Is it better for a bit to be too big or too small?

SeeingSpots

Toffee - Spotted Hotshot
Feb 27, 2015
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North East, UK
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Ok I received Toffee's new sized bit today and I'm concerned it's a bit big but there's no way of getting round it if it is!!

To cut a long story short, he was in a Neue Schule eggbutt snaffle sized 4.75" and I put him in a simple 2 ring gag and went up 1/4" to a 5" with it being a loose ring. The 5" is far too small to the point where it has pinched his mouth and made it bleed on one side. Had it checked by my instructor and she said don't put him in it, it's too small, there's no clearance at all and I should be able to fit an adult finger in the gap between the ring hole and his lips. I can't even fit my little finger in, it is literally flush with his lips, no wonder it rubbed him. I measured it and it is an accurate 5" so I rang Fylde Saddlery and had a 5.25" bit made up for him identical to it.

Tried it tonight and he definitely has the clearance required for a comfortable fit but I worry that it's a bit too large now. Spoke to my instructor and she said it's better to be a tiny bit large than too tight. She came and checked it and said she was happy with it and not to worry.

I rode him in it and he was fine but it's worrying me a little about the size. Just wondered what everyone thought. I have taken some photos - one from each side - to show you. One side looks bigger as it's pulled through more which you will be able to see. I should have straightened it so it was sitting properly but didn't think to. The bit isn't uncomfortable for him from what I can tell, he's still very quiet in the mouth, behaved very well tonight and went very well in it. I just need some opinions really.
 

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Oh and to add to this post - I have been riding in his too small bit last week and covering his sore lip with cream to prevent further rubbing as I don't want to not ride him for a week as he can be difficult if that happens. It's not worked that well, his bit still rubbed his sore point raw. I hacked him with next to no contact and it rubbed him raw. Tonight I tried him in the bigger bit and despite it looking a bit big, it didn't rub. Not one bit. The scab was still intact so surely it must be a good thing that it's not rubbing.
 
If it's not rubbing and he's happy in it I wouldn't worry too much. The problem with too big bits is the possibility of them banging on the teeth and to be honest it really doesn't look like it's big enough to be doing that. It's not rubbing and he's happy. And it is far better to have a bit that's slightly too big than too small :)
 
If anything your flash looks a little tight?

Oh no, it's not. I can comfortably fit 2 fingers under it without it feeling too tight. It's snug but not so tight it is uncomfortable and it's well fitted in that it doesn't sit too low and restrict the nasal passages. I'm quite anal about my pony's comfort (hence this post haha) so honestly I would never have it too tight. I check, double check and then check everything again. I'm a bit of a nightmare in all honesty lol :oops:
 
If it's not rubbing and he's happy in it I wouldn't worry too much. The problem with too big bits is the possibility of them banging on the teeth and to be honest it really doesn't look like it's big enough to be doing that. It's not rubbing and he's happy. And it is far better to have a bit that's slightly too big than too small :)

Thank you, that's what my instructor said also and whilst I do trust her 100% I find it's always nice to get other opinions on things. There's no way I am keeping him in a bit that rubs and there was absolutely no clearance, it was too small. The issue I had was, I have only gone up 1/4 so had it been no good, there's no where else I can go lol The next step would have been bit guards to take up some space but I'd rather not use them if I don't have to. :)
 
Probably the angle in that case. :)

Honestly I am not a person who believes in welding a horse's mouth shut. I use the grackle as a reminder that if you should try and open your mouth to evade and be a prat, it will stop you. He tried tonight the little sod, I could have killed him. I had my daughter's friend riding him and he was foot perfect pretty much until I said ok we can leave it there and opened the gate. He doesn't normally get ridden in the dark on an evening so he wanted his dinner and he tried to do one with her back to the yard. His nose went to his chest, his mouth tried to open and he threw a complete fit and tried to drag her back to the yard. She was very good bless her and made him stand until she was ready and he gave up then calmly walked him onto the yard.

With all the groundwork and lessons I have had, he is generally well behaved but he can have his moments and when he does, he uses everything he can think of to get his own way lol Nothing is done in malice, he's just a brat sometimes. :-D
 
Thanks for this I've just been loaned a bit to try and I think it's too big I'm just wondering if it will be pulled side to side through his mouth. I thought bit guards might be an option to make it narrower. I think it's a hanging cheek bit. Would bit guards be ok to use with this bit. I'm just wondering if he will try chewing them. He's been chewing on the Dutch gag rings, somehow his long lips can grab the bottom of the rings.
 
I always thought that bit guards were to stop loose ring bits pinching but Toffee came to me in guards with his full cheek snaffle which is a fixed cheek the same as the hanging cheek and I have seen others use them with fixed cheek bits so I can't see why not. As far as chewing them goes, I wouldn't like to say but never heard of a horse trying to chew the rings on a gag lol Toffee has an annoying habit of grabbing the reins when I am leading him or grabbing the lead rope and chewing it. I just ignore that. He used to (very annoyingly) tuck his head in and grab the martingale but then one day he just stopped thank god.
 
With a loose ring especially I would prefer too big than too small, I've also used bit rubbers/rings before to take a little slack out and stabilize a slightly to big bit :)
 
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This is not advertising, but it is worth mentioning the Rocking S snaffle recommended by Mark Rashid for bit problems. You can read about it here

http://www.markrashid.com/about/rockin-s-snaffle

You can buy these bits in UK. Tho I havent googled to find out where.

As well as width, they come in two styles depending on (I think) the height of the palate. I know as I gave one to my friend in Texas who was having problems, and she told me she needed the deeper one.

They hold the bit very steady - stabilised central in the mouth without pinching and also help horses with riders whose hands are not too steady.

When I had my share, I tired to buy one of these from Mark at a demo as she was pulling so hard to get her head down to graze, that the bit was slipping sideways through her mouth. He didnt sell me one. He knows me as I rode on one of his courses - and he told me how to deal with the grazing problem, and only if it didnt work in a month, then he would sell me a bit!

But if I ever owned a horse I would ride in one of these. My friend loved hers. She is a beautiful rider, it wasnt her hands that were the problem. And it solved the problem with her mare.
 
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Looks fine to me :) @SeeingSpots it's because it's a grackle so it's on a different angle than a flash would be, mine looks like this and mine isn't too tight. If you have them too loose the noseband gets loose and then the centre of the grackle move halfway across their face lol.
 
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I had a driving bit made for my horse, he has quite a fleshy mouth so he has bit guards to help protect his mouth. Works a treat, if yours is only a tiny bit big. Then I wouldn't worry at all.
 
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