Saturday, July 25, 2009

Start From The Beginning ~ Snaffle Bits, Part 1

Many times during my career training horses, customers have asked me to explain that particular chunk of steel I’m using in their horses’ mouth. Ah, bits...they’re such a confusing matter for most horse owners. Unfortunately, the average person who purchases a horse for pleasure riding doesn’t consult a trainer before going to the tack shop with their checkbook.

Bringing a professional along will not only insure you get the proper equipment (as long as this person is trustworthy, comes highly recommended from reliable sources and knows their tack!), but you will save money and time in the long run by keeping salespeople from trying to sell you expensive goods that wouldn’t serve your purposes at all.

With most horses, there is no reason to use anything more severe than a smooth “Dee” or “O” Ring snaffle. Preferably lightweight, this type of bit is a whole lot less likely to inflict pain on the horse in situations where he might become frightened by something, and his rider inclined to take hold of his mouth. Some folks want to stick a long shanked Western curb on every animal, with the idea they’ve got more control. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, “control” is in the training the horse has, NOT the bit in his mouth!

As horsemen and women, we don’t want to dominate our horses, we want to become one with them. By putting something in a horse’s mouth which might inevitably hurt him, we are reinforcing his need to become and remain a rogue (in the eyes of his trainer or rider, at least!) because of his unwillingness to be tamed. Can you blame him? Underscoring the fact that all humans are inhumane, we will always be at a disadvantage.

On the other hand, if we put something gentle in his mouth, especially with a young horse who hasn’t had any bad experiences (hopefully!) yet, the chances of producing a willing, amiable partner are much greater. The single most useful training tools any trainer possesses are positive reinforcement coupled with repetition, gentle yet effective handling and an attitude of wanting to work with the horse instead of against him. The idea is not to make him submissive in a negative sense, rather to make him cooperative -- as though he’d do anything asked of him for the sheer joy of it.

With older, harder mouthed horses on the other hand, most riders will put increasingly severe bits on them in an effort to...here we go with that word again...gain control. To risk re-injuring a horse’s mouth (since that’s usually the reason they become hard in the first place) defies logic. Any responsible horse owner should educate him or herself on the reasons behind such behavior before jumping to conclusions. By putting a solid smooth Dee ring snaffle in his mouth and the use of a simple running martingale (or, in more extreme cases draw reins or a German martingale -- always used in conjunction with a direct rein to the bit) and some slow, steady work, the toughest mouths can be softened up. All it takes is a little perseverance and some thinking on the part of the rider.

~SFTS

12 comments:

  1. Back in the day when I was pony clubbing, we were told that double bridles (of full bridles) were not for stopping power but to enable more subtle communication with the horse. It was (suppose) to be your seat and weight that controlled the speed of your horse and your legs that controlled the direction of your horse. None of us relied on just our weight and legs out in the hunt field. Pelhams were the answer. Sometimes pelhams with long shanks. Is there a Western equivalent of a tom thumb (very short shanked) pelham?

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  2. Question please, My colt came back from the trainer with a dog bone snaffle. He is staying very soft and responsive. I'm just curious though, what is the difference between a dog bone, and a regular broken snaffle. (besides the bone) Does it apply pressure to different areas then a plan snaffle?

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  3. Great question Kaede! There are varying shank lengths of Western curb bits, including some that are quite short. I have a few that are within the 4-5 inch long range, comparable to my tom thumb pelhams. Obviously the more shank length you have, the the more leverage is applied and for transitioning from the snaffle to the curb for show ring purposes I have always looked for both a very mild mouthpiece as well as as short a shank as possible. One type of bit many folks (including trainers) use as a transition from the snaffle to the curb bit is the "Western version" of the tom thumb, a shanked snaffle (what we used to call a "broken mouthpiece curb") with rather short shanks. I can't stand the darn things because of how they work in a horse's mouth, having a propensity to pinch and hurt the horse.

    My experience with Weymouth full (double) bridles has been in Saddleseat horses and upper level Dressage horses, they are acceptable in PC? Told you I had no experience with Pony Club! When I use a full bridle, I am riding the horse off the snaffle and only engaging the curb when I need a little bit of extra attention from the horse or at most a little bit more "lift and brilliance" for an English horse. It's that "finished horse" look that a full bridle gives to your performance, as opposed to the horse still in a snaffle.

    Remember that I come from a mainly Arabian show ring perspective, so I generally follow our breed rules and guidelines. For instance, I'll use a pelham on some Hunter Pleasure horses, on the Sport Horse Under Saddle horses that do not go all that well in a snaffle and need a little bit more to keep their minds focused and sometimes in a Hunter class. I prefer to use snaffles whenever and wherever I can. On the flipside, too many Arabian exhibitors are too quick to jump toward using a Kimberwicke, which I am not a huge fan of (though I have them and have used them). Mainly I don't like how a horse will not properly engage contact with one.

    Love hearing different perspectives!!

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  4. >>> My colt came back from the trainer with a dog bone snaffle. He is staying very soft and responsive. I'm just curious though, what is the difference between a dog bone, and a regular broken snaffle. (besides the bone) Does it apply pressure to different areas then a plan snaffle? <<<

    Are you referring to a French link snaffle (commonly referred to as a "dog bone" because of it's appearance)? There are also a number of other bits out there which folks have from time to time labelled as dog bone snaffles. I just wanted clarification. :)

    For horses that have a lower palate, I really like the French link snaffles, because oftentimes (especially with horses who have smaller mouths) a regular two piece snaffle will bump the roof of a horse's mouth when you engage the reins. Similar bits are the oval mouth (such as the Sprenger KK Ultra's, great bits), which is still fairly mild though a bit stronger; and the Dr Bristol, which is still more bit. There are other three piece snaffles, though these seem to be most common.

