Viva Carlos Blog Hop: Bit it up

L. Williams and the majestic unicorn ask us: What bit [do] you ride your current beastie in and why?

For years and years, Moe went in a plain old D-ring snaffle. Why? Because the woman I bought him in told me he went in a snaffle, and I happened to have a D-ring that fit him.

Moe went all three phases in a D-ring.

Dressage (it's okay to laugh)

Cross-country

Show jumping

A few years ago, I lent Moe's bridle (complete with bit) to someone I played polo with. I moved before he returned it and although I offered to pay for shipping to have him send it back to me, I never saw it again. (He also kept my saddle. Rude.)

These days, Moe goes in a French-link eggbutt snaffle. It originally came with Gina. 

Moe seems to like the solidity of the eggbutt cheekpieces and chews on the French link a little bit more than he did the D-ring. Other than that, he goes about the same. Sometimes I think I need something that would provide more brakes on cross-country (and show jumping, too), but I find that a figure-8 noseband works just fine for us in show situations. Moe is strong and gets very excited, but he isn't wild and will usually back down after a few half-halts.

Gina goes in something very similar, a French-link loose ring snaffle.

I was introduced to this bit by my trainer, Anne, who loved it for all of her dressage horses. Gina likes it a whole lot better than the eggbutt she came with. She is soft and responsive in this bit, and although she gets strong over fences with it sometimes, she is usually pretty easy to settle with a half-halt or two.