Bits and Pieces

Many horse owners will at some point, experience problems with their horses, most are minor but annoying, in which the owner actually trains the horse to do certain things without realizing it. Such as, their horse moving around or walking off underneath the rider when he or she steps into the saddle or using the wrong type bit and their horse exhibiting lots of head movement, i.e. head tossing or chewing at the bit. Some of these problems can be related to other causes but most that we see are as simple as examining the horse’s mouth for tongue thickness, lower mandible depth, dental problems, etc, to determining the right bit or in some cases, removing the bit all together and begin riding their horse with a Bosal.

Many of the behavioral problems we correct here are not related to any behavioral aspect in the true sense, rather they are the adverse reactions to choices made in equipment usage by the horse owner from well meaning advice but none the less, the wrong advice.

The bit that your neighbor rides with may not be what you need for your horse. Lots of horse owners rely on advice that they could really do without. There are 10 points of examination to correctly determine the type of bit your horse needs and outside of the 10 points, there are many variables that also must be considered. In many cases, horse owners simply choose blindly from the many bits on the shelf at the local tack or feed store. It is impossible to correctly determine the right bit for a horse from a simple conversation with a sales clerk. I apologize to any sales personnel, but it’s the truth! There is a tremendous difference in a horse that has been fitted with the wrong bit and when that same horse gets fitted with the correct bit by an experienced professional. It can be almost to the point of ‘having a new horse’ when this is done correctly. But in order to accurately determine the right choice, the horse owner has to seek out those who can properly fit a bit to a horse. In many cases we have run into here at Buckaroo Equine Services, it has in many cases been the “I guess this bit will work” mindset that the owner purchased the bit.

I always find it amusing when they tell me the store help told them, “This is the bit used with most quarter horses” or whatever the breed of their horse happens to be. As I stated earlier, there are many variables to consider when correctly fitting a bit and just as important, are the mechanical attributes of the bit also. A correction bit may be what the new horse you just purchased needs to get the hindquarters underneath him, but if the high port bothers his mouth, and he ends up riding “high headed” then you must have access to an experienced trainer to help you learn that there are other options available. Now, you can certainly get all of the advice you could possibly stand at the local feed & seed and most of it will be rooted in some folklore based mentality or the advice from some local who thinks that rubber hoses are actually tack! You will come out better to use the pros in your area who are accomplished trainers. Remember, a room full of ribbons or trophies do not mean anything if you train with force. It takes no talent to beat an animal!!