[ElisLove]

Just bought my boy a new bit that I think he will really like. I've never really seen a bit like it before. My current boy who tends to have a funny mouth but often wants to be a bit too light in the hand (gotten MUCH better, almost to being a non issue anymore but that's his tendency) was going in a straightbar happymouth (the one with the bumps) eggbutt. And this is the one I bought

http://pic50.picturetrail.com/VOL481.../405603970.jpg
It's a nathe bit and the mouthpiece is flexible but not really flexible. More flexible than a happy mouth but less flexible than the white nathe material.

I would have preferred it in a d-ring/eggbutt ring instead of a loose ring as he likes the 'purchase'/stability of the fixed sides and tends to get rubs/pinches from loose rings. I bought the velcro fabric type bit guards as the rubber ones leave too much gapping around the mouthpiece and still let him get rubs, but the velcro ones 'hug' the mouthpiece and prevent that.

Anyways, just wondering if anyone had tried this bit and on what kind of horse and how did you like it?

[KateKat]

Funky, I've never seen a rubber/plastic bit like that either. Who is the manufacturer?

[ElisLove]

It's a Nathe bit (or that's what the price tag says).

[Mayaty02]

i ordered a bit just like that from Beris... but in a dee ring. Have you tried it yet?

[Mayaty02]

i bet it's a beris... really looks like the loose ring option of what I bought...
http://www.xcellentrider.com/index.p...12ab021931de4a

[Scratch N Dent]

Hi,
Beris makes a D-ring bit tha looks very similar (http://www.beris.co.uk/Dring_ported.html). Was debating purchasing one for a horse I ride.

[ElisLove]

I haven't tried it yet. Don't get to try it till next week. I don't believe it is a beris as the color is different and this one doesn't have the metal pieces around the holes for the loose ring piece. When I try it next week I will try to let you know how it went. I will keep the beris one in mind if I like the bit but want something with solid sides.

[ElisLove]

Just pulled it up. It is definitely a nathe
http://www.equiport.co.uk/products/d...d_snaffle/959/

[Mayaty02]

cool. well let us know how your horse likes it! Mine probably won't come in for a month minimum

[rugbygirl]

I tried a bit that looked like this one, on my Trakehner gelding...it didn't have any tags, so not sure if it was the same or not. He hated it, but he also hated the Happy Mouths and various other plastic and rubber combos.

My horse was also trained to neck rein, and I think the port and unbroken mouthpiece makes him think he's supposed to be "Western" and so he backs way off the contact.

The biggest worry I would have is that your horse is going well in a non-loose ring arrangement, and that's a big change in the action. It might take a few rides for him to get used to the action before you see how he likes the bit.

[ElisLove]

Thanks for the reply. My boy definitely goes the best in the happymouth straight bar, so I am really hoping he does like this one.
He has gone in loose rings before but he has such issue with them pinching that I often switch him just cause of that, however these bit guards I think will prevent that. SO we will see if he was a solid ring attachment or not. I could try it will some sealtex (or whatever it's called) to 'make' it a fairly solid ring attachment if I think he likes the mouthpiece but needs more stability.

[equinekingdom]

I've never seen anything like that before, did you order it online? have you tried this one yet? excited to hear the results!!

[ElisLove]

Thought I would update this since I have tried it on my horse now. Haven't done a ton in it as I gave my horse a couple months off this winter and am still just getting him back in shape. We've been doing walk/trot only so far. Things seemed to be going ok in it. He's always very difficult at the walk in the mouth cause he likes to be super light and random with his head (and I don't normally spend as much time on the walk as I should) but he would get better as the ride would go on. At the trot he was wanting to be a bit tense and on the under side and trying to be a bit rushy, and I had to do a lot of bending/counter bending/ flexions to encourage him to reach into it (something that has really helped him since being with my current trainer) but it wasn't great. However I didn't know if it was because he's been out of work, and isn't doing a whole lot yet. Yesterday, I decided that I would try his old bit (straight bar, happy mouth eggbutt) today to see if it was the bit or just the out of work making him not as good as I would like.
Well, he clearly chooses the happymouth! I could practically just sit there and do nothing and he was so wiling to reach into it, really work from his hind end and kept a beautiful, even tempo. SO much better. So that was 70 bucks down the drain haha. Apparently happymouth is the way to go!

[TBPONY]

Interesting. Thanks for the update!