What is you favorite kind of bit to use on your horse? what hackamore for you bit-less ? Do you like to change bits every once in awhile?

I have a few broken mouth bits with a variety of copper and sweet iron mouths in different widths. Not all of these are "snaffles". I also have a full double bridle with bridoon and curb and can use it effectively (seems to be a lost art). For most mounted training, like Jeff, I prefer a bosal, actually a couple of them. I am not into bosalitas as I consider it a form of bragging. When I put a horse in a leverage bit I consider a lot of things tall or short cheeks (how much presignal), a lot of mouth or very little (some horses are happy just letting a bit hang but others prefer to hold it), how wide, (I have had some dainty horses), how long the shanks, what angle on the shanks (Swept back for a horse that tends to over flexion, or one that someone wants to look at a cow), and finally toys for the mouth, by now I have a good idea of weather the horse likes copper or sweet iron. and if they like rollers or crickets (a horse that will play with a cricket will lift a bit and be very sensitive to a light touch particularly if the cheeks are fairly tall). So the bit is usually purchased for one horse. I generally make the bridle and rein set and it goes when the horse goes. Sometimes (not always) I have a lot of mouth in a bit. Horses that will lift and carry a bit seem to like this. I have even used a rutlege roper with shortened shanks and got very very good results and did not harm the horses mouth in any way. I did shorten the shanks to 5" and had the edges softened and had the bit tempered and quenched. This is beyond the abilities of most horsemen. Ah I forgot, I had a horse that would lip the shanks of a bit and bite it. I rode that horse in an old US Calvary bit with an average grazing curb and S shanks. She was a sweet ride too.

And this is why I say what you really need is a "Bit of knowledge".

And in every one of these the key was getting the horse to give lightly and immediately, then to wait for a signal when reins are addressed. This must be laid on FIRST and in a controlled environment before going out to get killed on a trail ride or in a big pasture.

I use about 4 different bits with my mare. My most - used bit is a shank snaffle bit. Sometimes I use it with a noseband. If my horse is ever feeling a bit stronger and needs to soften up in the face more, I change to a longer shank snaffle bit. For horse shows, I use a correction bit with rollers on the mouthpiece. For English (which we rarely do) I use a D-ring snaffle bit. I do not use hackamores for any type of riding.

My mare does not do well in snaffles since she has a low palette. So for English and jumping I use a low port Kimberwicke and for Western and trails I use a low port curb. She does well in both of these as long as my hands stay soft and no longer throws her head like she did with the snaffles. She came with a mechanical hackamore which I used once and never did again.

In general, french link, double jointed, or low port mouth piece. My mare is not a fan of single joined snaffles. Baucher or egg-butt cheek pieces, loose ring at times. I have a custom made Myler bit that I love love love- baucher with low port- Dressage legal too! I will use a low-port kimberwick on the trail.

I typically ride in one bit for a while, but if I find my horse needing improvement in an area, I may switch for a few sessions. For example, sometimes she leans on the baucher... a loose-ring french link for a few rides tends to get her mind back in the game.

I use a loose ring lozenge snaffle on my mare. I swapped bits a few times until I settled on this one. I searched just until I found something that fit right and that my horse seemed to like. Now we just stick with this one bit. For casual english riding, this is all I need.

I used to use a eggbutt snaffle. This however has a nutcracker action which my horse hated and used to grab the bit and take off. I changed her over to a loose ring sweet iron loosering snaffle, which is loose ring (so horse cant grab the bit) and is double jointed so won't hurt my horse's mouth. She has settled really well with it :)

depends where the horse is in it's training

I have about 40 bridles and bits in my tack room... and a nice set of bosals down to pencil diameter bosalitas.

One old sweet iron snaffle get's used on just about every horse we train here... my saddle horses are far enough along to be ridden in curbs.

Bitless... is a regression in western riding... especially for ranch horses we raise in the Western USA... not to say I don't ride a broke horse in a bosal now or then... maybe when teaching a student how to use one or just messing around in the arena

Depends on the horse. But I started most horses in a sweet iron O-ring snaffle. Most of my horses were ridden in a bosal quite a bit, a couple were ridden in side pull.

As far as a curb bit, it depended on the horse, but this was my favorite and MOST horses liked it.

http://www.sstack.com/western_bitscurbs_mullenlow-...

One gelding I had, needed grazing shanks, or he'd play with them, he used a sweet iron, medium port bit with grazing shanks.

My favorite is a copper mouthed d-ring snaffle. I do have a few others I use as appropriate to the horse and need.