Bits, Saddle Fitting and Hoof Balance
With
Eleanor Blazer
Lesson One
Bits—Simple, Yet Effective!
Believe me, bits are simple.
There are only two kinds. (There are
plenty of variations.)
Neither kind can work miracles. They
can, however, be effective communicators.
Both kinds can be used to inflict
pain, which is primarily what bits are designed to do. Most advertisements
today attempt to convince possible buyers their special bit will solve training
problems and never cause the horse discomfort. Impossible! Bits don’t solve
training problems. And while they may not be causing discomfort, the best they
can do is be comfortable.
A bit should be used to communicate
with your partner. The very best a bit can do is tell your partner what body
position you want (your partner then knows the gait and pace desired) and which
direction you desire to go.
Understood and used properly bits are
an important aid in getting high performance from your horse.
Unfortunately most bits are not used
properly.
Ask most horsemen and you’ll be
surprised to discover few know much about bits. Few can give an accurate
definition of either kind of bit. And worst of all, few know how the bit they
are using actually works.
A lot of this confusion is created by
bit makers and tack sellers who themselves do not seem to know much about bits.
Catalogs and bit descriptions supplied
by bit makers consistently incorrectly label curb bits as snaffles.
I consider a snaffle a bit. (Many say
a snaffle is a snaffle and a curb is a bit.)
I consider a curb a bit.
And that is it.
There is a snaffle and there is a
curb. What’s the difference?
A snaffle has the reins attached opposite
the mouthpiece and has no curb action and no poll action. The snaffle is a direct action bit, meaning
if one pound of pressure is applied to a rein, one pound of pressure is applied
to the horse’s mouth.
Ring
Snaffle
D
Snaffle with Medium Mouthpiece
Egg
Butt Snaffle with Thick Mouthpiece
A curb has both curb and poll action
and has the reins attached below the mouthpiece so the
principle of the lever and fulcrum is in effect. That means if the cheek piece of the bit is
one inch and the shank is three inches, the bit is 1 to 3 in leverage. If the rider applies one pound of pressure to
the reins, three pounds of pressure is applied to the horse’s mouth.
Train “uneducated” horses with direct
action (snaffle). Train “advanced”
horses with lever action (curb). With
lever action the rider can be very, very gentle with the reins and still get
plenty of pressure so the horse will easily understand the request.
"Grazing"
Shank on
I did not mention the type of
mouthpiece in either bit. That is because the type of mouthpiece does not
define the bit. (You constantly hear that a snaffle is a bit with a jointed
mouthpiece. Not true. A snaffle may have any type of mouthpiece you desire.)
A snaffle—with any kind of
mouthpiece—requires the use of two hands on the reins in order for it to
function efficiently. The snaffle is a direct pressure bit. While the rider
holds one rein steady, the other rein is tugged, thus causing the mouthpiece to
press against the bar and lips of the mouth on one side. The bit pressure
causes discomfort—a communication—and the horse yields in order to avoid the
irritation, thus complying through nonresistance.
You can come up the all the humane
sounding jabberwacky you want, but the truth is the
truth. Bits function on the theory the horse complies with the request to avoid
pain.
The snaffle is appropriate for the
uneducated horse because it allows the rider to literally “place” the horse’s
head in the desired position. Using
direct action pressure, the rider can position the horse’s head, and then while
holding the head position, can influence the horse’s body position with weight
and leg aids.
The snaffle’s direct action can be
used repeatedly within minutes to reaffirm the rider’s desire for a specific
head position and body frame.
The curb bit is a lever action bit.
The shanks of a curb bit (the lever) move around the fulcrum (mouthpiece) and
create pressure in the chin groove and at the poll. In addition, depending on
the mouthpiece, pressures are applied to the tongue, the bars, the lips and
possibly the roof of the mouth.
As a horse advances in his education,
he is generally asked to work on a curb bit.
The lever action of the curb bit magnifies the subtle movement of the
reins as the rider “asks” for head and body frame rather than using bit
pressure to place the horse in frame.
