Bomber happy tongue bit

[niko]

Recently acquired a new tb mare who i think has a very sensitive tongue which required tongue relief. Does anyone have, or tried one of these bits as they do look better than the verbindend.
I have tried her in a NS tranz lozenge which was a disaster she hated it and did a lesson with a full cheek with a copper peanut which was better, but not terrific.
Back, teeth and health all hunky dory, just if she is not happy she is hard to control and sets herself against the contact and constantly chomps at.
Any advice on tongue relief with some control a bonus!

[quizzie]

Hi, yes...I use them on a big Holstein horse, with a fleshy tongue, for jumping. He hates tongue pressure, & accepts my input much more readily in this. I use the kimblewick for SJ, & find the mouthpiece very kind.

However, they are not dressage legal...so I use a verbindend for this ,as it gives more tongue relief than the normal lozenge bits.

It is really a case of trial & error to see which suits your own horse!!

[martlin]

I like the look of bomber bits, but haven't tried one. I have a selection of NS bits, including verbindend, Mylers seem to work as well and some of them are dressage legal, and for a very tricky customer with tongue flipping habit I found the Mikmar snaffle quite settling and successful.

[TarrSteps]

How funny, quizzie, I was just going to reply I was talking about one recently and it got a favourable review!

Are you looking for something to do dressage in? That's a bit trickier, as anything with a port would, by definition, be illegal. A horse I ride that is very fussy with his tongue is currently in an "Intelligent Design" bit (the name makes me laugh and laugh) which is effectively a very curved mullen mouth Baucher, and seems happy-ish in it. He is much improved in his mouth but we've done a lot of work in other areas so hard to say how much is the bit. He also seemed happier in my KK Schumacher Correction Bit but they cost a bomb and the ID bit seemed to work as well for him. I'm not sure how BD would view the Schumacher bit - it is curved "up" but don't know if that would count as ported - but I have used it in dressage in a country with virtually identical bit rules. I would think the ID bit would be legal, as curved not ported, but it would definitely require confirmation. You could also try any of the legal Myler mouthpieces, perhaps with a hanging cheek (or any Baucher/hanging cheek for that matter) although I haven't necessarily found them a great option for horses that don't like tongue pressure and find they can make a horse very still, almost rigid, in the neck, so better for a horse that's wiggly rather than yawing against.

For jumping, there are many more options. The Bomber bits, obviously, but also various combination bridles (Mylers are the most well known but there are others) MikMar (were wildly popular at one point in North America, put forward as the cure for all ills, but they are very good for what they work for, if that makes sense), Peewee bits . . .you could also try a Kineton (not harsh, despite what people say, but some strong horses really like the "holding" of the bit and the addition of nose pressure, and go very sweetly in them) . . . so many options! It's probably worth a call to a bit bank/bitting service. I used Myler years ago and would not have thought of the bit they suggested but it worked a treat.

[niko]

Many thanks everyone for your reponses, it seems that a bit for a horse with a sensitive tongue are hard to come across! She does have a small mouth, a 4.5" full cheek fitted her a treat and i think as it didnt slide across her mouth she was also more settled. Im not looking for anything dressage legal as i dont have time to do anything affiliated really so most is unaffiliated and tack is only really checked when on the horse.
I have found a pee wee bit on ebay for a bargain so will try that and hope it works and may also trial a bomber happy tongue and update you's on the difference and also maybe a pic if im lucky!
Thanks