What is Your Bit Saying to Your Horse?
I remember bit shopping with a friend of mine a couple years ago. No longer does one just decide, snaffle or curb, oh no—there are gadgets of every imaginable design on the market, charts illustrating which bit should be used for which “level” of training, and variances from discipline to discipline. Also, don’t forget to consider--the kids are 4Hers--which bits are legal for which show classes and for what age of horse. Then, stainless steel? Copper? Sweet iron?
In my case, the confusion resulted in a tack room bin full of rejects, money wasted on tools which did not serve my purpose. Some didn’t fit right, some were more severe than I wished to use. Some seemed to cause the horse to throw his head, others, ignored completely by the horse. Some I could use, on this horse or that, but not on other horses. Some, I could use without too much trouble, but the kids seemed to struggle with and spent more time fighting with the horse than enjoying the ride.
How can a person possibly select a bit, to do the job…..when one does not even know what the “the job” is? Just what is it the bit should be able to do for us and our horse?
The first job of the bit is to be pleasing to the horse. A horse is at his calmest, most peaceful state of mind when he is grazing. Bite, chew, lick, chew, swallow, bite, chew…you get the idea. A mobile jaw equals a happy horse. Conversely, a locked jaw indicates a horse under stress. Copper and sweet iron bits are frequently sold as being “horse-pleasing”, because they activate the jaw and encourage saliva production. They do so by creating a chemical reaction in the horse’s mouth, much like licking a battery (go ahead, go out to the barn and lick your bit-I did, skeptically, and discovered it to be true). Not my idea of a good time. So, into the reject bin the sweet iron bit went. I didn’t want any “cheats” in my tack room. I want my horse to be licking and chewing because he’s calm and happy, not because of the science experiment I place in his mouth. A moist mouth is not enough—we need the horse to have a soft jaw and an open mind to our requests.
Next, consider the nature of the conversation you intend to have with the horse. The topic of conversation topmost on many peoples mind? “I need to be able to tell the horse to STOP,” followed closely by “I need to tell the horse to turn, and go the direction I wish to travel,” followed by a host of other requests, based on the kind of work we are attempting to complete with our horse as our partner. The bottom line is, we need to suggest to the horse a position to take, which will allow him to create the movement-or cease the movement-we have in mind.
The position of “stop” involves a raised head, neck, and withers, and dropped haunches. This is how a curb chain produces such an effective stop—the hand pulls the rein, which tightens the chain, which causes discomfort to the horse, which causes him to raise his head in avoidance, which causes his hindquarters to drop and produces a stop. Within this series of events, you may get a variety of responses, including stopping, head throwing, rearing, and flipping over, dependant upon the tact of the hand and the sensitivity of the horse.
The next most common request may be the turn. Do we want a turn on the forehand or hindquarter? Pivot to the left or right? Maybe some riders are not that particular, so long as the horse moves in the desired direction, but, we should be aware, when we pick up a rein, our bit is indicating a specific position, a specific movement, whether we intend it to or not. A snaffle bit, with its center joint, allows a rider to clearly indicate to the horse which side, left or right, or front or rear, the horse is to raise or drop. Using the reins independently can communicate a very clear message to the horse, regarding which feet to weigh and which to take the weight off of, in order to perform the desired movement.
A curb bit is not as clear of a communication tool, and may or may not produce the desired position and movement, depending upon the horse’s ability to guess the rider’s intent. This is why a curb bit is frequently suggested at a more advanced training level. By this point, a trainer has often added seat and leg cues, which the horse understands, and so the bit at this point is not necessarily the primary way to communicate with the horse, as it was at the beginning of his training. Once a rider has made the decision to abandon the hand as the primary aid, in favor of the seat or leg, affecting the horse’s position becomes more limited, and therefore, the range of motion a rider is able to suggest also becomes more limited.
A bitless bridle is a yet more ambiguous means of communication. As the rider has no contact with the mouth, she can neither attend to the horse’s jaw mobility nor clearly indicate a position for movement. In a bitless bridle, a rider cannot discern the state of the jaw (and related mental state), aid the horse in activating the jaw when it becomes necessary, or indicate the transfer of weight needed to take a position for movement. This is the most limited communication tool a rider could select.
Do I have a preference? Certainly! But I’m not going to share it here….because my preference is based upon the nature of communication I choose to have with the horses in my care. I wish for my bit to say, “You can trust me. I won’t cause you pain, and I can comfort you when you worry.” I also use it to say, “Please rotate on center, now stop. Stand still, then depart at a canter on your right lead,” and these sorts of things.