The curb is appropriate for the
advanced horse that understands the cue request and will respond to the
smallest of rein actions
Riders can use a hand on each rein, or
use only one hand when riding with a curb bit.
How Bits Are Used
A snaffle is a direct
action bit (one pound of pressure on the reins equals one pound of pressure on
the bit), and is generally mild because the mouthpiece is usually smooth and
relatively wide in diameter.
A snaffle can be made a
little more severe to encourage a little quicker response by changing the size
(narrow) and style (twisted wire) of mouthpiece.
A snaffle allows the
rider to physically put the horse in the frame the rider desires. The rider tugs on the rein to tip the horse’s
nose into position, or holds the position by leg pressure, pushing the horse
into the bit.
Use a direct action bit
to “place” the horse into the body position desired.
As the horse learns, it
takes less and less time and less and less “placement” of the horse to get the
position desired. The horse is learning
to respond to the request, but it still takes one pound of pressure on the rein
to get one pound of pressure on the mouthpiece.
When the horse is
responding quickly and correctly to the direct action bit pressure (which is
always followed by an immediate release of pressure) the horse is ready to
begin using a curb bit.
The curb is a lever
action bit; one ounce of pressure on the reins will equal 3 or 4 or 5 ounces of
pressure on the mouth, depending on the length of shank and cheek piece. If the cheek piece is one inch and the shank
is 3 inches, then the bit is 3 to 1 in pressure applied.
With a curb, the rider
asks the horse with a very small amount of pressure on the rein. (That means you can just move your fingers
and get enough pressure in the mouth to get a quick response.) The response you seek is the horse taking the
requested position—he knows what to do now and he doesn’t need to be “placed,”
he just needs to be asked.
Use the curb not to
apply more pressure to the horse’s mouth, but to apply less.
Use the curb on a horse
that knows what to do…knows the positions and has learned the correct responses, and understands that by responding correctly
he’ll be left in a comfortable position.
That is the way bits are
to be used. They are always incorrectly used when they are inflicting pain to
“force compliance” rather than teach or ask for a specific response.
All the names given to curb bits—such
as
Ornate
Spanish Style Shank
Bits were invented about 1,000 B.C.,
starting out as a thong through the mouth or around the lower jaw. The idea was
to inflict enough pain that the horse would comply with the handler’s desire
rather than put up with continued discomfort. (Keep in mind men had already
been riding astride for nearly 3,000 years without the use of bits.)
As technology advanced, bits became
much more severe and painful, especially with the advent of the martingale
which allowed horsemen to apply great downward pressure to mouthpieces which
were discs, spikes and chains. The Greeks were using such torture devices as
well as a version of the modern roller bit, as long ago as 500 B.C.
It is interesting to note that not
much has changed in bits or the way we use them since that time. As soon as someone
devised a different bit style, with more or less painful possibilities,
horsemen rushed to employ it. It’s the same today. Horsemen seem to love the
idea of a bit of any kind which will solve their particular training problem.
Seldom, unfortunately does the horseman actually take the time to understand
the bit he or she is using.
"I was told it was mild. I was
told it is a good training bit. I was told a jointed mouthpiece is an easy
bit." Too many horsemen accept what they are told as an excuse not to
educate themselves. And so they take the so called "cowboy snaffle",
which you now know is a curb, and quickly inflict great pain to their horse.
Mechanical hackamores ought to be used on the dude who puts one on his
horse—they can be extreme pain producers, as can the Tom Thumb (a curb) which
has a nutcracker action due to the jointed mouthpiece and lack of spacer bar
between the shanks.
Jointed
Mouthpiece Curb – often ‘incorrectly’ labeled a snaffle
But
then, you can’t blame the bit.
Bits were designed to create discomfort,
and I understand that, and I employ the principle that the horse will, when he
understands the communication, comply to avoid pain.
I also understand and endorse the fact
that it is the horseman, not the bit, who inflicts the pain on purpose, then
continues to abuse the horse with continued and/or greater pressure.
Xenophon, the first to write a
complete book on horsemanship, recognized what he was using—spikes, discs and
chains in the mouth—and how they should be used.
According to Xenophon, the key to the
horse’s acceptance of the bit is the "light hand."
