I need a strong bit

[horsejody]

Quote:
The reins are the last place to command whoa. When you want him to stop, adjust your seat and body, then say whoa, then apply the reins. If you do this consistantly, and the horse is properly trained, you may not even need to pull back. He will learn that you are giving the que to stop with your body and voice. I'm not saying that you do it, but the reins should not be the first or primary que.

 

[Akane]

The horse I've ridden who needed the "strongest" bit actually rode the most off seat and legs. I keep putting strong in quotes because a bit really shouldn't be rated that way. The reason that horse rode with a bit like that is because she was a very well trained barrel horse and her bit was a complex gag bit designed to deliver very quick signals with very little rein pressure that also kept her from leaning down in to the bit. However the reins were the last signal she received. I'd shift my weight, apply a leg, she'd set up, and at the last split second we'd both drop in to the barrel with the rein pressure resulting from my change in body position and therefore hand position. The movement was probably less than an inch difference. Hold a rein or dog leash loosely in your hand then tighten your fist. That's the pressure it took to put that mare into a full 360. These are what "stronger" bits are for. They provide faster signals with less pressure on well trained horses. Those same horses will ride with snaffles and often bridleless but the more complicated bits can allow more complicated signals quicker for high performance events. Right now my barrel mare's 2 daughters are riding in dring snaffles and if they never see a barrel course they will never ride in anything but a dring snaffle or basic rope running hackamore. That's all a trail horse should need. A bit upgrade comes when you need to do more with the horse and after they are responding well to the basic tools out there. Not to solve a problem.

 

[ijon1]

All of what they said. The stop comes from their head not a harsher bit. Training helps make them more supple and they will obey your commands.

 

[michickenwrangler]

Horses get very excited at a gallop. You may be better off at a steady canter until you work on your halts and transitions. My 18 yr old endurance mare still gets snorty-blowy when we gallop, so I'd hold off a bit until he will come down to a walk from a canter.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

What no one has mentioned is that the stop does not begin with the forehand. A stop begins with the hind quarters. So you need to signal what you want in a manner that he can begin his stop on his back end. This means using your seat and legs, not your hands. Your hands are the last thing you engage AFTER you have signaled with the rest of your body. When you stop a horse with the bit, he winds up working off his front end and this makes all transitions much more difficult for him to accomplish, since they all have to start at the back end of him. As mentioned, reins and bits are the last signal and when your horse and you are well trained, they can even be omitted from the signal.

HTH

Rusty

 

[MaggieRae]

Quote:

The lady who owned my horse before me used a very strong bit and 3 years later I'm still working on transitions (He also had some feet troubles when we got him which delayed everything).

 

[Joyryder]

You know what works great when someone else has him on a lunge line while you're riding with out reins. Tough frustating, but very rewarding when accomplished.

 

[alabamachick]

I would start with half haults. Its confusing in the beginning, and hard to explain in words. In essence you are squeezing to ask for more, but Holding strong (but not TOO strong) pressure on the reins and your seat is also saying "whoa", which is going to ask you horse to collect and slow.

Horses should be trained to be ridden in nothing more than a halter, ONLY when you can do everything in a halter do you move on to bits. If a bit is what you want, a nice D ring snaffle is what I would suggest. ANY bit can be harsh when not used correctly.

 

[alabamachick]

Quote:
I'm not exactly sure I agree with this. I can ride with no bridle or saddle, my "whoa" comes from my seat and legs.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I'm not exactly sure I agree with this. I can ride with no bridle or saddle, my "whoa" comes from my seat and legs.

Er, I'm not the one who wrote that, but I expect what was meant by "head" was "brain". I.e. that stopping comes from the horse understanding your aids and intentions, it is not a mere physical consequence of the bit the way an anchor would stop a drifting ship

Pat