The Internet Source
for Western!

Advice on barrel racing, reining, cutting, trail riding, polo and more!

Patrick Wyse is a trainer who can teach and a teacher who can train. He is a full-time professional instructor who began doing clinics in Canada, in 1969. He has honed his skills and continued to build on the principles of Monte Foreman, his early mentor. Monte Foreman was a true pioneer of the modern horse world by initiating the use of slow-motion film to analyze how HORSE action and HUMAN reaction effect each other. He then took this information to communities throughout the United States, becoming the first horseman who dared to make a living conducting traveling clinics.

Patrick has carried on this tradition and continues to advance the BASIC HANDLE system through the use of video analysis. Each year, over 600 students are videotaped for their progressive enlightenment and for strengthening the teaching method.

Part 2: Training Headgear: Snaffle Bits
by Patrick Wyse
~ August  2001 ~

In our last installment in the series about bits, we described the basic bits commonly in use today. Now well go into detail about the different types of bits, how, and why they work (or dont work) to create certain reactions in the horse. Since this is a rather large topic, well cover non-leverage (snaffle) bits only in this issue of Words From The Wyse. To review, snaffles are bits which have no shank that would provide leverage. Whether the mouthpiece of the bit is jointed or not has no bearing on whether the bit is considered a snaffle.

Snaffles have a variety of uses. Many trainers start green colts in a snaffle, as it is generally considered the mildest of bits. The concept of yielding to direct pressure is relatively easy for a horse to comprehend, as opposed to understanding what leverage is all about. As the horse progresses through intermediate and advanced levels, a leverage bit may be introduced, but alternating back to the snaffle regularly keeps balance in the training program, and reduces behavioral problems that inherently emerge with the use of leverage bits.

The advantages of using a snaffle are many. Mechanically they are simple. A riders pull on a snaffle translates to a pull on the horse of exactly the same intensity and from exactly the same direction as the rider applied. Shanked bits alter the strength and direction of the applied pressure because of their leverage effect. Non-leverage bits are ideal for teaching the horse the essential skills of lateral flexion and turning for control. Not only are snaffles superior for horses in early training, but they are also most trainers choice for novice riders, whose hands are not yet educated. If beginners must learn by making errors, they should do it in the gentlest bit available.

There are a few disadvantages to non-leverage bits. In cases where more stopping power is needed, such as on high performance horses (reiners and ropers for instance) leverage may be needed to complete the horses training. But most occasions when a snaffle seems inadequate actually reflect omissions in training or rider error. Another disadvantage is that without a running martingale, some horses will learn to elevate their heads to evade the bit. A properly adjusted martingale (as shown in the photo) will change the angle of the bit pressure only if the height of the horses nose exceeds that of the throatlatch. (Note: When using a running martingale, some type of rein stops are A MUST, to prevent the rein attachments from getting stuck on the martingale rings. If the rings get hung up, the situation can quickly become dangerous.)

Correct adjustment of the snaffle varies by the situation. During breaking, we recommend adjusting it fairly tight, with one or two wrinkles at each corner of the horses mouth. The purpose of this tension is to discourage the horse from putting his tongue over the bit. After the early rides, it is a good idea to drop the bit down, so that it just meets the corners of the mouth. The reason for dropping the bit is that some horses will get raw or sore in the corners of their mouths from a tightly adjusted bit rubbing back and forth. For all snaffles except the full cheek, a chinstrap is suggested. The strap must be loose, and should not interfere in any way when a rider pulls on the bit, The only purpose of the chinstrap is to prevent the bit from being pulled all the way through the horses mouth in cases when a hard pull is needed or the horse happens to open his mouth.

The snaffle consists of two parts, the mouthpiece and the cheeks. Factors which affect the bits action include the diameter, texture, and composition of the mouthpiece, whether and how many joints the mouthpiece has, the size and shape of the cheeks, and how they attach to the mouthpiece.

MOUTHPIECES

Mouthpieces may be solid or they may be jointed in one or more places. Solid mouthpieces are actually the mildest, since the horse can use his tongue to keep the bit away from the bars of the mouth. The bars are the sections of the horses lower jaw, on each side, between the incisors and the premolars. The absence of teeth from this section of the mouth allows the bit to contact the jaw, where the horse is sensitive enough to be influenced by a bit. A single joint in the mouthpiece creates a nutcracker-like action. This increases the severity of the bit, in most cases just enough to get control of an unruly horse, and enough to allow the use of very light signals on the more trained horse. Multiple joints reduce this result and diminish the effectiveness of the bit. The single jointed snaffle is the most frequently used bit because, although it is mild, it is very effective when used by an educated rider.

