HOPE'S BIT BLOG - All about horse bits! Hope's Bit Blog - Issue 1

The  Real  Deal  About  
Bitting  Your  Horse
HOW  TO  ACHIEVE  YOU  RIDING  AND  
TRAINING  GOAL                                  
HOPE  BIRSH  – MARYLAND  SADDLERY
Here at the Maryland Saddlery
we spend lots of time talking to
our customers about their
horses. Much of the discussion
revolves around the equipment
and bit choices they are making
for their level of training. Many
of us use whatever bit is in the
barn or what ever bit the horse
we purchased came with. I have
come to realize that most
people choose a bit based on
convenience rather than what
the horse really needs.
Can a bit cut down our training time? Or is it just a piece of metal that we
use to stop and turn our mounts? The answer is yes to both. But if you think
a bit by its self can stop a horse you are sorely mistaken. Can you stop a
moving car, by pulling on the steering wheel? Of course you can’t. Horses
stop because we train them to stop when we pull back on the reins. If a
horse is truly determined to run away, no amount of pulling back will
actually bring it to a stop. You cannot physically stop a moving object that
you are sitting on. Only by running into a fixed object, like a tree or a wall,
will a runaway horse stop if they have chosen to continue running.
ACTION - REACTION
So my point is that training your horse is more important than any bit you
or I could choose. What kind of training am I talking about? Circles and
transitions. Lots of circles and transitions… You have to train your horse
through repetition so that they understand that your action will elicit a
specific reaction from them.