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LATEST NEWS |
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20/06/10
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After so many years of efforts...
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The following article is an excerpt of
'The Code' - HD Encyclopaedia |
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~ Bits ~ |
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(from Tack Fitting - Horse and Stable Management) |
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On bridling and bits one could write an entire book, yet it is an issue that for many is still a little confusing, especially where Dressage is concerned. Generally speaking, in western riding the horse should 'carry' himself without a constant contact through his mouth to the rider's hands, whilst in english riding the contact is continuous.
As snaffle bits go, there are straight ones (one single mouthpiece from one ring to the other), jointed ones (a single joint in the middle of the mouthpiece) and double-jointed ones (two joints in the mouthpiece with a flat or rounded link in the middle). These are the most common ones, and the most used in all the riding disciplines. Wire-mouthed, twisted or similar types of snaffles should be avoided for they can only damage any horse's mouth bars. Severeness-wise, the single-joint is the hardest, no matter how thick it is and of what material it's made of. Personally, I love to use double-jointed snaffles and straight-bar ones, possibly thick and hollow, and Aurigan-made ones are at top of the list (Aurigan is a German blend of metals that include copper). Fulmer doublejoints are wonderful both for young horses and horses that begin to learn to jump, for they help so much with the direction aids.
Novices may believe that bits are placed in horses' mouths to 'stop' and 'steer' them, which is obviously nonsense, but indeed bits are there to guide the horse into producing whatever it may be we're asking them to perform, which is asked primarily through the seat and leg aids. I often use the example of sailing boats to explain how a horse really is to be 'guided'. They're not machines, therefore one cannot expect instant action when an aid is applied. The more the horse is trained, the quicker he'll respond, but he will always need at least a fraction of a second to produce the required action.
Beside giving guidance, bits are there for another purpose altogether: to give the horse support. Now, support means literally that the horse may lean on the rider's hands for an instant, when collecting and when doing transitions, just as we'd lean for an instant with our hand on a small fence to hop over it. The good rider would allow this and absorb the pressure through his position and into his seat and heels, remaining balanced and effective thoroughout. The less flatwork training a horse has, the more he'll need to lean. Often horses feel heavy on the rider's hand and often all the horse is trying to do is find something to help him do as he is asked, which is always misinterpreted and read as 'pulling'. Top Dressage horses have most of their weight in the hind end, but they cannot perform any of the advanced movements if they do not find support in the rider through the bit also.
Since a horse needs to be able to find a support through the rider's hands, a severe bit would inhibit his try simply because it would be painful. A thin bit will not invite a horse to 'talk' to his rider, and in time it would harden the horse's mouth, making it ineffective, besides damaging the back due to incorrect posture. Personally I find that single-jointed snaffles, whether loose-ring or egg-butt, are a lot more severe than one would think. If the rider takes a stronger contact and lifts his hands, the joint closes and pinches the tongue like a nut-cracker. If the rider lowers his hands, the joint goes slam bang up into the horse's palate, making him raise his head in pain, and even bruising it. How often do we see heads up in the air and riders with really low hands! But how often do we see someone check his horse's palate afterwards? Never. So with single-jointed snaffles, the thickness of the bit itself is pretty irrelevant, because its action is always the same.
Double-jointed snaffles are a really good bit, and the thickness of the one chosen depends entirely on the size of the horse's mouth in primis (and I'll get back to this further on), on its sensitivity and on the rider's preference for last. They have no nut-cracker action whatsoever and allows a lot more error from the rider's part without doing any damage. The worst that can happen is just a misunderstanding between horse and rider. I found that 90% of the horses work remarkably well with a double-joint and the only ones who don't like it are the ones who are particularly annoyed with movable bits - on which individuals I strongly recommend a straight bar, whether sylicon, rubber, vulcanite or metal. Some horses' mouths heat up with rubber bits, one has to give them a try and see. I've had really hard-mouthed and ruined-mouthed horses go SUPERBLY with the most insignificant, 'cheap' rubber straightbar, and competing with it too. But the doublejoint induces mastication and relaxation of the jaw, thus improving muscular relaxation all around, which is what one looks for to perform whatever it's required without stress and physical damage in the long run.
The horse's mouth size is very often underestimated except for the actual width from corner to corner, needed to choose a 'size' lengthwise of the mouthpiece. But that's only the tip of the iceberg! Again, we could go on forever on this but a few points must be underlined: for starters, how much 'room' has the mouth got? If your horse has a smallish mouth altogether (mouth-size and height of horse have nothing to do with each other - you can find a 14hh with a huge mouth and a 17hh with a tiny one) then a big, thick snaffle is NOT the nicest thing you can place in it. The horse will find it cumbersome and create problems. A medium-thickness would be the equivalent of a really 'fat' one and there you go! Another point is WHERE the bit is placed - normally you would want to see one crease on the corners of the mouth but not every horse has the bars where you want them, and not all horses have their teeth in the same identical place. So, look at where the centre of the bars is, and that's where you want your bit to be positioned, and adjust the cheekpieces accordingly.
Remember that no bit on the planet will ever replace good hands. A kind bit in bad hands is way more devastating than any severe one in 'thoughtful' hands.
RR
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