Loose or fixed ring bit?

[wabuska]

What do you prefer and why?

[big e]

i have always ridden in a loose ring but after recently losing my bridle i have found that my cob actually rides better in a fixed d ring.

I think fixed are better for younger hands

[Deleted]

Fixed, for clarity of signal and stability of the bit in the mouth.

[eden]

Liz you were a star when I was looking for a bit for Vix, she is now in a fixed before with a happy mouth loose she hated it!. Thanks again Lizxxx

[Louise C]

I've always ridden in a loose ring - not sure why tbh!

[tikkatonks]

I prefer loose rings and a double joint, I don't like the feel of fixed rings.
I was put off single jointed bits by diagrams of what happens when you pull on the reins, and I absolutely hate the feel of a straight bar mouth piece.

Most horses I have ridden feel softer with loose rings but maybe that is just a gut instinct rather than fact.

I think bits are more about the rider than the horse sometimes. Me and a friend would ride the same horse in totally different bits and the horse did not seem bothered either way.

[naria]

Depends on the horse. One of mine is in a fixed cheek, the other a loose ring.

Why?
Jim is sensitive in the mouth, likes a still feel & a very clear signal - he never feels happy or steady in the mouth in a loose ring bit & will duck behind the contact however well ridden. He also hates double jointed bits, I think for the same reasons.
Little Un is in a loose ring. The complete opposite of Jim, he's quite content to latch onto the bit & bulldozer through the contact. A loose ring has more play in it & encourages him to be a lot softer in the jaw & neck. Maybe this will change as his schooling progresses but I suspect he'll always be better in something that discourages setting on the contact.

[clairebearnz]

One of mine is in a fixed cheek, she hated the movement of a loose ring and would throw her head around.

The other one is in a loose-ring because he loves the movement of a loose-ring and sets his neck on fixed rings.

Personally, I prefer loose-rings, I just prefer the feel of them.

[Azrael]

I think it depends on the horse. Roxy goes better in a hanging cheek, she's ok with eggbutt or loose ring as well but not as good as in a hanging cheek and the steering is better in something fixed when she's having an opinionated welsh moment. Mia hates loose ring bits and french link/lozenge type bits, she likes something quite still and is in a plain eggbutt at the moment but going to try her with Roxy's myler. Jay will go in anything really but she's started in full cheeks and gone on to an eggbutt JP snaffle and she's happy in that so I've never bothered trying lots of bits on her.