# Dressage Legal Bits that offer Tongue Relief?



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

When I had my last lesson, JB recommended I try Moot in a ported snaffle to see if a bit of tongue relief would stop her being such a gobby cow.

So after a bit of nosing about I bought her a Bomber Happy Tongue Loose Ring Snaffle. I've been riding her in a very loose Cavasson and she is much better, still gobby and opinionated when she wants to be, but when we get nice work she is so much more even down the reins. Today she even managed to leg yield on both reins as she wasn't trying to open her gob, cross her jaw and bog off!
Her mouth was much wetter when I'd finished riding too. 

Now the only problem is I know that this bit is Dressage legal, so I am looking for something that offers tongue relief, but is also Dressage legal and if possible is in Sweet Iron! 

I've seen the CS Tongue Saver, that is top of my list at the moment, but just wondering if you bright sparks knew of anything else!!


----------



## KatB (28 March 2012)

I use one of the myler french links as madam also dislikes tongue pressure, and it's curved with small links. Worth looking at the bomber single jointed bits too, as the same metal but again curved for tongue relief? Also the neue schule team up, and starter should do the same!


----------



## kerilli (28 March 2012)

Sprenger do a 'correction bit' with either loose ring or eggbutt sides, which is ported and in aurigan (much nicer than sweet iron imho). i've got one but i've lent it to a friend at the moment, but tbh it's huge (6" straight bar, so very big) so prob too big for Moot? if not i can get it back (he's had it for a week or two so should have been able to tell by now it if helps or not) if you want to try.


----------



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

She already has the Team Up, that is what I've just swapped her out of, too much tongue pressure! I don't think she particularly likes anything with a lozenge/link in the middle, unless it has some way of locking and lifting off her tongue.


----------



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

K, just googled it and it looks very similar to what she's in at the moment. Is it Dressage Legal?


----------



## acw295 (28 March 2012)

I'm using the Neue Schule Trans Angled Lozenge baucher with good results - pony usually only works well in a ported pelham, but this is closer!


----------



## kerilli (28 March 2012)

yes, i'm sure the Sprenger is dressage legal, well, it used to be anyway! it counts as an 'unjointed snaffle'.
why isn't the bomber bit dr legal? because of the combination of materials?
what's she like in a single joint bit? i'll send you a hippus to try if you want, some horses really appreciate the single joint.


----------



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

acw295 said:



			I'm using the Neue Schule Trans Angled Lozenge baucher with good results - pony usually only works well in a ported pelham, but this is closer!
		
Click to expand...

I already have one of those! She goes over bent and short in the neck in that one as well as still objecting to the tongue pressure  Not that she is a fussy cow or anything!


----------



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

kerilli said:



			yes, i'm sure the Sprenger is dressage legal, well, it used to be anyway! it counts as an 'unjointed snaffle'.
why isn't the bomber bit dr legal? because of the combination of materials?
what's she like in a single joint bit? i'll send you a hippus to try if you want, some horses really appreciate the single joint.
		
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why it isn't legal, I assumed because it was ported it wasn't. Maybe I shall have to do some more investigating, because if it is it would solve all my problems! Plus save me some money 

She was first ridden in a single jointed bit and was bleedin' awful! But it was only chosen as it was a nice light plastic one and when she was being bitted and broken was when we had temps of -14, so I thought putting metal that cold in her mouth would probably put her off being ridden for life!! So it probably wasn't particularly ergonomic! The Hippus looks interesting though, where abouts did you gets yours from and how much was it, don't want to try it if I need to remortgage my house to buy one


----------



## acw295 (28 March 2012)

kirstyhen said:



			I already have one of those! She goes over bent and short in the neck in that one as well as still objecting to the tongue pressure  Not that she is a fussy cow or anything!
		
Click to expand...

That's a shame, its not perfect for us as she still hollows but it is marked improvements on every other dressage legal bit I've tried. We need the hanging cheek though so the bit sits more like a pelham.

We can only use a drop noseband (or no noseband when not stressaging) as my fussy madam objects to a cavesson due to a funny molar (that is tended regularly by dentist) and can't cope with anything on that part of her face. Frustrating isn't it!


----------



## kerilli (28 March 2012)

kirstyhen said:



			I'm not sure why it isn't legal, I assumed because it was ported it wasn't. Maybe I shall have to do some more investigating, because if it is it would solve all my problems! Plus save me some money 

She was first ridden in a single jointed bit and was bleedin' awful! But it was only chosen as it was a nice light plastic one and when she was being bitted and broken was when we had temps of -14, so I thought putting metal that cold in her mouth would probably put her off being ridden for life!! So it probably wasn't particularly ergonomic! The Hippus looks interesting though, where abouts did you gets yours from and how much was it, don't want to try it if I need to remortgage my house to buy one  

Click to expand...

the Hippus are expensive but i've got an ex-demo one you could try for nothing (well, just pay postage) if you wanted to. i tend to use them with either a loose cavesson noseband or a drop. 
otherwise, umm... have you tried a hanging cheek snaffle with small lozenge, this gives a little tongue relief (room to lift tongue) and i've had it work on v fussy mares.


