, much less double twisted with a 7 inch shank, period. If someone's horse needs this in their mouth to be controlled...they need more training not a torture device in their mouth. That is a severe bit when used with the contact TWH are ridden in. I am disgusted by most of the bits I see on alot of show ring walkers, it's ridiculous. I used both the Imus training bit, and the Imus comfort bit and I show in it with no problems. I also show lite shod and don't crank my horse's head up into an unnatural position to make her squat like a dog needing to pee in the show ring.

Wonder bits are used often, although I personally did not like them for my horses and chose not to use them. You can show in a wonder bit. I preferred the Imus comfort bit because it didn't cause intimidation or pain to acheive a nice headset and the shanks aren't overly long. For someone trail riding, if you can get away with a snaffle, great!

I am not entirely sure why it became the notion that you need shanks as long as a person's arm to ride a walker in, but somewhere along the line it became popular and the "norm", especially for show ring walkers.

I will try that imus bit.I have noticed he is extreamly un comfy with that bit I have.But that's what the trainers told me to get so I trusted thm