thin/thick bits

[Deleted]

Do most of you use thick or thin bits? just curios. ;D
I personaly perfer thinner bits 16mm or smaller.

[olivia]

I think it depends on the horse.

For Tilly she has a VERY fleshy tongue and a VERY low palette which mean she has hardly any room for a bit in her mouth. If I were braver I think she'd probably go best in a bitless, but as I'm not that brave I have to find a bit that is most comfortable for her.

After lots of experimentation she goes best in a double jointed lozenge style bit - the thinner the better. Her snaffle is a 14mm bit and her combination bit is a 16mm (cause they don't make them in a 14mm!).

So for Tilly - I prefer thinner bits.

However for other horses, with more room I would start off with a more conventional thickness and go from there. So IMO it's horses for courses and there's no hard and fast rule to make (as ever!!!).

[harveydales]

Yes, it does seem to be trial and error taking your horses personal preferences and their mouth conformation into account. Harvey and Dolly both like thin Myler or lozenge bits but my last cob who also had a very small, fleshy mouth liked a VERY thick and heavy KK lozenge.

[harleydales]

Harley has a fairly thin Tom Thumb sweet iron bit.

I also usually start in a full cheek french link, and went down that route with Lady, but she was fussy with it and is now in a hanging cheek (french link) and seems more comfortable with that. It is a little narrower than the full cheek one was, though she doesn't seem to have a small mouth orr fleshy tongue.

Trial and error is the way forward! I don't think there IS a hard and fast rule.