[appsRtheway2go]

Lately my moms horse has been wanting to GO GO GO! We ride her in a Tom Thumb bit. She was really good with that, soft mouth. When I pull her to a stop, well its more of a stuggle.

With bit would be better for her?

[PinkHorse]

I'm not trying to be snarky but training would be better than a new bit. Your horse should stop off your seat & legs and possibly mild resistance in your hands rather than a bit yanking in their mouth.

[PUtNEE]

Tom Thumbs give very conflicting pressure. They're not well designed bits at all. Some horses ride fine in them I'm sure, but if you have to pull, they collapse on themselves and put pressure on the wrong areas. Any true snaffle will be better.

[Nightwindrider]

Originally Posted by PUtNEE

Tom Thumbs give very conflicting pressure. They're not well designed bits at all. Some horses ride fine in them I'm sure, but if you have to pull, they collapse on themselves and put pressure on the wrong areas. Any true snaffle will be better.

I agree. My horse is a GO GO GO horse, and blows through stops, I use a twisted wire snaffle and she stops right when I ask. But I also agree that training is also VERY important, my mare will respond to a pull on the reins, but what you want is that to be a secondary measure, you want a stop right after you say WOAH!

[RacePony007]

i would use a low port or better yet a mullen shank bit! NEVER use a shank bit with a moving mouthpiece!

[BlazinTrails]

I would recommend going back to training. Work her at the "whoa", flexing, bending, seat, leg and hand cues.
You shouldn't need a big bit or harsh bit inorder to get a horse to whoa.

Good luck

[PinkHorse]

Originally Posted by RacePony007

i would use a low port or better yet a mullen shank bit! NEVER use a shank bit with a moving mouthpiece!

Why? (too short)

[Native Winds]

Originally Posted by RacePony007

i would use a low port or better yet a mullen shank bit! NEVER use a shank bit with a moving mouthpiece!

You can use a curb with a moving mouthpeice. I train in one all the time. When I have done my preliminary training and the horse has graduated to a curb (I train TWH, WP and others) I often use a moving mouthpeice. Some horses dont need that continual pressure like a solid mouth peice can give. Some horses need pressure in different areas that dont require a solid mouth peice. Ie. perhaps I want more corner of the mouth contact and less bar contact. Perhaps a horse is not suited for a solid mouth peice and works quieter with the movable peice mouthpeices. Perhaps the horse does better with lighter contact on the bars and more contact on the corners of the mouth, Perhaps the horse is a mouth player and finds the solid bit uncomfortable. Its not all just about poll pressure, curb action and what have you. I often use a three piece mouth peice with either a roller in the middle or a Dr. Bristol, half moon, french link and etc. This displaces the pressure over the entire mouth with out a nut cracker effect like a regular snaffle bit can give. Can work on the bars individualy, can give independant use on the shanks, and can give you more nervous horses something to play with like a roller. In the wrong hands they can be very confusing but that same goes with any bit.

Tom THumbs tend to the the most popular bit for no good reason. Many such bits can be very confussing to a horse because of irregular pressure points and opossing pressure points with the way the bit itself is designed. When I use movable mouth peices similar to a TB I use a stablizing bar on my bits. Some horses do realy well with a TB most dont. If a horse is not stopping it can be two to three reasons. 1. not taught to stop or not efficiently trained to stop esp on a regular snaffle. 2. The horse has learned to ignore the cue do to inconsistancy hand use, sore mouth, not well trained to stop in the first place and evasion of the bit due to improper hand use. 3. Mixed signaling. Telling the horse to go via leg cue and yet telling the horse to stop in the mouth.

A bit doesnt make a horse stop its the training done to a horse to teach him how to stop and what cue goes with it. I would very much go back to basics with the horse and reteach or teach him what stopping is all about. Its just not in the reins and mouth, its body and legs also.

[Native Winds]

A mullen mouth gives tongue releif but it sits on the outer edge of the bars. It hits a different set of nerves than if it sat right on the bars of the mouth. Mullen mouth bits can be forgiving on a horse with a cut tongue or a cut bar. But still mind you that there is new sets of nerves being played on. A mullen mouth curb will not stop a horse any more than a TB.....the horse still needs to learn what whoa means regardless of bit.