Goldilocks and Bits

My quest for a good enough bit is still ongoing. I had a great d-ring copper thin snaffle that worked great for 3 years from our early saddle starts to our summer trails of 2019. But then I noticed lip rubs this summer and realized that Q had outgrown his bit.


I switched to a hackamore while his lips healed, and then I borrowed BOs eggbutt stainless steel snaffle in a slightly bigger style. Q was ok with it, but he had become quite mouthy, often fussing with it. My guess is that his small sensitive mouth does not handle this thickish snaffle very well.


So then I borrowed a myler comfort snaffle. It was ok on trail, and ok in the arena. But he was still fussing when the contact started. And more importantly he stopped wanting to take the bit when I bridled him. Which was outrageous because Q has now learned how to bridle himself and will usually grab the bit on his own. Now, he was spitting it out. I took it as a sign.





So we tried a smaller copper snaffle and Q liked that one quite a bit. He was quick to respond, yet not mouthing the bit at all. But once I got back to the barn I saw the tell tale sign of a rub in the lips. The bit was too narrow.
Now it was time to try the loose ring snaffles. The first, a double jointed copper, was an immediate rejection. Q was mouthing that thing so fast and furious that I thought he was trying to pull his tongue over it. I suspect the middle link hangs too low in his mouth and bothers his tongue. Q has a very small mouth.


The second worked better. So much that I saddled up and went to ride. We practiced soft and slow and I definitely felt some resistance from him in contact at the trot. But Ill need to try it another time or two before I (or Q) decide.








Once we were done riding, I got off and checked Q's attention to the left and right rein. He clearly had a hard time softening to the left. The top video shows one of his first attempts, which clocks in at 14 seconds reaction time. An astounding result, given that he gives to the right in a fraction of a second. So we worked on it for a few minutes to get the result down to 3 seconds by the end. I haven't done this exercise in years ... so I totally understand why he is rusty. But we will go back to working on that, as well as the long reins as he adjusts to this new bit and tells me if it will work for him.

Stay tuned.

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