Xenophon’s observation was made 400
B.C. and was as true then as it is today: it is not so much how severe the bit,
but how light the hand.
And a hand is light when it applies
minimal pressure to communicate a desire, and that pressure is momentary,
followed by an immediate release of the pressure.
All bits, and all communication should
be employed in the same manner: light pressure to ask for a response, then an
immediate release of pressure. If the desired response is not forthcoming from
the horse, the request is made again, followed by an immediate release. The
request is repeated until the horse responds correctly, at which time he should
be praised for his action. That is communication, which is horse training.
Heavier, more severe bits may be
employed by the light handed rider when, and only when, they can deliver the
request in a more subtle manner.
Bits can, of course, HELP establish
the horse’s head position—snaffles raising the head, curbs lowering the head.
The bit HELPS by acting as a barrier to establish a frame for the horse. The
rider sets the head by establishing a barrier, then pushing the horse into the
frame by the use of strong legs.
All action initiates in the
hindquarters. Great riders control the hindquarters, pushing a horse to a bit,
never pulling the bit back to force a horse into the desired position.
Heavy curb bits with large or
elaborate (spade, for example) mouthpieces encourage a horse to hold his head
in a vertical position. If the horse puts his head in the vertical, then the
bit hangs from the headstall and does not apply pressure inside the horse’s
mouth. If the horse holds the bit with his mouth while maintaining a vertical
head set, the bit is most comfortable.
The more severe a bit, the more
carefully and gently it must be used.
Here are 2 rather complicated, but
effective ways to rate the mildness or severity of bits.
1. SNAFFLE
Answer
the following questions and give points for each answer as indicated:
l. How many pieces are in the horse’s
mouth?
A. one to 3 pieces equals 1
point.
B. more than 3 pieces equals
5 points.
2.
What is the texture of the mouthpiece?
A. sharp (triangular or edged)
equals 10 points.
B. twisted wire or chain
equals 10 points.
C. twisted metal equals 5
points.
D. wrapped with smooth wire
equals 3 points.
E. smooth equals 1 point.
3.
What is the shape of the cheek piece?
A. round (ring or circle)
equals 1 point.
B. other shapes (eggbutt, D,
etc.) equals 2 points.
4.
How thick is the mouthpiece?
A. ½ inch or more equals 1
point.
B. 3/8th inch
equals 3 points.
C. less than 3/8ths inch
equals 10 points.
5.
Is it a gag or elevator bit?
A. yes equals 8 points.
B. no equals 0 points.
6.
How is the cheek piece attached to the mouthpiece?
A. through holes in the
mouthpiece equals 1 point.
B. all other attachments
equals 3 points.
7.
Are there keys or crickets on the mouthpiece?
A. yes equals 3 points.
B. no equals 0 points.
8.
Is the mouthpiece copper, sweet iron, or does it have copper added to
it,
such as rings?
A. yes equals 3 points.
B. no equals 0 points.
The
most common snaffle you see is a ring snaffle with stainless steel 3/8th
inch mouthpiece. Let’s rate it using
this formula.
Add
points for question one and two together, then multiply points for question
three times the points for question four, and add that total to the previous
total. Add the points for question five
and then subtract the points for questions six, seven and eight. Here is how it rates: Q 1 equals 1, plus Q 2
equals 1 for a total of 2. Question 3
equals 1 point multiplied by Q 4 with 3 points results in 3 points added to the
previous total of 2 equals 5 points. Now
add 0 points for a no answer to question 5 and subtract 1 point for Q 6,
leaving a total of 4 points. Subtract 0
points for Q 7 and 0 points for Q 8 and the final answer is 4 points.
Using
this formula, bits are mild with 5 or less points, moderate with 6 to 19 points
and severe with 20 more points.
2.
CURB
To rate a curb bit, answer the following questions and assign points as
indicated.
1.
How many pieces are there in the horse’s mouth?
A. one to 3 equals 1 point.
B. more than 3 pieces equals
5 points.
2.
What is the size, height and shape of port?
A. no port and/or a joined mouthpiece
skip questions 2 and question
3 and go to question 4.
