Which bit do you use?

[chescar]

Troy used to go lovely in a straight bar hanging cheek, but just recently he has started leaning on it again.

Tried him him a french link - hated it.
Tried him in a waterford - didn't lean on it but its not dressage legal

He has a big fat tongue and a fleshy mouth.

Any ideas?

[CityLights]

Straightbars are quite a dull mild bit i dont like riding in them at all i find you have very little feel in one, a frecnh link if it is a proper square link not a lozenge will encourage him to lean further or at least thats what i have always been told and have found with some horses

If he has a big tounge and therefore not much room in his mouth i would go for something thinner, if he is happy with a straight bit but you dont have the feel you want i would go for a myler staright bar comfort sanffle, you have the benefits of being able to use both sides of the bit becasue the barrel means it is much more mobile and myler bits tend to be much thinner,

im not sure if there is one with a hanging cheek but there are a varriety of different sides you can buy, check they are dressage legal though as some arent some have copper inlays which make them illegal and some have hooks on the rings which again makes it illegal

[My Crazy Clan]

I use eggbutt snaffles, magic in another one, can't remember the name but the eggbutt snaffle doesn't go well in his mouth.

[Spockky boy]

Spock was in a full cheek with a french link when he was on the RS but he HATED it. I then swapped him into a eggbutt snaffle with copper rolls, he went awful at first, but then went quite nicely after a few weeks, the only bit I can hold him (enough!) when going XC, as hes either too strong in any other bit or fights in it. Will swap him back into a loose ring for flatwork when I get him back.

Like Troy Spock got a fairly big tounge so it is a bit of trial and error trying to find a bit to suit his mouth.

[Squid]

What about a different mouthpiece instead of steel? Perhaps a sweet iron to encourage him to mouth the bit. That might stop him leaning.

[chescar]

Thanks squid - someone has lent me a loose ring which I will try at the weekend. he wasn't as bad today - but has been better.

[scewae]

I am in the same boat, i want to change my mares bit she is in a waterford universal but now she has been moved from the livery enviroment she is much more mentally stable shall we say! She used to lean heavily but has stopped doing this and was thinking about trying a cambridge pelham, she is a big girl and a snaffle isn't quite enough for her.