2 Questions......Bit and Jumping Form Stuff

Bit - I can't decide between a loose ring snaffle and a dee ring snaffle. Which whil benefit both Blu and I when Jumping and training? I want the best for my baby and I.

Jumping Stuffs - Hard landings. What can lessen a hard landing for Blu and I? I've learned to move with him and not just use jumping form. However, we still land a little hard and that makes it challenging for me to keep straight and balance. Any ideas?

Thanks...

The bits are similar enough that its going to come down to personal preference: whichever one he likes better. The big difference between the two is that the d-ring (eggbuts too) do not move around as much in the horses mouth. Loose rings are more wiggly, so they tend to encourage the horse to chew and relax the jaw more. He may not even care.

For hard landings, work on riding lots of two-point...your legs are really your shock absorbers in jumping. Ride around the ring. Ride over poles. Ride up hills and down:P You'll build more muscle and greater balance. When you are balanced and using your shock absorbers, the landings will get softer.

I'd say it's pretty much the horse's preference. Try both and see which he's more responsive with. I didn't really notice a difference between the two with my boy, but I thought the D-ring was prettier. But when I tried an eggbutt on him, he really responded well! I think it's what he had been used with during training, so he kicked into listening mode with it. I've heard that loose rings can pinch your horse's skin at the corners (hence why people use those big rubber disk things), so that was one other thing that turned me off of the loose-ring. I didn't notice pinching with my horse, but ya never know.

Oh, one other thing...if some emergency comes up where you need to use a drastic direct rein in a tight circle...a loose-ring (and possibly eggbutt) could slide through your horse's mouth where a D-Ring or Full Cheek will not. Blu seems pretty chill though, so I'm not sure if you'd ever be caught in that situation!

That is what a chin strap is for

Here's what scares me....

He often plays with his bits any way he can. Seems to calm him I guess. But he sometimes pulls in the snanks of bits and stuff ans sucks on them and all that playing. I was thinking a Dee Ring would be much better for that and offer more control.

would only be more control if you are talking about a Kimblewick and not a plain D Snaffle.

I don't want to have to use a Kimberwick. I want to use plain and simple to sort of start over and train. And something that won't interfere with jumping and I doubt it does. Lol.

Maybe get him a snaffle with the rollers on it to entertain his busy mouth. I don't think a D-ring vs loose ring will have any affect on his oral habit.

He may not like the single joint in a D ring or loose ring snaffle. What tends to happen is when the rider activates both reins the bit will collapse on the tongue and bars and then the bit has a nut cracker effect. The horse may get busy in the mouth, reef on the reins, throw his head, etc. So maybe try a double jointed bit. I use the JP by Korsteel Oval Mouth Copper Loose Ring snaffle on my horse right now. The mouthpiece is curved to "fit" the horse's mouth better. Here's a pictrure of one. My horse loves this bit.

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.h..._content=36650

Yes, Mylers are the same way (well...similar). In fact, that's what I use; the three horses that I am riding now all seem to like it. If you want to keep him busy, but still keep the stationary effect of the d-ring, they make a full cheek snaffle with a copper roller. I think they also make a d-ring with the same roller, but I'm not sure. I just use the loose ring version, here:
http://www.doversaddlery.com/product...01300&ss=myler