B. high narrow port and the
port meets the cross piece squarely
equals 10 points.
C. high wide port and the
port meets the cross piece in a rounded
position equals 5
points.
D. medium or low wide port
equals 1 point.
E. unbroken arched mouthpiece
equals 2 points.
F. straight unbroken
mouthpiece equals 3 points.
3.
How is the port angled with respect to the bit’s shanks?
A. port slopes back more than
the shanks equals 1 point.
B. port is parallel to the
shanks equals 1 point.
C. port slopes forward more
than the shanks equals 10 points.
4.
How does the mouthpiece slope side to side?
A. jointed mouthpiece with a
spacer bar to keep the shanks apart
equals 1 point.
B. jointed mouthpiece with no
spacer bar, shanks can move toward
the center under the jaw
equals 10 points.
C. solid mouthpiece which is
perpendicular to shanks equals 1 point.
D. solid mouthpiece, which
slopes down to the shanks, equals 10
points.
5.
How are the shanks bent?
A. they are straight equals 3
points.
B. swept back toward horse’s
chest equals 1 point.
C. are angled forward of
mouthpiece equals 5 points.
6.
How long are the shanks?
A. 1 inch or less equals 1
point.
B. more than 1 inch up to 3
inches equals 2 points.
C. over 3 and up to 4 inches
equals 4 points.
D. more than 4 inches equals
7 points.
7.
What is the texture or shape of mouthpiece?
A. sharp (triangular or
edged) equals 10 points.
B. twisted wire or chain
equals 10 points.
C. twisted metal equals 5
points
D. wrapped with smooth wire
equals 3 points.
E. smooth equals 1 point.
8.
How thick is the mouthpiece?
A. ½ inch or more 2 points.
B. less than ½ inch equals 3
points.
9.
Where does the curb strap attach?
A. same ring as the bridle
cheeks equals 0 points.
B. separate ring below ring
for bridle equals 2 points.
C. separate ring behind the
ring for bridle equals 5 points
10.
How are the shanks attached?
A. through holes in the
mouthpiece as most Pelhams equals 1 point.
B. all others including
welded solid equals 3 points.
11.
Are there keys, crickets or a roller on the mouthpiece?
A. yes equals 3 points.
B. no equals 0 points.
12.
Is the mouthpiece copper or sweet iron…or does it have copper or iron
added to it in any way?
A. yes equals 3 points.
B. no equals 0 points.
To
rate the severity of the curb bit use this formula:
add the points together for questions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Now add the points for 6 and 7 together and
multiply by the points for question 8.
Add that to the previous total and then subtract the points for
questions, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Let’s
rate the most standard curb seen today.
This bit is solid jawed, has a low port with a 5 inch shank and is made
of stainless steel. The curb strap
attaches in the same ring as the bridle.
Here is the rating: Q 1 equals 1 point, Q 2 equals 1 point, Q 3 equals 1
point, Q 4 equals 1 point, Q 5 equals 3 points for a total of 7 points. Now add the points for question six (7) and question seven (1) for 8 points and
multiply the points for Q 8 which is 2 points for a total of 16 points. Add the 16 points and the 7 points for a
total of 23 points, then subtract 0 points for question 9, and subtract 3
points for question 10, for a total of 20, then subtract 0 points for question
11 and 0 points for question 12. The
total then is 20 points.
The
rating then for the most common (and cheapest) curb bit is 20 which makes it a
severe bit for any horse. A score of 6
to 19 points would be a moderate bit and a score of less than 6 would be a mild
bit.
Never get a bigger, stronger bit to
control a horse. That is a sure sign of a poor horseman.
Before any bit is selected, the
knowledgeable trainer or rider will determine the configuration of the horse’s
mouth by observation and measurement.
Does the horse have a deep mouth, short mouth, wide mouth, thick tongue,
long tongue, narrow jaw, etc.?
Determining mouth configuration is the
first step to bit selection.
Whether
curb or snaffle, the correct width of the bit is very important.
