Boy do I feel Dumb!

I just found out that the bit I was going to change to, that I thought was a snaffle is actually called a curbed bit

I always thought that the jointed bits were snaffles, I guess I had better stick with my training bit which is a sweet iron snaffle with copper inlay.

Aappy, that's a Tom Thumb and so many people mistakenly call it a Western Snaffle. A snaffle, as you must have found out, has no shanks.

BTW, before you use that particular bit, you may want to read this article: http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/...thTomThumb.htm

A better choice, and one that I've been using for many years, is a shanked bit with a Billy Allen mouth piece. I'm a huge fan of that bit because the barrel in the center prevents the nutcracker effect that the TT creates, it is better balanced, and the shanks can move back and forth without effecting the other side. Here are some examples but you may find them cheaper on ebay or other tack stores: http://www.rods.com/dg/235,123_Billy-Allen-Bits.html

http://www.rods.com/dg/124,123_Western-O-Ring-Bits.html

The one that is called "reinsman sweet iron bit" is similar to the one I am now using. I also have a straight rubber bit with the O rings and no shank. Which I have used, just hadn't realised that the "snaffle" shanked bit wasn't really a Snaffle but and curbed bit.