Why Do You Want To Change Your Horse's Bit?

The range of horse bits on sale is bewildering to all but the most seasoned… I was going to say rider, but in this instance perhaps a better word is technician! There are literally hundreds of different designs for different purposes.

However, before you start thinking about changing the bits, a reality check is often helpful.

What is your reason for changing your bit? Has the horse started to behave differently? Does he seem to be uncomfortable with his current bit? Will he be used by a different rider?

Before you start experiment with different bits, be sure that this is the root cause of the problem and that you are not just using a stronger/lighter bit to “solve” a problem whose root cause is elsewhere.

Here is an example of what I mean.

This summer, the grass in Tim’s paddocks has been fairly poor and the horses needed some extra feed to keep them in condition. As the summer went on, his horse became stronger and more excitable, particularly when out hacking.

Tim’s first thought was to change to a stronger bit, but then realised that the extra food was the problem. After changing to a “non-heating” food mix, after a few weeks (and a couple of “hairy” rides!) the horse was back to its good natured self.

There are thousands of examples like this. I think it is also human nature to want to buy a gadget or gizmo that will “improve our riding”. Let’s be honest, we’ve all done it, and also quickly learned that there is rarely such thing as a quick fix for any horse problem.

If you are convinced that a change of bit is required, as we said above, there are many choices, from the snaffle (a fairly gentle bit) to the Pelham, which is more suited for the strong horse.

Choosing a bit is not for the novice or for random experimentation. Remember, a horse’s mouth is very sensitive. Changing the bit is not a “silver bullet“, it will not make you a better rider and can cause more problems that it solves.

As a general principal the more gentle the bit, the better. It is much better to improve your riding technique.

Solve the problem, not the symptom.

Safe Riding

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