To
measure the width of the mouth you can use a piece of twine or a wooden dowel
about 12 inches long. Put the dowel in
the horse’s mouth where the bit would be placed. Mark the dowel or string on each side of the
horse’s mouth to get the correct width for the bit. Always round up. If the width is 4 and 7/8th, then
get a 5 inch bit, not a 4 and ¾ inch.
To
determine if you horse has a lot of tongue or a little, lift his lips when his
mouth is closed. If the horse’s tongue
sticks out over the bars of the mouth, the horse has a thick tongue.
To
determine the room inside the mouth put your index finger in the side of the
horse’s mouth where the bit mouthpiece would go. When the horse stops trying to chew your
finger, bend your finger and see if it hits the roof of his mouth. If you touch the roof of the mouth, the horse
has a low palate.
While determining a horse’s mouth configuration, also check the horse’s
teeth.
A
horse’s teeth are critical to health, longevity, bit acceptance and
training. A horse must eat efficiently
to maintain health, and he must have a comfortable mouth or his attitude and
performance will be adversely affected.
A
horse having trouble with his teeth will often toss his head in response to the
bit, hackamore or halter. (Hackamores
and halters apply pressure to the cheeks, pushing the flesh against sharp edges
of teeth.) A horse with tooth problems
will also carry his head and neck crooked.
The
teeth are divided into “incisors” (front teeth used for biting and tearing) and
“molars” (back teeth used for grinding.)
The
mature horse has 40 teeth, while a mare has 36.
The stallion or gelding has “tushes,” or pointed teeth between the
incisors and molars. Tushes are not
always found in mares.
When
a horse gets his teeth, the size, shape and markings can tell you the
approximate age of the horse.
To tell the age of any horse
Inspect the lower jaw, of course.
The sixth front tooth the tale will tell
And every doubt and fear dispel.
Two middle "nippers" you behold
Before the colt is two weeks old
Before eight weeks, two more will come
Eight months, the "corners" cut the
gum
Two outside grooves will disappear
From the middle two in just one year
In two years from the second pair
In three the corners, too, are bare
At two, the middle "nippers" drop
At three, the second pair can't stop
When four years old, the third pair goes
At five, a full new set he shows
The deep black spots will pass from view
At six years, from the middle two
The second pair at seven years
At eight, the spot each "corner"
clears
From the middle "nippers" upper jaw
At nine, the black spots will withdraw
The second pair at ten are white
Eleven finds the "corners" light
Continued-I'm out of characters!
Update: As
time goes on, the horsemen know,
The oval teeth, three-sided grow.
They longer get, project before,
Till twenty, which we know know
more.
"Gleason's Handbook of Horses" published in 1892
Sometimes
horses and mares will develop small, pointed teeth in front of the molars of
the upper jaw. These teeth are known as
“wolf” teeth. They don’t often appear in
the lower jaw, but they can. Wolf teeth
interfere with a bit only when the bit is being used improperly, being pulled
back in the mouth. However, it’s not a
bad idea to have wolf teeth removed (it’s very simple) eliminating the chance a
bit will bump against them.
The
upper jaw is wider than the lower jaw, so when the horse grinds its forage or
grains, the teeth do not create a completely smooth table…the outer edges of
the upper jaw teeth can become sharp, while the inner edges of the lower jaw
teeth may remain ragged. The sharp edges
of the upper teeth can irritate the inside of the horse’s cheek, while the
lower teeth can cut or scrape the horse’s tongue.
To
remove these sharp edges we “float” the horse’s teeth. (Floating is the
“smoothing of the rough edges of tooth by the use of specific file called a
float. Floating is most often done by
hand.)
In
humans, once the permanent teeth come in, growth of the tooth stops…not so with
the horse whose teeth continue to erupt from the gum line throughout his
life. (continuous eruption) Because the teeth are worn down from
the grinding involved in chewing, the teeth continually push up through the jaw
bone to re-level the teeth within the mouth.
Because
the horse has a fixed amount of tooth to erupt, it is extremely important that
“aggressive floating” is avoided. I
advise not allowing anyone to “power float” a horse. Power floats (floats driven by electric
power) frequently take too much off the tooth, actually taking years off the
horse’s life.