In my case, the confusion resulted in a tack room bin full of rejects, money wasted on tools which did not serve my purpose. Some didn’t fit right, some were more severe than I wished to use. Some seemed to cause the horse to throw his head, others, ignored completely by the horse. Some I could use, on this horse or that, but not on other horses. Some, I could use without too much trouble, but the kids seemed to struggle with and spent more time fighting with the horse than enjoying the ride.
How can a person possibly select a bit, to do the job…..when one does not even know what the “the job” is? Just what is it the bit should be able to do for us and our horse?
The first job of the bit is to be pleasing to the horse. A horse is at his calmest, most peaceful state of mind when he is grazing. Bite, chew, lick, chew, swallow, bite, chew…you get the idea. A mobile jaw equals a happy horse. Conversely, a locked jaw indicates a horse under stress. Copper and sweet iron bits are frequently sold as being “horse-pleasing”, because they activate the jaw and encourage saliva production. They do so by creating a chemical reaction in the horse’s mouth, much like licking a battery (go ahead, go out to the barn and lick your bit-I did, skeptically, and discovered it to be true). Not my idea of a good time. So, into the reject bin the sweet iron bit went. I didn’t want any “cheats” in my tack room. I want my horse to be licking and chewing because he’s calm and happy, not because of the science experiment I place in his mouth. A moist mouth is not enough—we need the horse to have a soft jaw and an open mind to our requests.
Next, consider the nature of the conversation you intend to have with the horse. The topic of conversation topmost on many peoples mind? “I need to be able to tell the horse to STOP,” followed closely by “I need to tell the horse to turn, and go the direction I wish to travel,” followed by a host of other requests, based on the kind of work we are attempting to complete with our horse as our partner. The bottom line is, we need to suggest to the horse a position to take, which will allow him to create the movement-or cease the movement-we have in mind.
The position of “stop” involves a raised head, neck, and withers, and dropped haunches. This is how a curb chain produces such an effective stop—the hand pulls the rein, which tightens the chain, which causes discomfort to the horse, which causes him to raise his head in avoidance, which causes his hindquarters to drop and produces a stop. Within this series of events, you may get a variety of responses, including stopping, head throwing, rearing, and flipping over, dependant upon the tact of the hand and the sensitivity of the horse.
The next most common request may be the turn. Do we want a turn on the forehand or hindquarter? Pivot to the left or right? Maybe some riders are not that particular, so long as the horse moves in the desired direction, but, we should be aware, when we pick up a rein, our bit is indicating a specific position, a specific movement, whether we intend it to or not. A snaffle bit, with its center joint, allows a rider to clearly indicate to the horse which side, left or right, or front or rear, the horse is to raise or drop. Using the reins independently can communicate a very clear message to the horse, regarding which feet to weigh and which to take the weight off of, in order to perform the desired movement.
A curb bit is not as clear of a communication tool, and may or may not produce the desired position and movement, depending upon the horse’s ability to guess the rider’s intent. This is why a curb bit is frequently suggested at a more advanced training level. By this point, a trainer has often added seat and leg cues, which the horse understands, and so the bit at this point is not necessarily the primary way to communicate with the horse, as it was at the beginning of his training. Once a rider has made the decision to abandon the hand as the primary aid, in favor of the seat or leg, affecting the horse’s position becomes more limited, and therefore, the range of motion a rider is able to suggest also becomes more limited.
A bitless bridle is a yet more ambiguous means of communication. As the rider has no contact with the mouth, she can neither attend to the horse’s jaw mobility nor clearly indicate a position for movement. In a bitless bridle, a rider cannot discern the state of the jaw (and related mental state), aid the horse in activating the jaw when it becomes necessary, or indicate the transfer of weight needed to take a position for movement. This is the most limited communication tool a rider could select.
Do I have a preference? Certainly! But I’m not going to share it here….because my preference is based upon the nature of communication I choose to have with the horses in my care. I wish for my bit to say, “You can trust me. I won’t cause you pain, and I can comfort you when you worry.” I also use it to say, “Please rotate on center, now stop. Stand still, then depart at a canter on your right lead,” and these sorts of things.
There are also times when I say very little, and just listen to what the horse has to say to me. These are the most valuable lessons of all, when the horse offers his own ideas and suggestions, and all I do is listen and agree. It is for the educated equestrian to decide what kinds of conversations she wishes to have with her horse, and select the appropriate tool to facilitate that.
9.16.11 TME
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Educated Equestrian
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