    Examples of each:

    Dog Bone/French Link

    Oval Mouth

    Dr Bristol

    Each of these different types of snaffles apply pressure differently, some more mild than others. I tend to go with what each horse prefers, so if your horse is happy with the bit your trainer suggests, then it sounds like you have a winner!

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  5. I would have to say it's the French Link. Thanks for explaining the why. Makes sense he does have a smallish short mouth.

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  6. As horsemen and women, we don’t want to dominate our horses, we want to become one with them. By putting something in a horse’s mouth which might inevitably hurt him, we are reinforcing his need to become and remain a rogue (in the eyes of his trainer or rider, at least!) because of his unwillingness to be tamed. Can you blame him? Underscoring the fact that all humans are inhumane, we will always be at a disadvantage.
    ______________

    HUH?


    We always use a snaffle with or without a frenchlink/dogbone. Preferably a sweet iron with copper inlay. The adjustment of the bit plays a huge part in how the horse will work in that particular bit.

    That being said, it does not matter what you put in a horses mouth if you do not know how to use it properly and if you have hands of stone! JMHO!

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  7. You are absolutely correct, JR ~ any bit in the wrong hands can be an instrument of torture.

    I am having a bit of trouble understanding why the "HUH". Maybe you can enlighten me?

    Let's not take small sections of the article (Which is circa 1994) out of context. :)

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  8. "Underscoring the fact that all humans are inhumane, we will always be at a disadvantage."

    This is the only "HUH" moment I had. I think most of us horse people,you and JR included, ride horses because we love them, and are constantly searching out more and more humane ways to connect with them, while still gettin' it done...I may be misunderstanding both of you, so set me straight...
    With my horse, I've always had a problem with bits. He plays around with whatever is put in his mouth--and, before you ask, my hands are super steady. Maybe TOO gentle, too passive, possibly too willing to give him a release when he hasn't earned it?
    When I first started him, he wore a rubber mullen-mouth snaffle--and chewed through the rubber to the cable. We went to a regular thick eggbutt snaffle and he kept fussing. Now I ride him in a steel mullen-mouth eggbutt, he still plays but warms up out of it after 20 minutes--sometimes! And this is not a green horse, he's now 15 and has been quite successful in Novice-level eventing, but the Dressage judge's comments are always "check your horse's teeth"--but he has never lacked regular, competent dental care.
    I'm considering getting him a 3-piece bit for Dressage, but the all the ones you posted have the middle section vertical--can you steer me to one where the middle section lays flat on the tongue? For jumping, he does quite well--but maybe an english hackamore (something bitless but still legal for Eventing) would help us.
    GRRR-I'm also going to get him a lameness evaluation, including if he needs chiropractic for his back--
    Complicated horse, but so worth it and I will never sell him--any insights you could give me SFTS, you too JR, would be helpful. Thanks!

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  9. Ah, okay littledog, I see where you are coming from. But it's really funny, because in the 15 years that article has been out there in print (both hardcopy in several publications and online), you and JR are the first who haven't understood what I was trying to convey. To wit, that if you put a severe or harsh bit in a horse's mouth, you may inevitably hurt him and underscore in his mind that humans tend to be inhumane. From the horse's perspective, you know? :) Indeed, most of us are always seeking ways to minimize our horses' discomfort. Which was my point in the first place.

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  10. On your bit questions, sometimes I have found that there is no real answer for a horse who likes to play with the bit, and it can get frustrating. I mean, you can try all sorts of ever harsher methods, use a tongue tie (which I do not like and are rarely show ring legal), or a dropped noseband, but what you really want is just for the horse to become quiet. One trick I have used is to alternate riding them on contact, then letting them seek contact, even if for a few strides before picking up contact again. Or, lots of lateral flexing and circles, to the point that he "forgets" to play with the bit because you're keeping his mind occupied. You may also want to try one of the bitless bridles, just to see if he does well in one.

    My suggestion on finding the right three piece bit is just to look at them in person ~ images on the web tend to be hard to visualize in your horse's mouth. Or, find someone with a good selection of bits that you can try out before you buy, and see if there might be something he works better in. I loan out my bits to folks all the time for that reason, and it allows them to figure out the ideal bit without having to invest in a number of them first. Look toward some of the Dr Bristol's with smoother edges, that may be what you are looking for.

    Good luck, let us know how he does when you compete him next!! :)

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  11. Hi, everyone, I was looking for a trainer here in N. MI. a few weeks ago. One of the ones I contacted showed me a twisted wire snaffle in combo with a gag bit. She told me it got results fast, etc. I'm sure it did! But not what I wanted in my girl's mouth. So found another trainer who works with halters, hackamores and snaffle bits. I feel so much better about it.
    Glad I found this blog. The others have been very negative lately. Johnnie, I like yours, too, and thanks, guys, for doing this because I am a very novice trainer.

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  12. Thanks for stopping by, Kallista! I'm really glad you found the right trainer for your horse..makes a world of difference, and you will both be so much happier in the long run!! Getting more harsh in a horse's mouth is never the answer, in my book. Wishing you the best of luck with your mare. :)

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