On
occasion a horse’s incisors will not meet properly. If the upper teeth stick out in front of the
lower jaw, it is called “parrot mouthed.”
If the lower teeth are in front of the upper incisors, the horse is said
to have an “undershot jaw.”
The
teeth a horse loses include his baby incisors and his baby molars. The baby incisors come out pretty easily, but
often the baby molars hang around for awhile, sitting on top of the incoming
permanent molar. While the baby molar is
sitting on top of the permanent tooth, it is called a “cap.” Caps will fall off on their own (you’ll find
them in the manger); however, you or your veterinarian can remove a stubborn
cap, making the horse’s chewing much more comfortable.
In young horses, about 3 years of age, you’ll
often see a large lump on the bottom of the jaw….this is the base of a fully
developed tooth which will continue to erupt, eventually eliminating the lump
on the lower jaw.
As
a horse grows older, the top of the tooth (crown) wears down, followed by the
neck of the tooth and lastly the root. A
4 year old horse has about half of his tooth protruding from the gum, while an
older horse may have only stubs left.
You
must constantly be alert to the condition of your horse’s mouth. Uneven wear, excessive wear or misalignments
can cause health problems as well as training problems.
Performance
and behavioral problems include tossing of the head, refusal or reluctance to
respond to communication through the reins and bit, and mouth opening. The horse will often carry himself crooked
and out of balance in an attempt to avoid mouth pain.
To
flex at the poll, the horse’s lower jaw must slide forward. If the horse wants to raise his head, the
lower jaw slides back just a small amount.
If the horse has misaligned teeth or rough tooth surfaces, the jaw
cannot slide easily, so the horse will avoid the request or open his mouth to
allow the jaw to move. (Drop your own
chin to your chest while concentrating on your lower jaw…you can actually feel
it move forward. Now roll your head back
and you’ll feel your lower jaw move backward.)
Attempting
to force compliance to requests by using a standing martingale or tie-down or
using a noseband to keep the mouth shut will only increase the problem and
create greater mouth pain.
The
ability to hold a bit without discomfort is critical to any performance horse
being trained to high levels. A painful
mouth can affect a horse’s performance just as any other unsoundness.
If you consider your horse’s mouth,
then selecting a bit is much easier. Usually a large, round, smooth mouthpiece
is going to be mild and comfortable for most horses. However, if your horse has
a small mouth and a thick tongue, then a large mouthpiece is going to be
uncomfortable. A narrow mouthpiece may be toward the more severe, but for this
particular horse will be much better suited.
In
nearly every case, when a horse is fighting a bit or ignoring it, there is a
dental problem or the bit is too severe for the horse. The horse is trying to
avoid the pain being inflicted.
The
thinking, knowledgeable rider will immediately determine the cause of the
behavior. If it is not a mouth problem,
then the rider will return to the use of a milder bit.
MOUTHPIECES
When it comes to mouthpieces, average
diameter, smooth and copper usually combine for the mildest bit.
Ports will help keep the horse from
getting his tongue over the mouthpiece. Rollers and crickets sometimes soothe a
nervous horse.
These mouthpieces can be found in
either a snaffle or a curb.
All other mouthpieces are
questionable. They may be of much more importance to the rider’s ego than to
the benefit of the horse.
The snaffle generally comes as An
"O" (ring), D or egg butt with a jointed mouthpiece. The O forms the
snaffle cheek piece and if allowed to slide through the end of the mouthpiece,
it can pinch the edges of the horse’s lip. It is best to have a sleeve on the
ring, which is the idea of the D. The egg butt also has a sleeve which prevents
pinching.
Young horses do very well on the jointed
mouthpiece snaffle. But they also do well on a snaffle with a small port, or a
curved hollow rubber bar.
When placing the snaffle in the
horse’s mouth you should note the width of the mouthpiece. The bit should be
wide enough not to pinch the horse’s lips inward. The mouthpiece should fit
snugly in the mouth, and may create one wrinkle at the corner of the mouth.
