New trends with bits in the show ring

[snooperdooper]

My boy goes in a French link snaffle for everything including working hunter. The only time he goes in a Pelham is in the pairs classes as our pair has a Pelham and it also gives me a bit more control in evenings as we can get very excited haha

[aimee24]

Is it just me, or are there very few people who consider their horses mouth conformation? We do for saddles, why not our horses mouths? I know/hear of riders who chuck a new bit in their horses mouth every other day to find one that works, without considering the conformation of the mouth. That and masking problems by over bitting is annoying for me, go back to basics and school.

[connemaras123]

My latest moan about bits...

I just saw a 4.5 inch ( so I assume its for a small ish pony) Wilkie 'snaffle' advertised that has a twisted mouth piece and an offset Dr. Bristol link!! I hope this bit isn't used on a first ridden or a pony ridden by a child. Makes me wonder what people really have in some ponies mouths, unbelievable! Especially if it is being passed off as a snaffle.

[dtw17nicola]

I have just seen a what looks to be 6-7 year old boy on a 12shp go champion at puk yesterday in a SWALES bit!!!!
This should never be allowed in the ring it promotes the "pin it in culture" and shows the lack of knowledge and respect the trainer has for both the pony and the jockey

[polroger]

I also wonder if people are spending a lot of time and money on competing if perhaps they do not have the time or money to invest in having lessons to improve their riding or looking at alternative ways of schooling to produce a horse that is is classically trained and that looks and goes well in the more conventional bits.


In my experience, this is all too often the case!
Relentless kick kick kick, no idea of correct aid application and engagement, suppleness and bend are a foreign language.
I would imagine though hs, if the vast majority if not all of the class go in a similar manner, perhaps the judge just has no other choice than to pick the best of a bad lot. Advice can be given, but can just as easily be lost in the translation once the child tries to decipher the common sense spoken to them by the judge.

Back to bits, one I saw somewhere last year was a three ring gag, but the third ring had been welded onto the end of a very short shank - 1cm or so, therefore evading the gag rule, and was on a produced show pony.

[connemaras123]

Swales on a 12hh childs pony is ridiculous.! It really is down to hard work and schooling and getting the correct mouth piece for the horses mouth conformation. I bought a traditional coloured in September and I physically could not stop him he was so strong and just set his neck, wouldn't come.down on bit at all.. I could have tried whacking any old bit in to try to mask this and said he will only go in this bit or that bit.. but in stead I have spent 8 months schooling and schooling..I can now ride him in school and open fields in a Wilkie snaffle (working towards a standard snaffle) or plain pelham, and barely need to touch his mouth or pull! It can be done, without these awful and unecessary bits, just hard work and perhaps the suitable mouth piece for that particular horse.

[cayo]

I feel if its an allowed bit and the horse pony is going sweetly and happy in whatever bit the owner chooses to ride it in then that should be fine for any one ,judges and spectators, just because you dont like a particular bit doesnt mean it shouldnt be allowed or cant be used ect ,if a horse isnt schooled well it will show up in it ridden performance whatever bit it has in its mouth or are we aiming at judging what is in the animals mouth rather than how it performs now .

[sarahp]

It's more complicated than that, it's not a question of "not liking". The ideal is that every horse or pony should go lightly and obediently in the most mild of bits, so if it needs a stronger one that should count against it for the ride. And small children should be encouraged to ride in kind bits on ponies that will go sweetly in them, so a strong bit on a child's pony, as well as showing an undesirability in the pony, is not good for the child's riding education.

[sophoclees]

May 14, 2014 6:11:12 GMT sarahp said:

It's more complicated than that, it's not a question of "not liking". The ideal is that every horse or pony should go lightly and obediently in the most mild of bits, so if it needs a stronger one that should count against it for the ride. And small children should be encouraged to ride in kind bits on ponies that will go sweetly in them, so a strong bit on a child's pony, as well as showing an undesirability in the pony, is not good for the child's riding education.

Totally agree
I have found,that my mare fights the contact if it is too strong, or if the bit is too strong. However, if she having a 'mad moment of welsh brattyness' which does happen on a regular basis I find that i need to have a stronger bit. I find that the beauty of riding with two reins is that you can decipher how the pony is going and ride off the snaffle with a very weak contact on the curb. I know that here we are talking about use of tom thumbs but also that people have commented on putting pones that have just been backed into pelhams.... this is absurd. An un backed pony should have a soft mouth and unless the are spooky or silly most will work sweetly in a soft bit, if started off in a strong bit-or put in one very early on in their educations they are then stuck in terms of being able to go back to a softer bit as the pony's mouth will have become hard.

xxx

[katie30]

I see cavesson nose bands so tight they are digging in to the ponies face and curb chains that are so tight on a relaxed rein. It shouldn't be allowed,.