French Link Half Cheek snaffles

[Alex]

AARRRGGGGG I cant find them at all!

Iowa Valley Carrige has bigg horse ones, and then ones in mini sizes, but those are only butterfly ones i believe.

All the well- known mini places dont have them except miniexpress, but theres is all copper in the mouthpeice. My guys would have drool all over him if he had that much copper in his mouth. And anyways he would most likely chew on the bit and it would get sharp edges.

I have looked everywhere and noone seems to have them!

Does anyone know where to get one>?

I need a 3.5 inch.

 

[CZP1]

You might want to go to the American Driving Society website and try that. The big horse store can order the little horse bits.

Off my head:

www.countrycarriagesusa.com

www.drivingessentials.com

www.smuckers.com

www.carriagedrivingessentials.com

 

[keely2682]

miniexpress.com has them

 

[justagirl]

I got a copper mouth one from Mini Express .... loved it so much a I bought one for each horse .

 

[shoeboxstables]

Hahaha this seems to be the mystery of the universe. I've been on the hunt for the same bit for a year or so myself. I think I've pretty much given up about finding a non-copper one myself

 

[Alex]

I am looking for one with NO/LESS copper.

I may have to suck it up and get a copper one...

 

[Margo_C-T]

I just went and checked; there IS a french link half-cheek snaffle listed at the very bottom of the 'bits' page on the Iowa Valley Carriage website ( I THOUGHT I remembered that Sandee was doing her best to get one to offer....)! It comes in 3 3/4", 4", and 4 1/4"; I'm betting if you are 'used to' a 3 1/2", you might well be able to use a 3 3/4" in that mouthpiece style--I discovered that the french link in a 3 3/4" worked just fine for my horses that'd been in other, 3 1/2" bits. Sandee is great to work with, so you could surely call and ask!

I went ahead awhile back and ordered the butterfly french link in a 3 3/4" for my A horses, and 4" for my big B mare(who I'd been told took a 3 3/4"), and am quite satisfied with both! I have NO connection w/ Iowa Valley Carriage; am just a satisfied customer! Edited to add: the french links I got do have only the 'link' in copper; not a problem as far as I'm concerned-though I also did NOT want an all-copper mouthpiece.

Good luck!

Margo

 

[hobbyhorse23]

Yes, Sandee does carry French Links in a half-cheek now, and I believe she told me she had 3.5" mouthpieces too.

We requested (okay- I, at least, begged

) and she answered!

I haven't seen pictures yet though, can't vouch for whether it's a good one or not. Sandee is wonderful to deal with; I'd give her a call!

Leia

 

[Alex]

Thanks you two. Ill shoot her an email this am, to see if she has any3.5. I may give her a call if she doesnt respond.

Margo- My guy has a VERY small mouth. I mean, a 3.5 barely fits him. Im convinced if I could find anything under 3.5 it would still fit him.

 

[Margo_C-T]

If you REALLY search on the internet, you CAN find places that sell 3 1/4" bits; however, probably not with a french link mouthpiece. It it always possible to use bit guards if you need to when a bit is a little too wide; I made my own out of leather once, but I imagine that you could also 'trim down' the diameter of the regular rubber kind....just some alternate ideas, FWIW.

Margo

 

[Minimor]

I've bought several of the copper ones from Mini Express & love them;; so far my horses haven't been chewing them up, though I do watch them of course to make sure that they don't get rough edges. Several of my horses work well in the ordinary jointed snaffles, but some others don't like the bit dropping down in the middle, and those horses do like the french link bits.

I bought bits in both 3.5" and 3.75" size but need at least one more in the 3.75" size. I've been considering one from Iowa Valley--anyone that might have one of those, can you tell me if this bit is made without the bulges in the bars of the mouthpiece? That's something I absolutely do not want.

 

[Alex]

I've bought several of the copper ones from Mini Express & love them;; so far my horses haven't been chewing them up, though I do watch them of course to make sure that they don't get rough edges. Several of my horses work well in the ordinary jointed snaffles, but some others don't like the bit dropping down in the middle, and those horses do like the french link bits.

I bought bits in both 3.5" and 3.75" size but need at least one more in the 3.75" size. I've been considering one from Iowa Valley--anyone that might have one of those, can you tell me if this bit is made without the bulges in the bars of the mouthpiece? That's something I absolutely do not want.

I just E-mailed Dandee at Iowa Valley. The lowest size they have is a 3.75, and I need a 3.5.

The problem is that my horse is pretty green and still isnt 100% comfortable with bits.

 

[Minimor]

alex, I'm driving all green horses too; that's why I was afraid that my copper bits would be all chewed up by now! I used my jointed snaffles the first few times I long lined, then if those didn't suit a particular horse (I'm working on about 10 horses, some are going on the cart, others are still long lining and now nearly ready to hitch) I put them into the copper french link.

 

[justagirl]

Alex , have you tried Double Diamond ? I bought a bit from them that just had copper inlays , just enough to keep your horses mouth wet .

Also , Star Lake , had french link snaffels , I believe . When I was at the show Star Lake and Mini Express were side by side , and I'm pretty sure Cathy had them and they were not copper.

But the reason I went with Mini Express was because she had a 3.25 " which is what one of my guys needs .