The snaffle may have a chin strap
which attaches below the reins. The chin strap serves no purpose, but some
claim it helps to keep the cheek pieces from being pulled into the mouth. Any
rider who pulls the cheek piece of a snaffle into the horse’s mouth needs to
dismount; he or she is not yet ready to ride a horse.
The most important part of the snaffle
is the one holding the reins.
More highly trained horses on curbs
can be reined with two hands or one hand. The key to the curb is that it
applies pressures in three places, the poll, the chin groove and the mouth, all
at the same time. These pressures are supposed to combine to allow the rider to
give a more subtle cue while giving the horse more information concerning gait,
head set and body position.
The mouthpiece of the curb too should
fit snugly into the corner of the horse’s mouth. The chin strap should be loose
enough to allow you to put two fingers between the chin groove and the strap.
The chin strap should begin to engage
the chin groove when the shank of the bit has moved about 45 degrees.
The chin strap should be slightly
tighter for fast work and slightly looser for slow work. With the chin strap
slightly tighter, the cue will be delivered with less rein action.
The most important part of the curb is
the one holding the reins.
The full bridle is actually two bits,
four reins. The full bridle is a snaffle, often called a Bridoon, and a curb,
both in the horse’s mouth at the same time. The bits are used one at a time in
order to refine or expand the communication being offered.
The material used to make bits is
often very important to the horse. Most horses get along quite well with
stainless steel. At the same time, most horses do not like aluminum. Neither
material stimulates a lot of moisture in the mouth.
Copper stimulates moisture and horses
generally like a full copper mouthpiece, or a mouthpiece with inlaid copper,
copper rings, copper port, or copper roller.
Horses especially like iron bits and
are very delighted by iron with a little rust deterioration, known as sweet
iron. Iron causes a horse to salivate and thus keep the mouth moist and soft.
Plastic or rubber bits generally cause
a horse to have a dry mouth.
Any claim that a bit is going to solve
training problems, reduce resistance, give more comfort, control the rogue or
get the horse to swim on his back while whistling Dixie is bunk.
Bits do what they do, create pressures
in order to deliver messages from the rider.
A good horseman considers his horse
and his education level, selects a bit which he hopes will communicate
effectively, and then he uses the bit in the least abusive way possible.
There is no reason not to change bits if you
think a change will benefit your horse.
It is a good idea to have several
bits to choose from. Horses often like a change of bits as they progress in
their lessons. And every horse is an individual. What works well with one may
not be enjoyed by another.
While bits are simple, communication
is not.
Before blaming a bit for poor
behavior, or seeking a new bit to solve a training problem, rethink your
effectiveness in communicating with your horse.
Finally,
a word about bitless bridles. (What is
said here about bitless bridles can also be said about bosals. We are not talking about a mechanical
hackamore which is a torture device and nothing like a bitless
bridle.)
Lots
of horses like to be ridden in a bitless bridle,
mostly to get away from riders with bad hands.
If
you want to use a bitless bridle, that is fine, as long
as you understand that it also applies pressure in an effort to get the horse
to move away from discomfort and into a position of comfort.
Because
a bitless bridle doesn’t produce much discomfort, a
horse will seldom if ever, learn to carry himself with much collection. A bitless bridle doesn’t provide the needed
barrier to forward movement necessary to create a shortened frame and rounded
back. A horse going on a trail ride
will be perfectly happy in a bitless bridle as he can
remain flat, relaxed and elongated.
Choose
a bitless bridle if you have no intention of asking
for advanced level exercises.
Assignment:
1. Describe the bit you have chosen for
your horse. and then rate it using the formula in the lesson. Please attach a picture of the bit.
2.
What is the age of your horse? Describe your horse’s level of training.
3.
Why did you chose the bit you are using?
4.
Please send a video of you inspecting your horse's mouth. What is the width? Is the palette low or
high? Does the tongue appear to protrude
over the bars? Load the video to YouTube
and send me the link. Make sure the
security setting is "public".
5.
How long since his last dental checkup?
What was done during the appointment?
Send your report to Ms. Eleanor at: elblazer@horsecoursesonline.com
Be sure to include your full name and email address. Please check spelling and write in complete
sentences.