I've always kind of wondered what sort of bits other dressage riders ride in at home. I generally flip around with snaffles, but what about everyone else?

I ride with the same snaffle I show in. As a teenager, I had a mare who liked to run away with me on trails - I used a mechanical hackamore on her when we rode outside the arena.

If it is good enough to show in - it is good enough to school in... for me anyway.

I guess my question would be, why change what you are schooling in when you go to a show? Why fiddle around changing something that works?

Cheers!
Chris

We train in Shade's KK lozenge mouth snaffle or his double (with a KK bradoon and the Conrad Schumacher tipped curb). We show in his double.

Comfort is important to us. He needs to be happy in his face. (and elsewhere).

We trail ride in either his KK snaffle or his custom frog mouth curb. He sees me get that western bridle out and he grabs it out of my hands.

Same loose ring snaffle I show him in.

Yeah, the reason I asked was because when I'm talking to my friends who show hunter, they'll school in like a twisted snaffle or something, and then when they show, they'll go in something else like a Kimberwick ... I don't like kimberwicks.... anyway, just wondered if that was the same in the dressage world

Since I either show in a loose-ring snaffle or on a occasion a french link, thats what I school in.

Ah. Now I understand your question.

Us 'dressage' types tend think of 'training' versus 'showing'. Competition is merely a way of testing our 'training'. So that would require we train with the same tack we compete with.

Herm Springer KK training snaffle. My horses love it and I show with it as well.

My mare Mora was trained to hold the bit in her mouth correctly so I use it at home unless somebody with no experience gets on her. Then I use a snaffle or halter for the little ones.

The same french link loose ring I show in.