----------



## kirstyhen (28 March 2012)

kerilli said:



			the Hippus are expensive but i've got an ex-demo one you could try for nothing (well, just pay postage) if you wanted to. i tend to use them with either a loose cavesson noseband or a drop. 
otherwise, umm... have you tried a hanging cheek snaffle with small lozenge, this gives a little tongue relief (room to lift tongue) and i've had it work on v fussy mares.
		
Click to expand...


I might try the Hippus if I can't find anything else, knowing Mal she would love the most expensive bit and then refuse to make do with anything else! 
The Hanging Cheek part makes her go very short and solid in her neck, I have one I could try again, but it requires very tactful riding on my part and I'm not sure I'm quite there yet!

I can't find a definitive answer about whether the Sprenger is legal or not. As far as the Bit Bank are concerned, none of the Bomber bits are legal, so it must be the metals, but for the Sprenger it doesn't say whether it is legal or not!


----------



## Pasha (28 March 2012)

Email BD and ask them. I don't think the Sprenger Correction Bit is BD legal as I was told no ported snaffles are when I asked, even though ported Weymouths are ok 

If they come back and say it is permitted, please let me know as would solve all of my problems!

My boy hates joints, lozenges, leans on straights but loves a ported show pelham and the cambridge snaffle or magic bit (loose ring ported) which isn't dressage legal!

Best so far ive found is the Myler Mullen Barrel with Eggbutt cheeks... he is ok in that but not as nice as the ported ones


----------



## quizzie (28 March 2012)

Bomber happy tongue bits are not dressage legal at present, but only because they haven't submitted them for approval yet. I know that they are planning to submit them for approval...so they MAY become legal in due course.

 I think I asked BD about the correction bit, & was told it was not legal?

 Informed designs do a very shaped mouth piece which they say IS dressage legal, & I believe they can make them specially in sweet iron for you

Can you tell I have a similar problem!!! I find the verbindend best for when I have to use a snaffle, but he is much more relaxed in a double with a nice forward port!


----------



## TarrSteps (28 March 2012)

I used to a Correction bit legally but I also think somewhere along the line it got put in the no pile. 

Have recently had one in an Informed Design mullen mouth hanging cheek - it has definitely helped his schooling although I'm not super keen on the feel it gives me, especially now he's stronger. 

The Bomber bit is on my list to try as an everyday bit but have shied away because of the legality issue. Interested to hear that might change! 

Most successful I've tried thus far has been the Demi-Anky but I'd like to try it with a fixed cheek next.

Not every horse prefers a double jointed bit and some that do show a preference for a particular lozenge design. Tricky creatures.


----------



## sackospuds (28 March 2012)

Hi I don't post very often, but i have a Happy Tongue Loose ring for my mare, which she loves, I emailed it to BD to ask if it was legal, and it isn't because of the port.

So I asked Jodie at the horse bit bank, she suggested an Informed Designs Loose Ring Mullen Square Curve, there is a round curve too, but she told me the square curve has more tongue room.
You can get this bit in sweet iron, but they don't have them for hire in that metal, so I'm trialling the stainless steel one at the moment, with the idea to swap it for a sweet iron one if she goes ok.

I've been riding in it for a week nearly, and she's going ok, she still prefers the happy tongue, but it'll be ok for comps I think.

Hope this helps


----------



## Mavis007 (28 March 2012)

My horse goes much better in the NS Verbindend than in the team up and he is very fussy in the mouth and sticks his tongue out. I have also discovered the verbindend with universal cheeks (bit like a gag but he doesn't come over bent in it ) that I just love riding him in both for schooling when he is full of it and to jump. I used to jump him in a pelham and he is just sooo much nicer than he was in that  As it has the same mouthpiece I ride in it the day before a dressage competition and swap to the dressage legal one for the competition.


----------



## LEC (25 April 2012)

Are Hippus bits dressage legal now?


----------



## kerilli (25 April 2012)

LEC said:



			Are Hippus bits dressage legal now?
		
Click to expand...

i've been told that as they are a single-joint bit with smooth mouthpiece etc they are legal, just as any other single-joint bit is. the FEI never stipulates a make of bit as being legal or otherwise, only general designs. so, impossible to get in writing from FEI that "Hippus" is legal, but the design is fine...
if that makes sense.
lots are being used for affiliated and no problems.


----------



## oldvic (25 April 2012)

The Sprenger correction bit is NOT dressage legal. I have used the Demi-anki with great success with horses with tongue issues and also a JP loose ring. It's educated trial and error to find the right answer. I find many horses block their necks with a hanging cheek although they work with some.


----------



## TarrSteps (25 April 2012)

Glad this came up again . . . re my comment on wanting to try the Demi-Anky with a fixed cheek on a horse that had shown improvement in the loose ring version, I belatedly realised I had effectively the same bit (made many years before the NS one, proving that there really are very few new ideas!) with a D ring and, in fact, the horse in question did prefer it over the loose ring NS DA. I would think the "secret" is the fact that it doesn't collapse completely and is relatively still in the horse's mouth.  I'd certainly try it again with a similar horse.


----------

