>>> I've found a happy mouth mullen eggbutt and loose ring. The mouthpiece is not solid smooth like a metal mullen but has two raised "bumps" evenly spaced apart in the middle of the bit. This seems common for the happy mouth as I haven't been able to find a solid smooth bit. Are these "bumps" okay or would it be better to find a smooth mouthpiece?
I have one of those "bumped" Happy Mouth mullen bits, and the bumps are pretty noticeable. For that reason, I've never actually tried it. The bit looks pretty thick, without much room for tongue relief. Sorry, no first hand experience, but I share your concern. I do have a couple of mullen-mouth snaffles which I have used at times - not happy mouths - and a couple of mullen-mouth short-shanked pelhams. The Pelhams are actually pretty mild, just slight poll pressure, especially if you only use the reins on the snaffle ring and ride with only light contact. I don't like loose ring snaffles because they can pinch when worn...and if you have a horse who's not yet trained to flex and bend, the horse can quickly learn to open his mouth and let the bit slide through, an annoying habit. That's not necessarily a problem if the horse is nicely trained though. The full-cheeks are the hardest to slip through, but they can be weapons if the horse slings his head and happens to catch a person. I had a t-shirt sleeve ripped by one once, but that's not so likely if you use bit-keepers. Overall, I guess I prefer d-rings, followed by eggbutts. Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
