I want to talk a little about bits in this week’s article, because it’s a subject that is difficult to get good information about and because of this, Barb and I are doing a webinar next week combined with how to develop soft hands and feel (no, you don’t have to be born with those!).
Whatever choice we make regarding the bit we’re using, we all want to communicate clearly with our horse, building confidence and trust.
It’s more about how you use your equipment than what equipment you use. Certain bits work better at certain levels of a horse’s training, but more important is that we’ve laid a strong foundation so the horse understands what’s being asked and can physically and mentally respond correctly.
As a trainer, I had a far smaller collection of bits than most. However, when I succumbed to buying the latest gimmick, it didn’t take long for it to be relegated to the back of my tack room to collect dust.
Bits are tools and our true connection comes from our seat, legs, and breathing with our hands playing a secondary, supporting role.
Bits shouldn’t be used as a punitive measure nor resorted to in frustration. The reason we advance from a non-leverage bit (snaffle) to a leverage bit should be that the basics have all been solidly put into place and now we want to refine our horse’s skills in whatever discipline we choose.
If there are holes in your horse’s foundation, don’t think a bigger bit is going to fix them. Graduating to the next bit should be to fine-tune our horse by increasing their sensitivity to us and helping them become more accurate and responsive.
I hope you’ll join us on Dec 5th and 7th at 5:00 PST.
Till then,
Sandy and Barb
How do we sign up for this?
Thank you for this topic- I have often asked trainers how to assess when to move to a different bit type- what are the considerations and metrics for the making of a “fully bridled” horse? Looking forward to the discussions.
Hi! How do I sign up for this? I would love to partake! 🙂 Thank you,