I want to use an English shanked snaffle on my stallion. I don't know what to get.?

This is not going to be a lecture... Some of this you may already know, but I want to give you my insight, being that I am familiar with the Spanish Riding School and Cardre Noir.

That curb that you are using right now is ideally what the Vaqueros use(d). Something with a medium-small shank (because they didn't NEED to be in their horse's mouths to attain collection - they trained them in a way that was already there) to allow them to easily control their horse. But that control doesn't come from the bit. It comes from years and years of correct training.

See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKWau0fGpr4

and:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOVykh4tGzk

The only true equivalent of that in the English world is a double bridle (weymouth with a bradoon), and those must be used with two reins, and take a LOT of training to be able to use properly. This is the setup the Spanish Riding School uses when in exhibition. I would not suggest a double bridle to you until you have spent many, many years riding with two reins on a Pelham. Why? Because if the rider is unfamiliar with two reins, it can be confusing to the horse. The rider must learn how to first hold the reins correctly (a lot of people seem to be confused on the correct configuration, but the info is out there), and then how to separate the aids and do so clearly EVERY TIME.

Any horse that can go in a double bridle can go in a simple snaffle (with a loose ring). The bit will not change his posture (the "curve" of his neck) unless he was only posing on the bit to begin with (which is a possibility given the type of bit he was in - bits like the one he started in can cause the horse to pose on the bit to give the illusion they are "on the bit" when really their back is hollow and they are moving with straightened joints... in essence, the horse is not truly "through").

If you want extra insurance on a trail, a Pelham with a converter may be your best bet. That being said, every horse is different. He may react well to the curb, he may not. In the school, I would suggest a loose ring snaffle (probably a single joint since that's what you've been riding him in). Not even the SRS uses a double bridle all the time - you have to learn to "lift" your horse and encourage him to become collected and through, through proper use of his hind end - none of that has anything to do with the bit unless the bit is causing resistance.

Allllll that being said... why not keep him in a small shank western bit when in the school? If you're not showing, it's perfectly acceptable. I mean... see above videos. If that's what he goes well in, why change it other than on the trail?

Sure, it can be harsh and it is not the same as a snaffle bit. You might have a damaged mouthpiece but, the shanks along with the curb chain make this a leverage bit (or a curb bit). The reins on the tip of a direct pull snaffle works on the corners of the mouth. The curb with a damaged mouthpiece makes use of ballot pressure as well as strain on the bars considering of the leverage from the shanks. The longer the shanks the harsher. Another factor with a damaged mouth levergae bit is that the jointed part of the mouthpiece definitely has a nutcracker influence within the mouth and might reason the joints to come back collectively and press onto the palate (roof of mouth). A milder choice could be to have a mullen mouth or just a straight bar. It could now not be as harsh as the broken mouthpiece. Many are burdened about this and can quite often stir some controversy but the mechanics are fully different even though you think considering that it has a "snaffle" mouthpiece it's as tender as an instantaneous pull actual snaffle it's not. Does your pony throw her head, rough to manipulate, etc.? Also, not every horse is destined to use a direct snaffle however there are other choices with shanks and a superior mouth. Also, a riders arms are what makes slightly harsh and not. I would alternatively have extra bit and a lighter hand then the opposite!!

I am not sure what bit bullfighters use but I do believe it is not as gentle as a snaffle. If I recall they have a high port which puts pressure on the roof of the horses mouth and is not comfortable.

The Spanish Riding School uses two types.

A snaffle bit (as Azeri explained-your bit actually is a shank bit & I do ride western, but use a snaffle).

They also use a double bridle or a Weymouth that uses for reins-that does take lessons to learn how to use correctly!

Appropriate bits is not semantics nor is anything else when it concerns the well being of your horse.

If you want to get into english riding the most common bit is the snaffle.

If you cannot ride your horse n a snaffle you may want to look at a pelham or a kimberwicke. Although, personally I am not a fan of the kimberwicke as in the wrong hands (incorrectly) it can have a nutcracker effect on your your horses mouth.

There is no such thing as an "English shanked snaffle" - or any snaffle with shanks, for that matter.

ETA: It's not your fault! The western catalogues are simply wrong. It drives me nuts as I have to explain this to new students all the time.

Once a bit, any bit, no longer has the reins attached directly to the bit ring, and is now attached to the shanks, it is no longer a snaffle, by definition. Shank bits use the physics principle of leverage to iincrease the amount of pressure applied to the horse (mouth, poll, chin groove) in relation to the amount of pressure applied by the hands. The amount of pressure the horse feels is multiplied, depending on the lenght of the shanks. A broken mouth piece on a bit with shanks is quite a bit more potentially harsh than is a shanked bit with a straight or ported mouth piece. Many people erroneously think that the configuration of the mouthpiece is what determines whether a bit is a snaffle or not. It's the place of attachement of the reins in relation to the mouthpiece that determines whether a bit is a snaffle or a leverage bit.

So, all that said, the bit you used - - a leverage bit with a broken mouthpiece - was a fairly strong bit. Some English bits with leverage include Pelhams and Kimberwicks. You could always use a double bridle to start with so you'd have the option of riding off the (true) snaffle or the leverage bit.

Snaffles don't have shanks. Snaffle means "simple", in reference to a bit where there is no fulcrum at which leverage can be gained. Schneiders can call them whatever they like; in reality, those are jointed curbs.

I also think you need to spend time with a humane instructor that can actually train a horse. Bits, or any tack for that matter, has no power, control, or otherwise known authority over a horse of any discipline. Only people can train a horse. If the horse doesn't know or respect what you're asking, they won't do it. Therefore, it is paramount that you achieve your goals through training, not through the use of confusing, painful devices which serve no purpose or ability to communicate to the horse.