BITTING MYTHS AND TRUTHS
Bitting is part of every horseman’s life. It can also be quite expensive, since it is the rare tack store that will loan a rider a bit just to try (once a bit has been in a horse’s mouth it is generally scratched and cannot be sold as new).
At first blush, bitting seems a vast and complicated issue. It takes knowledge, patience, and perseverance to navigate the bit aisle of the tack store and figure out how to help our horses. Even so, it can also be surprisingly simple. Several of the trainers interviewed for this book noted that they often look like heroes when they change a horse’s bit and instantly solve what seemed to the rider to be a highly complicated problem.
Here, we summarize the most common myths and truths about bits.
MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS
1) A Western curb bit is a harsh bit. Yes, in the wrong hands, it is. But in Western riding the horse is trained well enough that he can be ridden very lightly, with just the shifting weight of the reins to guide or remind him. This is particularly true for bits with longer shanks—the dangling rein on the long shanks definitely creates some sensation in the horse’s most sensitive mouth.
2) One of the most common misconceptions in the bitting world is that a ported bit is a curb or leverage bit. Not so. There are many snaffles with ports.
3) If you need a stronger bit, switch to a curb. In fact, curbs are advanced bits for well-trained horses, not disobedient horses. That’s why advanced Western bridle horses and high-level dressage horses can carry a curb bit—both types of bits require highly skilled rider and horse response. They aren’t meant to shout louder at unresponsive horses.
4) Jointed bits are always softer than straight bar bits. Not always true! Mullen mouths, Myler bits, and some wide-ported bits can be gentler for horses than jointed bits. It depends on what kind of lateral flexibility you need and how your horse feels about bar pressure rather than tongue and lip pressure.
5) The Tom Thumb is a good transition bit to use when you’re moving from a snaffle to a curb. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Tom Thumb may look like a “snaffle” bit because it is jointed in the center. But it isn’t one. A true snaffle has direct contact, with the reins connecting directly to the bit. So if you pull on the left rein, it pulls the horse’s head to the left. With the Tom Thumb, however, the reins are attached to the shanks. If you attempt to direct-rein the horse to the left, you’re actually applying leverage, rather than asking him to turn left. You’re also exacerbating the nutcracker effect of the single-jointed mouthpiece. If you pull back on the horse’s mouth with both reins, the shanks engage leverage and the joint in the center of the bit folds over the horse’s tongue, presses on the bars, and may even poke the roof of his mouth. Add the leverage effect of the shanks (remember how those shanks add triple the pounds per square inch?) and you’re basically asking the horse to bring his head down, while at the same time poking him in the roof of the mouth when he does. And, with the curb chain added to this combination, you’ve made it nearly impossible for the horse to yield to pressure.
On the English side, a similarly ineffective bitting combination is the jointed Pelham or any other kind of jointed curb. While it may seem like a softer bit because of the joint, in fact it’s relatively ineffective for any of the purposes people think these bits are good for. It’s not a particularly soft bit because it has that nutcracker action, nor is it particularly effective as a curb bit because it will cause the horse to want to evade the leverage action. A better option, for both English and Western, is to perfect the basics of training as much as possible before moving to a curb bit. If a horse doesn’t turn, is heavy in the hands, or is running off with the rider, then a big step back to basics is the first step, not a leverage bit with a jointed mouthpiece.
6) Pull back on the reins to stop a horse. Unfortunately, many of us learned to ride in the “kick to go, pull to stop” school of equitation. The seat and the leg signal the “whoa” while the hand closes on the reins. The bit is neither the horse’s brakes nor his steering wheel, although they can be used that way when necessary to reinforce the other aids.
7) A linked bit is a snaffle. Not so! A linked bit with leverage cheeks is a leverage bit, not a snaffle.
8) Buying a new bit will solve your problems. As Julie Goodnight said earlier in this book, you cannot buy your way out of a training problem. Experiment, train, get help, but realize that the actual bit is a very small part of a very large overall horse management picture.
As you go forth into your bitting experiments, remember to look holistically at your horse, your riding, and your bit to determine your next steps. A bit is only as good as the hands to which it is attached, so make becoming a better rider your first priority. Think empathetically about your horse’s mouth and work to quiet your bouncy hands and soften your contact. You might be surprised at how much money you’ll save just by having a friend longe you without stirrups or reins, or by spending 20 minutes riding without stirrups every day to improve your balance. Look at your horse’s training issues from a number of different angles, starting with the training of the horse and the habits of the rider and moving on to the equipment. Sometimes, it’s a combination of all three that solves the problem.
The world of bits and bitting is full of misconceptions and misinformation. We hope that after reading this book, some of those myths have been debunked and you’re better able to make the right choices for your horses.
