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I'm so glad your training is going well! I used to have paso's, but we had to sell due to hay being TEN DOLARS A BALEHmm.. love horses and have one so I'll join
I dont think I like chain bits, because there is so much movement/floppiness, which leads to confusing signals for the horse and may give people the impression it is a soft bit, causing their hands to be less thoughtful and therefore making it a harsher bit. But bits are a personal thing, they need to be the right one for the horse. Personally Ithink they kinda make waaaaay too many bits geared towards a firmer message, when they need to take the horse back to the ground or a halter and work on simple response to cues.
Then there is Paso Fino Bits. Very interesting to me, since I have a Paso Fino Horse. I was recently learning as much about them and bits in general, in an effort to select which one would eventually be right for my horse.. tho at the moment we are riding and training softness in a pressure point rope halter
Im very happy to be working with an awesome natural trainer who is bending over backwards to help us out, and today it was my turn to jump on for the first time in a while, my boy did soooooo good, he followed all my seat cues, better and better as I got the hang of it more fluidly... hardly any rein pressure at all needed!! (Sorry Im just really happy tonight!)
Well anyway, the interesting thing about Paso bits, is they are shanked bits, and some people from other disciplines as well as new owners of Pasos may think they are too harsh ... the pleasure riding Paso people on the internet forum I am on, many of them have tried turning to the very gentle dressage mouthpeices instead... but most of the time people are finding the horses in this breed are simply not as happy/comfortable in them... and the reason why is not because those bits are more gentle or the breed bits more firm... it's because the Paso bits were developed for a gazillion years (or something similar, LOL) to be perfectly balanced in the mouth.. Paoss love balance in their tack, and things that help them achieve perfect balance themselves, which a solid mouth peice can do because they can (and are encouraged to) grab hold of it... The shanks where the fulcrum is, are jointed so they move, which lightens pressure when rein is applied.. and the ends of the shank where the reins attach, end in a loose ring, like a key chain ring, where the rein is actually attach.. and that improves 'signal' or you could say "warning" before the bit produces any pressure, so they learn to respond at a light request and when going very softly and listening like that, the bit does not actually engage at all.
(Sorry I needed a chance to babble about what I've been learning
So, I've decided for my horse hat when I DO get him a bit, and since all the Pasos bits are made to order anyway with easy customization... Im going to get him a wide, low, open port bit.... as he is so playful with his tongue (the open port gives more room for the tongue to move) and his persoanlity is such that he does his very best when entertained., so Im going to have the normal two copper rollers on the bars, but add another roller on the open port... preferably they can find a way to add a large one, since that is more.gentle if the bit does need to be engaged... so he can play with it. Plus Im thinking less than 4 inch.. probably 3 inch, C shaped shanks.
Im still not getting the bit for a whileI have other things to focus on, but it will be good to have it for later if I ever take him to shows, since adult horses are only allowed bits, no bosals (bridle - noseband like thing) so he will need to be bitted for that.
In the meantime we are having fun. I like learning a lot of this natural horsemanship stuff because it has made him so confident... and happier with me. I admit I used to be a bit wimpy with my horse, he is so gorgeous I was like "Oh well, if you want to go that way instead, we can do that" LOLOL but now he listens to me very well and I am learning to be a good leader for him..... I was very surprised when I realized that it truly would make him happy in a permanent way, to have me take charge (nicely).
His saddle pad was sliping all over today... we made it from some fleece (well my mom did) and it's awfully pretty, I needed a very thin pad for him which is why we made it... so I like it better than store bought which are just either too thick or too thin... but the pad has decided to slip so I think I will split some memory foam from another pad to be a thin layer we can put inside the fleece pad, and I think that will help the slipping problem.
One reason our one horse rides in a sidepull is because some moron couldn't control him and threw him in a 5" shank, high port, walking horse bit with a tight TIGHT curb chain to 'control him.' If he had an equine dentist out, he would have seen the horse needed his teeth floated. As soon as he sees a bit, he panics. Good thing with some TLC and gentle training, he's perfectly okay ridden in a sidepull.
The bits we use are plain unjointed and the mouth piece is resin, they are called egg butt. I don't like either chain or jointed bits as i think they can be over strong in the wrong hands. My daughter uses a bitless bridle which her horse responds very well to. My advice would always be use the simplest kindest bit you can get away with. Control does not come from yanking a horses head about.