The diameter of the mouthpiece has a critical influence on the reaction a bit will elicit. 3/8-inch diameter, measured one inch in from the cheeks is seen most often, and is the size to which the average horse responds best. The smaller the diameter of the mouthpiece, the harsher the bit becomes, as it puts pressure on a smaller section of the bars. This translates to more pounds of pressure per square inch of contact area, causing greater discomfort to the horse as the pressure is applied. Larger diameter mouthpieces become so mild that the horse feels comfortable leaning and pulling against the bit, which slows the training process significantly. An excessively large mouthpiece (over ¾ inch diameter) can be quite uncomfortable for the horse, since it may fit awkwardly between the upper and lower jaws.

Texture of the mouthpiece also modifies the result of bit pressure. Most snaffles are smooth, but twisted wire is common. Other textures include rollers, slow twists, rasp-like textures, and even bicycle chains. We certainly dont recommend the extreme options, but they are out there, and probably should be avoided. Once again, the need for extremely harsh textures of bits typically indicates a weakness in the horses prior training program.

Finally, the material from which the mouthpiece is constructed is influential on the horse. Some trainers prefer copper or sweet iron in the mouth to encourage salivation, since the bit does not slide easily through mouth if it is dry. However, we have never found a properly trained horse to have a problem salivating enough to keep the mouth moist. Constant, unrelenting bit pressure is the most likely source of a dry mouth.

The other bit material, which is rather popular in some disciplines, is rubber. Both solid rubber mouthpieces, and steel covered with rubber are available. Rubber bits frequently create problems, rather than solve them. Although some people like them because they feel rubber is mild, there are numerous disadvantages. Often rubber mouthpieces have such a large diameter that they become quite cumbersome for the horse to carry in his mouth. This, combined with the fact that rubber has an unpleasant flavor, can lead to a horse chewing excessively and becoming very fussy about his mouth. Solid rubber mouthpieces can actually be chewed in half. In addition, for many horses, rubber exerts such a mild pressure that it actually encourages the horse to lean against the bit, generating a hard mouth.

CHEEKS

In a typical tack catalog, many sizes and shapes of cheeks are available, but the most common are Dee-ring, O-ring, Egg butt, and Full Cheek. The HorseWyse program suggests the Dee-ring or the Full Cheek, because both bits pull across a wide flat surface on the horses cheek. This spreads the pressure out, thus creating a more comfortable condition for the horse. These cheeks are also less likely to slide into an open mouth. O-ring snaffles can put a pretty harsh pressure right at the corner of the mouth, which will increase discomfort to the horse, and may encourage him to open his mouth to escape the pressure.

The system of attachment of the cheeks to the mouthpiece varies. Most Dee-ring, O-ring, and Full Cheek bits attach with either a T shaped joint or a loose ring. In a T-joint, at the location where the mouthpiece meets the bit, the mouthpiece is molded into a T shape that connects to the bit ring at a distance from the corner of the mouth. T-joints make it almost impossible for the bit to pinch at the corners of the mouth, but loose ring snaffles may cause a small amount of skin to get caught in the joint, causing sudden sharp pain. This occurs because the ring snaffles cheek ring slides through a slot in the edge of the mouthpiece. The ring can rotate full circle through this slot, but it can also pull skin into the slot. Head tossing is a common result of this type of mouth pain.

One variation sometimes seen on the snaffle is the gag bit, a cheek design where the headstall slides through holes in the bits cheeks, causing the bit to pull up at the corners of the mouth and down on the horses poll. Gag bits have an effect of elevating the horses head, but they tend to over exaggerate the elevation, and they are very detrimental to the teaching of lateral turning. Since lateral flexion is a cornerstone of a well-trained horse, we advise against the use of gag bits.

The snaffle is the foundation of the majority of horse training programs in both the English and Western horse worlds. With proper instruction, any rider can learn to use a snaffle to guide his horse through most stages of the training process. Many horses will never need another bit to live a productive, useful life.

The HorseWyse program uses only five bits to educate a horse from the beginning of training through finished levels. For a more detailed explanation of the principles of bits, their functions, and why just a few bits are needed in a solid training program, please refer to the video Practical Guide To Bits And Their Use, available on the HorseWyse website.

.