What bit to choose? (Help!)

I was thinking I'd go with a Tom Thumb but I was reading a review and they said that's a poor choice for retraining a horse.

I also want a bit with control and leverage, like a basic curb.

I'm doing a bit of retraining on my horse, and I'm not sure which bit to choose. I don't own any bits now, so I kind of need to buy one before I can do any training beyond lunging and working him with just the saddle on. He takes any bit just fine just he needs a bit of work on turning, and stopping and with his ques. He gets them mixed up sometimes. I saw the past owner put D-ring Snaffle in when she had him in his English tack and I also saw her use a basic curb for his western.

I personally prefer to ride western. Any opinions/views on the kind of bit I should use for retraining/general purpose? Personal opinions and reasons are loved.

I would definitely stay away from the TT I have heard terrible things about them and their inablility to communicate properly. I find biting one of the frustrating things about tack too, here are a couple of previous posts on bits, hope it helps
http://www.horseforum.com/viewtopic....ghlight=humane

Oops forgot to add this one
http://www.todayshorse.com/Articles/...thTomThumb.htm

I read that article on the tom thumb and that's why it made me turn it away. Any other suggestions besides the cub? The curb is a leverage bit which often puts more pressure on the tongue than bars, any tips on a preferred snaffle type bit? Preferably an arched one to release tongue pressure or pressure ont he roof of the mouth.

It depends on what you need to work on. BUT to retrain/work on cueing you should use a snaffle bit. D ring is fine.. Medium size mouthpiece is good as a rule. Some people/horses like the frenchlink mouthpiece.

IF this horse needs to be taught to neckrein then you do it in a snaffle.. IF he already knows how to neckrein then any curb bit should be fine. Personally, I prefer a medium ported bit for a well trained western horse. And remember well trained usually means they know leg cues.. If you don't then you need to take lessons, trust me. ;) Still if cues need to be relearned then a simple snaffle is best to use. :) Buying bits will become something you do.. Get a basic snaffle, loose rein or D ring is good.. and then get a basic ported curb and maybe a nice jointed mouth curb as well, but not a tt.. Tho I had a well trained horse who went fine in one.

Well In my bit library there was a tom thumb handed down to me. It didn't look like one at first, because it was copper-plated and the picture was different so I took it, I mean, it was free! Yuck. This bit is horrible. It /is/ a tom thumb. I haven't even used it, I could image him standing there with his mouth wide open before I even let him see it so I stashed it away and decided to sell it.

I recently rode him with a Snaffle, D ring and an O ring. He did well on both, he didn't like the O as much but took to the D ring VERY well. He and I both know our leg cues, but he doesn't know how to neckrein and I'd like to teach him so that's what I'll begin doing.

What would you say about an eggbutt? I heard they are very gentle bits for a well trained horse, I'm hoping, once we get everything down, I can introduce him to that. I plan on riding him in both English and Western. As for English, I'd be in an all-purpose hunt seat style saddle, and for western just a western pleasure. I've put both styles on his back, and he took them equally as great so its wonderful. As for now, I'm going to finish him out western, teaching him to neck rein, keep his head lowered and jog, before I press into English.

Now, someone said to me that Snaffles, both D and O rings, are English bits and not to be used for western. Why? I don't see a problem using an English bit for him for western as for now. I would like to introduce him to the curb since I found he hasn't really been worked with one except a few occasions, but would it be okay to work him with a western headstall and saddle with an "English Bit?"

Unless you are showing etc it doesn't matter what you ride with. I ride western saddle mostly, sometimes an aussie. I use a kimberwick w/a billy allen mouth on my old appy. I use either a loosering or a D ring snaffle on my QH, Abe as well as my green filly, Heidi. I work on neckreining in those bits as well on the last 2 horses. Abe was trained/shown English so he's fine in a snaffle anyway.. Heidi has to learn to neckrein before she goes into a curb bit period. I also have ridden a former horse in a tt and he did fine.. It depends on what you want to accomplish, he was a finished trail horse. Before my appy lost his vision he went in a medium ported curb bit.

So, ride with whatever you like or need to for your purposes. :)

I do plan on doing both English and Western with him, since I've found I like them both. I want to train him in each, and then see which he excels in since I truly have no preference.

Thanks for the help. I do plan on doing some showing, but only halter shows. I can't afford to look fancy with all that other gear. :) Plus, I think its funner when things are cheaper.